Nagaland: Urbanisation boon and bane: Human development is way forward

DIMAPUR— Nagaland’s commercial hub Dimapur has witnessed a noticeable growth in terms of business over the past few decades as well as deterioration in basic amenities including sanitation, thanks to population growth caused by rapid urbanisation.

Inspector of Statistics department, Dimapur, Botovi Jimo told Eastern Mirror on the eve of World Population Day, which is celebrated every year on July 11, that Dimapur and Chümoukedima inhabitants appear to be increasing gradually but there is no accurate data available on the population growth rate, as the India still rely on the 2011 census, as the survey which was supposed to be completed by 2021 was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He opined that the main reason for population increase in the two urban settlements is migration of people from rural areas in search of employment opportunities, business ventures and others.

According to 2011 census, the population of Nagaland is 19,78,502 (19.78 lakh) with Dimapur (before the bifurcation of Chümoukedima and Niuland) accounting for 3,78,811, which is highest among the districts in the state, followed by Kohima (undivided) at 2,67,988 and Mon (undivided) at 2,50,260.

Associate Professor of Sociology at St. Joseph University, Chümoukedima, Besü Kholi opined that there is not much scope of expansion in Dimapur due to rapid urbanisation, which is why Chümoukedima district has been witnessing quick development within a year or two.

He said the ‘pull and push’ factor has kicked in with the increase in population and expansion of urban areas affecting agricultural output as seen in Chümoukedima. He added that less food items from the area hit the market due to the decrease in production of rice, vegetables and other crops.

He shared that vertical urbanisation will affect the environment as well as increase population density. He added that population growth can have a negative impact on the society like unemployment, substance abuse, crimes, etc. if human resources are not utilised properly.

Debojit Konwar, Professor of Economics at St. Joseph University, Chümoukedima, said that India’s population growth rate is not proportional to increase in food production, which is an issue.

He opined that population growth will enable a country to utilise cheap labour but it will come with an increase in demand for food grains. A country needs to control its population once national income or output decreases, he shared.

On Dimapur population growth, he opined that it is driven by migration, as construction works, business people, traders and others come to the city for various purposes; and to survive, they invest their money in the local market, leading to growth in local market as well as increase in money circulation.

He also said that population growth can have negative impact like increase in crime rate, traffic issues, inflation and other problems.

Konwar opined that human development is necessary for long-run growth and sustainable development.

Today, human aspect of economy is more relevant than conventional theories of development and growth because human labour is the most dynamic factor of production, he said, pointing out that if one person is trained, that person can train thousands more.