7
Table 7.2 Urban Population of Tamil Nadu 1901-20012
7.1. Introduction
Decadal
Growth
(%)
Annual
Growth
Rate
(%)
14.15
31.49
15.07
15.51
1.45
189
34.28
15.85
8.86
0.85
1931
222
42.30
18.02
23.40
2.10
1941
257
51. 73
19.70
22.30
2.01
1951
297
73.33
24.35
41. 75
3.49
1961
339
89.90
26.69
22.59
2.04
1971
439
124.64
30.26
38.64
3.27
1981
434
159.5
32.95
27.98
2.47
1991
469
190.77
34.15
19.59
1.79
2001
832
272.42
43.86
42.79
3.56
amil Nadu ranks first in urbanisation among the
fifteen major States in the country. Urbanisation
Urbar.
Urban
Population Population(%)
Year
No. of
Towns
1901
133
27.24
1911
162
1921
has been on the increase since 19611.According to
the 2001 Census, Tamil Nadu has emerged as the State with
the highest level of urbanisation (43.86 per cent) in the
country. 2.72 out of 6.21 crore of the total population of
Tamil Nadu live in urban areas. The advance to first place is
mainly due to a change in definition. Following the Nagar
Palika Act of 1994 all the 611 town panchayats were brought
under the category of statutory towns, irrespective of
whether they satisfy the demographic criteria of
urban2.
As evident from the Table 7.1, the inclusion of all the
town panchayats resulted in an increase from 1991-2001 of
57.94 lakh in that category alone. The increase in the town
panchayat population accounted for about 70 per cent of the
total increase of 81.64 lakh from 1991-2001. As shown in the
Table 7.2, the rate of urbanization had slowed down from
1971-1991 and would have slowed down further by 2001, if
it had not been for the change in definition2. The 2.7 crore
urban population of Tamil Nadu require a wide range of
Source: Census of India, 2001.
7.2. Distribution of Urban Units
urban services including water supply, sewerage, solid waste
management and streets as well as social infrastructure like
Tamil Nadu has a very dispersed pattern of
urbanisation with municipalities in virtually every
schools, hospitals, markets and so on.
district (excluding Ariyalur and Perambalur). The
Table 7.1.Urban Population of Tamil Nadu 1991-20012
Category
Number
1991
Decadal
Growth
2001 Rate (%)
Chennai Municipal Corporation. However, the Chennai
municipalities and town panchayats in Tiruvallur and
Population
2001 1991
71.35
79.12
10.90
108
104
72.37
82.46
13.95
Town Panchayats 224
611
37.81
95.75 153.23
134
III
N.A.
N.A.
Corporation
Municipalities/
Cantonments
Census Towns
boundaries of Chennai District are contiguous with the
Metropolitan Area is a larger area which includes several
Kancheepuram Districts.The spatial distribution
(by district) of the six corporations, 104 municipalities,
and 611 town panchayats, clearly illustrates that
urbanization is not limited to anyone part of the State.
However the urban population is concentrated along certain
Total
469
832 190.77 272.41 42.79
urban corridors. 2
70
Urbanisation
Urbanisation
Urbanisation
Table 7.3. Distribution of Urban Units by District2
Municipalities
Town
Panchayats
Urban
Units
Level of
Urbanisation
10
32
54.48
100.00
Kancheepuram
28
56
53.48
Vellore
27
49
37.85
Dharmapuri
17
21
15.77
Thiruvannamalai
16
18.36
Villupuram
16
18
14.49
34
45
46.35
Namakkal
20
28
36.75
Erode
59
67
46.20
Nilgiris
13
18
59.51
59
79
66.03
24
29
35.02
13
15
33.19
Tiruchirappal1y
18
25
46.65
Perambalur
14.54
Ariyalur
11.38
Cuddalore
16
23
33.00
Nagapaninam
12
22.15
Thiruvarur
19
11
20.24
Thanjavur
22
29
33.92
Pudukottai
12
16.93
Sivagangai
12
15
28.18
15
25
55.94
Theni
23
28
54.10
Virudhunagar
10
27
44.38
Ramanathapuram
11
25.34
Thoothukudi
20
26
42.28
38
45
46.48
56
60
65.10
104
611
832
43.86
District
Municipal
Corporation
Thiruvallur
Chennai
Salem
Coimbatore
DindiguI
Karur
Madurai
Tirunelveli
Kanyakumarai
Total
Source: Census of India. 2001.
