Identification of Rural Urban Continuum of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal: A case study of Barasat Town

Abstract

In this paper, the author has made an attempt to analyze the identification of rural urban continuum of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal where the Barasat Town has played a vital role of maintaining the relationship between rural urban areas of the district. Between the purely urban areas and the purely rural areas lies a region which is transitional between the two extremes. The region is extremely volatile and dynamic in the face of rapid change, principally from rural to urban character. In this age of rapid urbanization urbanity rapidly encroaches into rural area and the rural area recedes back towards more rural areas. District North 24 Parganas of West Bengal is one of the districts where the disparity of economic activity influences the regional status of the area that develop the rural urban dichotomy. Basically, in North 24 Parganas district, urban area is concentrated in western part where, the rural area is stretches from north to south and east to central part. At present, there are 27 municipalities in North 24 Parganas within 22 blocks. Where, 10 blocks are purely rural, means, 47.8% of the total area. Rural North 24 Parganas is densely populated compared to at least 15 district of the state. According to census 2011, it was 457 per sq. km. Rest part is purely rural where the development is quite negligible. In between these two extreme, Barasat town is maintaining a relation between these rural and urban areas. In this connection, it is mentionable that, Barasat town is district headquarter of North 24 Parganas. So, not only the rural area, but also some municipalities which are mainly situated in the eastern part of this district both depend on Barasat town and this inter dependent relation forming the process of rural urban continuum. To investigate the nature of continuum or to find out the process of this continuum of North 24 Parganas, some important points have been taken to discuss. Secondly, urban and rural scenario of North 24 Parganas has been studied, because it will help to find out the disparity of development of the whole region and also give an idea, why these areas are dependent on Barasat town.Now, some parameter has been taken to delineate the continuum. These parameters are directly related with population density. Through some statistical analysis, the rural urban continuum zone of North 24 Parganas has been demarcated. The result, which has come out, i.e. the continuum, is strongly activated in north–east direction of this district. However, this zones and the direction may change over time. This is the actual outcome of the whole study.

Keyword : rural urban continuum, urbanization, rural urban dichotomy etc

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Feb 26, 2018

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Feb 26, 2018

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References

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