The
City Pulls Rural-to-Urban Migrants From the Countryside
Delhi, India's capital city, has been undergoing rapid
change driven by strong economic growth. Associated
with this growth are greater access to goods and services,
new cultural activities, and more employment opportunities.
The city pulls workers from the countryside like a
magnet, but jobs are not available for all of the
migrants searching for work. Because housing this
expanding group is a significant problem, many people
are forced to live in squatter camps. Most new residents
have come from agricultural villages in search of
a cash income, fill many unskilled jobs, and typically
send a portion of their income back to relatives at
home.
Migration
Challenges the Infrastructure of Delhi
The changes prompted by in-migration of the population
from rural areas has created a severe lack of affordable
housing and has contributed to growing squatter communities
that now house over one-third of Delhi's residents.
Continual population pressures have resulted in shortages
of water, electricity, and sewage systems. The number
of cars has also exploded, and air pollution and traffic
congestion are major problems. While Delhi's economy
continues to expand, the sheer volume of in-migrants
threatens the city's ability to cope in the future.
Indian Government Forms Plan for Region
The National Capital Region Planning Board is attempting
to solve the problems facing Delhi. In a comprehensive
plan formulated for the entire capital region, the
current size of the metropolitan area is expected
to expand by twenty times the existing area. Within
the new capital region several satellite cities, connected
by expanded rail and highway systems, are planned.
The city of Gurgaon, 18 miles (30 kilometers) south
of Delhi, is a crucial part of this plan. The city
has many factories and housing complexes, and employment
there allows more workers to enter a growing middle
class. The National Capital Region Planning Board
extends beyond Gurgaon, and the construction of buildings
and roads over the entire region continues to both
accommodate and attract laborers in search of a cash
income.
Subcontinent's
Climate Limits Indian Agriculture
In central India, life in the farming villages of
Madhya Pradesh revolves around the arrival of the
wet monsoons. Normally, rains will fall for four months
beginning in October and then are followed by a long
dry season. During the dry season, which lasts six
to eight months, little rain falls. Because of the
scarce precipitation, farmers must rely on stored
water or intermittent rains. Droughts are common in
India, and over thirty-three percent of the land mass
is subject to only a limited rainfall.
Water Management and Rural Development Go Hand
in Hand
Allaying the fear of drought and reducing poverty
have been concerns of the Indian government since
its creation in 1947. Modern river development projects
to build dams for water storage and canals for irrigation
were initiated in the late 1950s and 1960s.
The
state of Madhya Pradesh was one of the first to benefit
from these national programs. Dikhatpura was first
provided with water for irrigation in 1971 and has
markedly increased agricultural productivity since
then. The additional water supports two harvests per
year, and a variety of crops can now be grown. Many
farmers were able to move away from subsistence crops
into cash crops after following the government's agricultural
plan, called the "Green Revolution."
Increased
productivity and land reform have raised the income
of much of India's rural population, which was extremely
poor prior to these changes. With added income and
support from the government, many farmers can also
raise water buffalo, which provide milk that can be
sold in nearby towns. This process not only increases
the income of rural families, but also creates new
jobs and a new food source to further alleviate poverty.
The changes prompted by the addition of milk as a
source of food and income in rural India has been
called the country's "White Revolution."
Irrigation
Development Brings Unexpected Results
Modern water resource management techniques have created
some unforeseen difficulties in rural India. While
government investment created the irrigation network,
local control is not always clearly administered.
Disputes, illustrated in the video by the altercation
between the young boy and the elder farmer, often
erupt over the allocation of water. Unlined canals
allow leakage into the existing water table, which
in turn creates boggy soil. Overuse of irrigated water
can lead to salinization, the build-up of salt in
the soil, which over time renders the soil useless
for farming.
Improving
Life in Villages Eases Problems in the City
The development of a stable water supply and delivery
system has been an important factor in reducing the
poverty found in the rural areas of India. To continue
to reduce the push factors driving migrants to the
city, further improvements that raise the standard
of living in these areas will have to be made. The
agricultural sector remains the dominant employer
of the rural population, and this sector's productivity
is tied to water management. By raising income levels
and providing services to rural areas, incentives
to move to urban areas are reduced. Water management
in rural areas can be seen as a key to helping solve
the enormous problems facing cities like Delhi, and
may even eliminate critical problems like population
growth and food shortages in the future.
