Nagaland records highest rate of urban growth

Kohima, May 21 (EMN): Nagaland is said to have recorded the highest rate of urban growth in the country for the last two consecutive censuses of India according to the annual administrative report of the Urban Development department.

Against the national decadal urban growth rate of 23% during census 2001 and 2011, Nagaland has recorded decadal growth of 69% and 66% respectively during the period.

There currently are 32 statutory towns and six census towns accounting for 40% of the total population of the state. It informed that several small and medium quasi-urban settlements, which are neither statutory towns nor covered by Rural Development department. However inheriting characteristics of urban areas are in urgent need of intervention.

The prospect of such settlements reverting back to rural does not arise, and therefore there is an urgent need to plan and provide basic infrastructure requirements towards sustainable development of urban areas in the state.

Urban Development Department in its annual administrative report stated that it has been taking various activities in both statutory towns as well as non-statutory towns. However, in the last couple of years, fund allocations have drastically reduced as such the department has not been able to take up much works.

The department has pressed on the need to provide adequate funding for providing basic infrastructure development works in the urban areas of the state, so as to control haphazard urban growth before it becomes too late for rectification.