71
Urbanisation
Table 7.4 Percentage of population below
Poverty Line - Urban Tamil Nadu
According to a study by the Centre for Policy Research
(2001), there appear to be 3 to 4 major urban corridors,
Year
Urban
1973-74
49.40
1977-78
48.69
1983-84
46.96
1987-88
38.64
1993-94
39.77
1999-2000
22.11
namely
Chennai - Salem-Erode - Coimbatore
Tiruchi - Madurai - Tirunelveli
Chennai - Cuddalore Thanjavur and to a lesser extent
Tuticorin - Nagercoil
Urbanisation is closely linked to the economic
activities in a particular area. The definition of "urban" apart
from size (population > 5000) and density (population
density > 400 persons per sq. km.) specifies that 75 per cent
The factors that have contributed to rapid decline in
poverty in the State include effective implementation of
of the male workforce should be engaged in non-agricultural
several Poverty alleviation schemes. These schemes are
pursuits. Hence infrastructure has to be planned not only for
providing wage employment or self employment. The Public
the population per se but also according to the requirements
distribution system also provides a safety net for the poor.
of the economic sectors in terms of water supply, waste
Since 1993-94, the percentage of people below poverty line
disposal, power, telecommunications, etc. The higher
was higher in urban areas than in rural areas. The increasing
density of urban areas is an advantage because it may provide
incidence of urban poverty is reflected in the accelerated
economies of scale in the provision of these and other urban
growth of slums in cities and towns2.
services. In contrast, providing the same level of service in a
rural area is far more expensive because the average cost is
7.4. Environmental Concerns
7.4.1 Urban Population Density
much higher. 2
7.3. Urban Poverty
The density of population in urban areas not
only reveals the concentration of people in urban
areas but also highlights the structural condition of the
Poverty is defined as people's inability to secure the
minimum level of subsistence with a person not having
adequate income to buy food with a total caloric norms 2150
in urban areas. As of 1999-2000, the proportion of people
living below the poverty line estimated for all India stood at
26.10 per cent (27.09 in rural areas and 23.62 in urban areas).
town/city.
Although density is essentially the quotient
obtained by division of the population of an area by the
extent of the area, the resultant figure enables the
following trend analyses while expressing the average
population density of the area, it also reveals size and
class distribution of the population.
The proportion of people living below poverty line in urban
Tamil Nadu had been steadily on the decrease from 42.40 in
area to the settlement fringes.
1973-74 to 39.77 in 1993-94 and further to 22.11 per cent in
1999-2000. The number of poor persons during 1999-2000 is
estimated at 49.97 lakh in the urban areas. 2
Difference in the density of population from the central
The growth and distribution of new and satellite
townships.
72
Urbanisation
The distribution of need, and thereby pressure on natural
The Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB)
was constituted during 1970 for the clearance and
resources within the area.
The gross densities of population in major urban centres
of Tamil Nadu over the years 1991-2001.
improvement of slum areas in Tamil Nadu. The activities of
the board were initially confined to Chennai city.
Subsequently, the activity expanded to other municipalities
and town panchayats and currently, TNSCB almost covers
7.4.2 Growth of slum
all urban centres of the State. It is estimated that more than 35
A rapid increase in urban population results in the
problems of straining or breaking-down of sanitary facilities
and other infrastructure in cities and towns. The local bodies
are faced with the responsibility of providing amenities with
limited or often scant resources.
