Mobility and migration are both terms associated with movement, but they differ in scale and intention:
The World Bank estimates that over 270 million people were international migrants in 2019, representing 3.5% of the world’s population. However, it is very difficult to estimate mobility stats due to its transient nature.
Causes of Rural-to-Urban Migration in India:
Push Factors in Rural Areas:
- Limited job opportunities, poverty, lack of infrastructure, and natural disasters.
- Mechanization of agriculture (Structural Theory of migration) pushes people out of rural areas.
Pull Factors in Urban Areas:
- Better job prospects, higher wages, access to education and healthcare, and improved living conditions attract migrants to cities.
Economic Factors:
- Rural areas in India lack sufficient employment opportunities and offer lower wages compared to urban areas.
- Neoclassical theory suggests migration is primarily driven by wage differentials, with individuals migrating from rural areas with lower wages to urban areas offering higher earning opportunities.
- For example, the Green Revolution in the 1960s led to significant rural-to-urban migration as mechanization reduced the need for agricultural labor in rural areas.
Infrastructure Development:
- Urban development results in the construction of infrastructure such as roads, ports, and industrial zones in urban areas.
- This further incentivizes rural residents to migrate to cities in search of employment opportunities.
- For example, initiatives like the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) have resulted in widespread migration from nearby rural areas.
Social Factors:
- Education, healthcare, stringent caste systems in rural areas, and social mobility play a significant role in rural-to-urban migration.
- Migrants move to cities to access better educational opportunities for themselves and their children, as well as improved healthcare facilities.
- For example, the migration of families from rural Bihar to cities like Delhi for better schooling opportunities is a common phenomenon.
Consequences of Rural-to-Urban Migration in India:
Hyper Urbanization:
- Rapid rural-to-urban migration leads to urban sprawl, straining infrastructure and resources.
- For example, Delhi’s population growth is projected to add 400 million urban dwellers by 2050, marking it the largest urban migration in the world for that period. This expansion not only strains infrastructure but also increases the urban heat island effect, where manmade structures absorb heat and radiate it back, raising local temperatures significantly.
Social Change:
- Migration disrupts traditional family structures and creates social challenges in both rural and urban areas, such as strained elders, incomplete families, and nuclear family structures.
Economic Growth:
- Migration contributes to urban economic growth by providing a workforce and boosting consumption.
- Remittances sent back to rural areas boost rural economies.
Environmental Impact:
- The concentration of population and economic activities in urban areas exacerbate environmental problems such as pollution, deforestation, and depletion of natural resources.
- Managing the environmental impact of urbanization becomes crucial for sustainable development.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Smart Village Initiative, Integrated Rural Development Program, National Rural Livelihoods Mission, and Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin are some of the prominent schemes initiated by the Indian government to stem rising rural to urban migration.
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