• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

URBAN INFLUENCE ON RURAL ECONOMY IN ALIGARH DISTRICT, UP. ABSTRACT Thesis Submitted For The Degree Of factor of ^liiloiop^p IN GEOGBAPHY To THE ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH By HSoliicl. XmlckvcLt Saeed Kban DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH (INDIA) 1993 URBAN INPLUBNCB ON RURAL SCONQMY IN V •XV ABSTRACT rV 1 • , aural India ia transforming at a raTp^cf^^^^e". xXucii of this transformation is the result of urban impact that is being f©lt even at great distances. As a result of this process, basis of traditionally self-sufficient village economy is being increasingly eroded by the market oriented production. The change in the mode of production in rural economy is bringing change in the overall socio-economic setup of the countryside. In this context the degree of urbanisation in an area is thought to be an index of change in the nirul economy. The theme of the present investigation is centred on the urban influence on rural economy. The relationship between the two is conceptualised and tested taking Koll Tshsll of Aligai* District, Uttar Pradesh as a case study. During the course of investigation the author has tried to examine the nature of changes in rural economy by rural-urban inteructlon and to find out the most important determinants oi urban influence in the countryside. These avowed alms have guided and guaged the present Investigation. Aligarh City enjoys a central position as the district headquarter, where a number of administrative function and their offices are located. Besides, the presence ot Industrial -2- units, educational inBtitutions, commercial eetabliehmentB, traneportational facilities and the social and cultural inatitutiona have made it into a town of regional importance in and outaide the district. Therefore, Aligarh has been an important source of urban influaac e in this region. This work is a micro-regional analysis and is based largely on primary data collected from 36 (10 per cent) villages, selected with the help of stratified random sampling, taking population aire and distance from Allgarh City into consideration. Of these 36 villages, 20 per cent households have been selected for serving questionnaires. There were 80 questions in the questionnaire and were grouped into 9 categories of urban Influence. The statistical techniques of multiple regression and trend-surface analysis are used in the present atxidy to find out the urban influence on rural economy. Geographically, the area is largely homogeneous and normal conditions for the spread of urban influence occur in the diatrict. Thus the topography and drainage lines do not cause any distortion or eccentricity in the spread of urban influence. Therefore, in a situation where other things are apparantly constant, xirban influence may be considerd to bear upon the rural economy, Indian economy has a large agararian base and it is reflected in the economy of Aligarh District also. During the investigations it was found that the urban economy of the -3- district is fairly well integrated and interlinked with the rural economy. Meaning thereby, that there exist inter­ dependence between Aligarh City and its hinterland. Aligarh City provides market for certain rural products, and in addition furnishes various kinds of services and fabricated products which are essential to rural economy. Thus, as mentioned earlier the rural economy of the district is witnessing traneformatlona under the Influence ot expanding urban economic activities. Formerly (1951) such economic tranafomation %ra8 not witnessed by the villages. The growth of urbanisation in Aligarh District gives explicit recognition to the nature and importance of urbanisation as a process smd phenomenon. The idea ot this urbanisation may be made more precise and meaningful when Interpreted as aspects of diffusion and acculturation in the countryside. Urbanisation as seen in this light is a complex process in the district. Kany changes are associated with the process of urbanisation but here the emphasis is on economic change as it Is manifest in various aspects of rural life. The dynamic character of the city and the impact of t;he urban trend on the rural areas is evident in villages arourid Aligarh. The tirban impact here observed that the diffusion of certain reputedly urban characteristics and the accultrative process associated with it, has become a feature of economic change in the villages. As far as the urbanisation process and its spread effects are concerned there Is interaction -4- between city and the country. But the forme of this interaction, connectivity, frequency and intensity of contacts between city and village, vary a great deal. Communication and transportation facilities are likewise important factors in this regard. lligarh District is well served by a road and rail system. There are 176Q villages in the district, out of irfilch 724 (41 per cent) are connected by the roads. Similarly, connectivity of the 36 sample villages with Aligarh City varies a great deal. Twenty two (61 per cent) are connected with Aligarh, There are, however, some parts of the district where there is more road density than others, A high connectivity of villages is obseinred in the southern part, whereas the high density of roads is recorded in the eastern and southern parts where volume of traffic and flow of passengers are also observed to be high. The district is traversed by railway line from north to south and in southern part from east to west. This network plays an important role for the flow of goods and the passengers in the district. The network of roads is one of the major factors in the process of urbanisation in the district. It helps in maintaining supply of raw materials and labour to industries; and the finished products are distributed in all the parts of the district. Besides, it helps•to supply the essential commodities like foodgrains, milk, fuel wood and vegetables etc. from rural areas to the urban centres of the district. -5- The development of roads also leads to the areal expansion of citles/towna. It causes the cities to grow along the roads. That Is why the old cities/towns are rapidly expanding and new ones are emerging in the district. Rapid ^owth of urban population and constant increase in number of cities/towns are observed in eastern and southern parts of the district, and they are positively and significantly correlated with a developed transportation network. It is observed that the high connectivity of villages, road density, volume of bus traffic and flow of passengers show a hi^ degree of positive relationship with the urbanisation in the district. Hoads provide transportation and travel facilities and tiioy contribute to the spread of the urban influence in the villages mainly connected by these roads. The transformation in village land use pattern brought about in the countryside in area under study is the result of urban influence emanating from JLligarh, The 9 sample villages depicting 10.44 to 13.86 per cent land under urban uses, out of the total land under abadi. are exposed to a high degree of urban influence. These villages are situated within a zone of 15 km around the city. Beyond this zone the percentage of land under urban uses declines. Therefore, distance from and connectivity with Allgarh have generally a strong bearing on the village land use pattern. These factors, in fact, determine the degree of interaction of villages with the city. This interaction which is generally assumed to be -6- the main cause of spread of urban Innovations in the country­ side has a strong impact on the pattern of village land use. The urban centres through the market forces and through their function of diffusion poles of innovations bear heavily on the agricultural land use in the countryside. In order to meet the demands of increasing population and industries cash crops are grown. The proportion of area under cash crops in the gross sewn area varies from 27.41 to 30.92 per cent as depicted by the land use statistics of the selected villages. Eleven villages show a hi^ proportion of area under cash crops with a high cropping intensity. In these villages more than 51 per cent area is sown more than ones. These villages are located within a zone of 10 to from •ligarh. Impact of urbanisation on the cash crops is direct and mediated through market forces. Therefore, with the increase of prices, area under cash cjrops is expanding. The increase in area under cash crops is the outcome of urban influence. The share of cash crops in the gross sown area is the manifestation of urban influence on agricultural land use. The spatial pattern of the land under cash crops and the cropping intensity clearly points out an urban bias. It is observed that as the distance of villages from Aligarh City increases, the proportion of area under cash crops and cropping intensity decreases, showing the strength of urban influence on the agricultural land use in the countryside. -7- The agricultural innovations include adoption of high yielding varieties {ET7e) of seeds, modern agricultural appliances (machinery), chemical fertilizers and pesticides/ insecticides. The diffusion of these innovations in the countryside of the district reveals that the major source of purcLnse of innovations has been the city followed by extension services. More than 84 per cent farmers purchase these innovations from Aligarh. A high percentage of area varying from 76.96 to 85.05 under high yielding varieties of seeds is shown by 11 sample villages. These villages are concentrated within 15 Icm distance from Aligarh. While, 16 villages came out with a high percentage (more than 52) of adopters of agricultural machinery and lies within a zone of 10 km around Aligarh. Similarly, in I6 villages more than 92 per cent farmers depicts a high level of consumption of chemical fertilizers.

Load more

  351

Copy Link