DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL FOR THE RURAL SETTLEMENTS, U.T. CHANDIGARH

Abstract

India is a developing country, although in recent years it has achieved a tremendous growth rate, but we can not ignore the fact that more than two third of the population is still living in rural areas. In spite of some radical changes in the cities, the rural communities have been stagnant for generations. These are facing critical absence of facilities & utilities which are fundamental & basic to the existence of the people & a right of every individual. The rural settlements in the vicinity of urban areas are the worst affected, with added load of immigrants to the city, which mostly take shelter in the fringe rural settlements. Chandigarh a modern city has seen a remarkable success, providing a high quality of life to its citizens and growth at tremendous pace. But Despite being meticulously planned, the overshooting population, mostly a result of immigration is causing the problems, common to all developing urban areas, but never dreamt of. The union territory consists of an urban area, 6 urban villages & 16 rural settlements on the fringe of urban area. The rapid growth in the population, filtering to the settlements on the fringe, has put tremendous pressure on existing infrastructure, which was already inferior. There is further a problem of haphazard growth taking place in absence of bye-laws & proper land-use planning. Infrastructure is the framework from which all development activities by the community, institutions and industry draw their sustenance.