The net result of this
incongruity between the resources and responsibilities not
per cent of the population of Chennai and more than 25 per
cent of the urban population of the State live in slums. The
Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board and Public Works
Department have jointly identified 33,313 families living on
river margins and 8164 slum families squatting on the river
beds in Chennai.
only leads to formation of new slums but also gives new
dimensions to the problem of slums.
7.4.3 Water supply
Slums are a formidable problem merely because the
An increasing urban population has been creating a
gap between resources and demand for shelter tends to exist
huge gap between demand and supply of water every year.
perpetually. The urban poor by themselves can neither afford
The last Census estimated that approximately only 70 per
to build pucca house or spare the hard earned money for stay
cent of urban towns have access to safe drinking water. The
in rented houses with basic amenities. Such people encroach
minimum per capita supply of water required in urban areas
Government and private lands kept vacant. Many slums are
situated in vulnerable locations like river margins, water
logged areas, road margins, etc. The slum population prefers
to live in unhygienic conditions and in areas prone to floods
and accidents.
varies from 70 lit/day to 130 lit/day, and this requirement of
water supply varies according to the land use classification of
the towns. The sources of water supply, purification,
Table 7.5 : Rural Water Supply Performance
Habitations Benefited
Expenditure
( Rs. in Crores)
1993-94
3751
70.36
1994-95
3808
99.49
1995-96
2954
69.93
Year
Slum population accounts for 20 percent of the total
population in the State. It is well known that the slum huts
lack proper basic amenities such as living space, drainage,
toilet and other facilities. Ultimately this aggregates the
1996-97
2696
86.62
degree of morbidity and mortality among slum population. It
1997-98
4531
220.55
is now widely recognized that the Government should only
1998-99
7974
324.12
play a role of 'facilitator' and creator of 'enabling' climate for
1999-00
6300
372.50
housing activities instead of being a direct provider of
2000-01
6617
545.76
housing units. The Government of Tamil Nadu evolved its
2001-02
6865
422.79
Housing Policy (1988) on the lines of the National Housing
2002-03
6628
552.11
2003-04
6510
471.28
Policy .
73
Urbanisation
pumping of water, storage and distribution varies from place
underground drainage systems have also been constructed in
to place. In Tamil Nadu, out of 744 towns (including
12 municipalities accounting only for 10 per cent of the total
corporations and municipalities), 145 towns are not fully
municipalities of the State.
provided with water supply. The status of water supply until
2003-04 is provided in tables 7.5 and 7.6.
7.4.5 Sewerage
In Tamil Nadu out of the 151 Municipalities and 5
Table 7.6: Urban Water Supply Performance
Year
No. of Urban Schemes / Expenditure
Towns Completed
( Rs. in Crores)
Corporations, only 15 Municipalities and 4 Corporations
have partial under ground sewerage system. Sewage
schemes are under implementation in the municipal towns of
1993-94
32
43.34
Erode, Pallipalayam, Bhavani and Komarapalayam and
1994-95
28
29.12
Tiruchirappalli corporation located along river Cauvery
1995-96
18
36.00
under the National River Action Plan. Further, new sewerage
1996-97
26
40.65
schemes under the National River Conservation Programme
1997-98
30
78.63
(NRCP) have been taken up in Tiruchirappalli, Madurai,
1998-99
42
83.72
Tirunelveli Corporations and Karur and Inam Karur,
1999-00
42
102.01
Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai
2000-01
55
149.21
Municipalities.
2001-02
63
165.79
2002-03
72
161.45
2003-04
60
141.69
Source: Managing Director, TWAD, Chennai -5.
During the year 2004-05 a policy decision was
taken to provide under ground sewerage scheme in the
remaining 22 district head quarters towns. Apart from this,
underground sewage schemes will also be taken up for the
The problem of drinking water is more acute in rural
municipal towns in the Chennai metropolitan area. With a
and urban town panchayats. 45 out of 370 urban town
view to help people of all categories, especially
panchayats and 97 of the 241 rural town panchayats are not
economically weaker sections and low income groups, a new
fully provided with water supply. About 15 per cent of the
system called low cost sanitation scheme has been
urban population is yet to be provided access to drinking
introduced in urban areas. So far 1,57,336 latrines all over the
water, highlighting the fact that the urban water supply in
State have been taken up for conversion of dry latrine to flush
Tamil Nadu is far below the national average. For instance,
latrines. Surface drainage is another aspect generally
86 out of 104 municipalities, all corporations, and 412 out of
neglected in urban areas.
