Human settlements in India are of two broad types: rural settlements and urban settlements. Rural settlements are villages whose people are engaged mainly in agriculture and allied primary activities, while urban settlements are towns and cities whose people are engaged in secondary and tertiary activities. India is one of the most populous countries of the world, and its settlements range from tiny hamlets in the Himalayas to enormous megacities such as Delhi and Mumbai.
The study of human settlements in India examines the types and patterns of rural settlements, the growth and classification of urban settlements, and the process of urbanisation. India is among the least urbanised countries of the world, but its urban population is so large that India has the second largest urban population in the world after China. The study of settlements helps us understand how people organise their lives in space and how the process of urbanisation is transforming Indian society and economy.
Rural settlements in India are classified on the basis of their size into hamlets, villages and large villages. A hamlet is a small cluster of houses, a village is a larger settlement with a defined territory and a community life, and large villages are clusters with several thousand people. Rural settlements are also classified on the basis of the shape of the settlement into linear, circular, rectangular, star-shaped and other patterns, which are determined by the physical features of the land and the historical development of the settlement.
The rural settlements of India can also be classified into clustered or nucleated settlements, semi-clustered settlements, hamleted settlements and dispersed settlements. Clustered settlements are found in fertile plains where houses are closely packed, semi-clustered settlements are found in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan where a cluster of houses is separated from the main settlement, hamleted settlements are common in the eastern plains and the tribal areas, and dispersed settlements are found in the hilly, forested and desert regions where water and arable land are scattered.
Rural settlements in India are not just agricultural villages. Many rural settlements have specialised functions. Some are pastoral villages, found in the semi-arid regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat and the Himalayas, where people depend on herding of animals. Some are fishing villages, found along the coasts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and West Bengal, and along the inland rivers and lakes. Some are forest villages, found in the tribal belts of the northeastern states and central India, where people depend on the collection of forest products.
The rural settlements of India also include mining villages, found in the mineral belts of Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and artisan villages, where people practise crafts such as pottery, weaving and metalwork. The size, shape and function of rural settlements vary with the physical environment, the availability of water, the landholding pattern and the customs of the people. These variations make the rural settlement pattern of India extremely diverse.
Urban settlements in India are classified by the Census of India on the basis of size into towns, cities, metropolitan cities and megacities. A town is an urban settlement with a population between 5,000 and 1 lakh, a city has a population between 1 lakh and 1 million, a metropolitan city has a population between 1 million and 5 million, and a megacity has a population of more than 5 million. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad are the megacities of India.
Urban settlements in India are also classified on the basis of their functions. Some are administrative towns, such as New Delhi, Chandigarh and Gandhinagar, which are the seats of government. Some are industrial towns, such as Jamshedpur, Bhilai and Rourkela, which grew around industries. Some are port towns, such as Mumbai, Kochi and Vishakhapatnam, some are mining towns, some are tourist towns, some are educational towns and some are religious towns. Many Indian towns are multifunctional, combining several of these functions.
Urbanisation in India has been a slow but steady process. The level of urbanisation in India was only about 17 per cent in 1951, and it increased to about 31 per cent by the 2011 Census. Although the level of urbanisation in India is low compared to the world average, the absolute size of the urban population is enormous because of the large total population. The urban population of India is growing rapidly due to natural increase and rural-to-urban migration, and it is concentrated in a relatively small number of large cities.
The process of urbanisation in India is highly uneven across the states. States like Goa, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have higher levels of urbanisation, while states like Bihar, Odisha and Assam have very low levels of urbanisation. The growth of megacities has created a number of problems, such as the growth of slums, shortage of housing, traffic congestion, pollution and pressure on civic services. The process of urbanisation in India is therefore a major challenge for planning and governance.
The rapid growth of both rural and urban settlements in India has created several problems. In rural areas, the fragmentation of landholdings, the shortage of basic services such as drinking water, electricity and schools, and the low level of infrastructure are major problems. In urban areas, the problems are more severe: the growth of slums, the shortage of housing, the inadequate supply of water and sanitation, traffic congestion, air and water pollution, and the pressure on health and education services.
The environmental problems of settlements are also serious. Urban areas generate large quantities of solid waste, which is often not properly disposed of, and the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents pollutes the rivers. The unchecked growth of cities has led to the encroachment of agricultural land and green spaces. The solution to these problems lies in planned development: the provision of basic services to rural areas, the development of smaller towns to reduce the pressure on megacities, and the adoption of sustainable urban planning.
| Type | Characteristic | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Clustered | Houses closely packed | Fertile plains |
| Semi-clustered | Partly detached clusters | Gujarat, Rajasthan |
| Hamleted | Fragmented into hamlets | Eastern plains, tribal areas |
| Dispersed | Houses spread far apart | Hills, forests, deserts |
| Type | Population |
|---|---|
| Town | 5,000 to 1 lakh |
| City | 1 lakh to 1 million |
| Metropolitan City | 1 million to 5 million |
| Megacity | More than 5 million |
Human settlements in India display a remarkable diversity of form and function. Rural settlements range from clustered villages in the fertile plains to dispersed hamlets in the hills and deserts, and from farming villages to fishing, pastoral and mining villages. Urban settlements are classified by population into towns, cities, metropolitan cities and megacities, and they serve a wide range of administrative, industrial, commercial and cultural functions. India's urbanisation, though modest in percentage terms, involves an enormous and rapidly growing urban population that is concentrated in a few large cities. The planned development of settlements, with basic services for villages and sustainable management of cities, is essential to meet the challenges of India's growing population.
Keywords: Human settlements, rural settlements, urban settlements, hamleted, dispersed, megacity, metropolitan city, urbanisation, urban problems.