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Old Posted Dec 20, 2006, 1:41 AM
suncity suncity is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ex-Ithacan View Post
How fast is the Kolkata metro growing? Just curious.
While poverty stricken migration is continuing in from neighbouring states and countries, this mostly adds to the slum and pavement population in the core city.

A lot of the middle class and upper middle class are moving out to the outlying areas into four - five storey apartment blocks.

Highrise blocks mostly cater to the higher income groups and non resident Indians. There was a pent up demand for this section but there was no land made available till now. The new additions to outlying areas and permission to build highrises have changed that scenario.

The state was supposed to have reached replacement fertility levels in 2006 but not sure if that was achieved and how migration will have a bearing on that.

Strangely the core city's population didn't increase much over the past twenty years - this could be because of poor economic conditions for over two decades and outward migration of the middle class compensated by the inward migration of the poor migrants from Bihar, UP, Jharkhand and other places. The demography has changed too. Original residents (Bengalis) are a minority now.

Eastern India is one of the poorest regions in the world (although West Bengal itself is slightly better off) and Calcutta being the only metro has been one of its major problems.

The recent uptick in economy is bound to attract more rural folks in search of a better life and that could mean what has happened in Mumbai - slumification and skyscraperization.

The local government has failed to cope with growth - although its hands are tied when it comes to people wiling to just set up camp on any pavement or open ground they wish. Much of the surrounding areas of the city are fertile land and local farmers are unwilling to give up their land to urbanization. So it is not a pretty situation. This is a problem for most Indian cities though. How India tackles such issues is a big question mark.

Last edited by suncity; Dec 20, 2006 at 1:46 AM.
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