Urbanization in Arunachal Pradesh: Prospects and Challenges

Urbanization is regarded as one of the most important indicators of
economic development and social transformation of any given region.
It generally refers to a process by which a section of people adopts urban
life. The process of urbanization is said to begin with the movement
of people from agricultural communities to large non-agricultural
industrial communities. The percentage of urban population to the
total population is considered an index of the degree of urbanization.
Economic, social, and demographic factors significantly affect the
degree of urbanization. In India, the urbanization process started during
the first half of the 20th century. Urbanization arrived late in case of the
Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh. The index of urbanization was only
3.69 percent in 1971, and it gradually rose to 22.94 percent in 2011.
Presently, there are 27 towns in the State. The highest urban population
is in Itanagar, i.e., 59,490 whereas Hawai records the lowest—982. The
present paper is an attempt to document the challenges or factors
affecting the growth of urbanization in Arunachal Pradesh as well as its
prospects. The causes of low index of urbanization in the State are also
examined and some recommendations to ensure optimal development
are made. The study is conceptual in nature, substantiated by available
official records and personal observation of the area concerned.