The sustainability of mega-cities

Urbanization is a process of increase of modernization system which improves the socioeconomic activities and revolutionizes the land use practice according to need and time frame. The change of land use has become the main challenge of the present world. Urban development has enlarged the modification of natural resources and has changed land use patterns. Contrary to what has been reported in literature on urbanization, the process of emergence of a new city - Navi Mumbai, which started in 1970, was somewhat different: It involved transformation of local rural habit-ants and shifting of people, offices and markets on a large scale from the adjacent mega city – Mumbai. This paper presents that in Navi Mumbai land is used as a resource for financing urban development namely physical and social infrastructure. Firstly it provides the process of pricing of land and land disposal strategy for various uses to make a city self sustainable. Secondly it presents the challenges faced and opportunities seized in development of city in providing facilities and services to meet the needs of two million inhabitants of planned city which has taken place during last 42 years.

Kolkata as the primate city of the east depicts uneven urban growth and variation in population density along with rapid encroachment of vacant lands and water bodies in its eastern periphery where largest number of its slum population reside. GIS mapping of urban growth, density, percentage of households living in slums and land use change maps highlight the fact that in Kolkata, slum wards are located in the north eastern periphery and western peripheral parts where urban growth (1991-2001) is very high, but density is low. These areas are experiencing rapid changes in land use pattern and influx of migrants from the neighbouring poverty stricken districts. Encroachment of open spaces and water bodies in east Kolkata has a severe impact on resource management. It not only destroys natural resources but also snatches the livelihood opportunities for those who are earning through fishing and farming. Thus, this paper aims to correlate ‘urban growth’, ‘land use changes’ and distribution of slum locales through GIS mapping. Indicators like lack of access to various assets, formal housing and certain basic services or amenities have been used to identify the wards which can be called as the ‘Hotbeds of Urban Issues’ .

The urbanization process in developing countries develops two sectors within urban areas. One is engaged in organized sector is highly rewarded and consumes most of the urban resources and live unhealthy lifestyle that increases chronic degenerative diseases. Other one is in unorganized sector and marginalized. They are poor and live in crowded slum areas where Infectious diseases thrive and outbreak. In these circumstances accessibility to public health system is crucial which is severely restricted in India because of inadequacy of the public health delivery system. Social exclusion, lack of awareness and inadequate economic resources further restrict their accessibility to the available public and private health facilities. This makes the urban poor more vulnerable and worse off than their rural counterparts as they are living in paltry slum conditions. Hence the urban health issue needs immediate attention to meet the challenges of future urban growth.
The paper attempts to understand these phenomena in Jaipur Metropolitan, an emerging mega city. Data for the study is obtained through primary and secondary sources. The study will use different statistical techniques and spatial analysis to know the extent of inequality in availability and accessibility of health service facilities among different socioeconomic groups.