IMPACT OF URBANIZATION ON HEALTH

AND DISEASE
 WHAT IS URBANIZATION
• The physical expansion of urban areas by factors like area, population is
called urbanization. Urbanization is a global change happening all over the
world including India. According to the United Nations, the movement of
people from rural areas to cities to live and work there is also
'urbanization’.
 URBAN AREA
STANDARDS
a) In Indian society, for an area to be
considered an urban area, it is
necessary that the population of a
human settlement be 5000 or more
people.
b) At least 75% of this human population
should be engaged in non-agricultural
occupation.
c) Population density 400 persons per
square km. Should not be less than.
d) Apart from this, if there are some
other characteristics like industries,
large residential settlements,
electricity and public transport, then it
is considered under the definition of a
city.
 Statistics related to urbanization in India
a) According to statistics, as of 2001, 27.81% of India's population lived in
cities. By the year 2011 it was 31.16% and in the year 2018 this figure
increased to 33.6%.
b) The total number of cities and towns in the 2001 census was 5161, which
increased to 7936 in the year 2011.
c) About 17.4% of India's urban population lives in slums.
d) According to a latest report of the United Nations, currently half of the
world's population is living in cities and by the year 2050, half of India's
population will live in metros and cities.
e) Urbanization is increasing rapidly in India and globally also by then 70%
of the total population will start living in cities.
1. One of the main reasons for increasing urbanization is unemployment.
Most of the people coming to cities are looking for jobs, not people
getting better jobs, and the unemployment rate among those coming
from outside is relatively low.
2. The main reason for migration from villages to cities is not only the
salary rate, apart from this there are two other main reasons - less land
holding and larger size of the family.
3. The Second World War resulted in a rapid expansion of government
services in urban areas, which became a major catalyst for migration
from villages to cities.
4. As a result of the Industrial Revolution, material comforts increased in
urban areas.
5. Better basic facilities in urban areas like education, health and easy
transportation etc.
6. Due to losses in agriculture, people leave agriculture and come to cities
in search of employment. According to the Agriculture Ministry, 40
percent of the people dependent on farming are those who would
immediately leave farming if given the option. Because the cost of
money in farming is increasing.
7. The private sector developed after 1990. Due to which big
factories and factories developed only in cities and metros.
Problems related to urbanization
1. Overurbanization- Most of the cities of India are victims of
overurbanization. Thus, it can be said that when the urban population
increases so much that the city fails to provide a good lifestyle to its
residents, then that situation is called over-urbanization.

2. Problem of housing and slums- The increase in urban population has

given rise to many problems in which the problem of housing is the main
one. This problem is seen in both the quality and quantity of housing.
3. Lack of social security- People coming to cities from rural areas are mostly
poor, they lack any kind of social security. Ex.: medical care, sickness
benefit, unemployment benefit, old age benefit, employment injury benefit,
family benefit, maternity benefit, invalidity benefit and survivor's benefit.

4. Family disintegration- As a result of urbanization, large families have

divided into small families. Apart from this, incidents of divorce in families,
exploitation of widows and abuse of the elderly have increased.
5. Environmental Problem- As a result of continuous increase in population
and industrialization in urban centres, many problems of environmental
pollution and degradation have arisen. The main cause of pollution in
metros and cities is toxic chemicals released by vehicles and industrial
institutions.

6. Economic inequality- Economic inequality in Indian cities is higher than in

developed countries. The income spent in metropolitan cities is higher than
that in rural areas. As a result of this economic gap, villagers are attracted to
cities.