611 town panchayats have water supply below the national
7.4.6 Solid Waste Disposal
average of 90 lpcd.
7.4.4 Drainage
In Tamil Nadu underground drainage system has been
provided only in major urban centres, like Salem, the
municipal corporations of Chennai, Coimbatore,
Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli and Madurai. In addition,
Solid waste is generated in almost all parts of the
urban areas and solid waste management becomes
complicated in bigger cities. Collection, transportation and
disposal of solid waste are the major operations involved in
solid waste management. In most cities/towns, the refuse is
dumped in an unsatisfactory and haphazard manner without
sanitary land fill.
74
Urbanisation
The present generation of garbage in Urban local
bodies ranges between 9000-10000 M.T. per day. Collection
and segregation of garbage at source is practiced in 70 per
cent of wards in municipalities in the State. The goal is to
achieve 100 per cent source segregation, disposal of garbage
in a scientific manner and thereby making the habitation
areas garbage free and also avoid contamination of natural
resources. Privatization of Solid Waste Management has
been encouraged in all municipalities and corporations. Self
Help Groups are also being involved in Solid Waste
Management. A detailed exercise has been undertaken to
atmosphere. Adulterated fuel adds another dimension to the
problem of pollution.
Apart from the concentration of vehicles in urban
areas, other reasons for increasing vehicular pollution are the
types of engines used, age of vehicles, congested traffic, poor
road conditions, and outdated automotive technologies and
traffic management systems. Vehicles are a major source of
pollutants in major cities.
7.5. Response of the State Government.
7.5.1. Access to Water Supply and Sanitation
prepare Action Plans for Solid Waste Management in all
Municipalities and Corporations.
In urban areas the Urban Accelerated Water
Supply Programme is being implemented in order to
7.4.7 Urban Industrial Pollution
augment the drinking water supply. Of the total 611 Town
In urban areas of Tamil Nadu there are five main
Panchayats with the population of 95.97 lakhs, only
industrial complexes, they are Manali/Ennore, Ranipet,
124 Town Panchayats get above 75 litres of water per day
Cuddalore, Mettur and Tuticorin which have chemical,
which constitutes 20 per cent of the total panchayats.
petrochemical and other industries. These complexes have
The State had been experiencing shortage because of
also become environmental hotspots2.
occurrence of droughts for third year in succession. The
The high influx of population to urban areas, increase
authorities of Corporations and Municipalities took
in consumption patterns and unplanned urban and industrial
concrete measures to meet the drinking water requirements,
development have led to the problem of air pollution. The
albeit costly.
larger industries have a very high aggregate pollution
potential. Also, in many urban centres, industrial units are
located in densely propulated areas, thereby affecting a large
number of people3.
7.4.8 Vehicular emissions and congestion
Table 7.7. Status of Water Supply in Town Panchayats
Per Capita
availability per day
(in litres)
No. of Town
Panchayat
% Share
Below 20 litres
32
5.2
20-39 litres
166
27.2
40 - 60 litres
389
47.3
atmosphere. Particularly, the growth of two wheelers is
70 litres and above
124
20.3
increasing in a steep manner, contributing to about 50.6 per
Total
611
100.0
The density of motor vehicles per sq.km has increased
from 22 in 1996 to 52 in 2004. This has led to traffic
congestion and release of many toxic air pollutants into the
cent of the pollution load. Poor maintenance of vehicles
results in the spewing out of noxious fumes into the
75
Source : Policy Note on Administration of Urban Local Bodies,
Corporation.
Municipalities and Water Supply - 2003-04.
Urbanisation
7.5.3. Policy on Ground Water Recharge and
Rainwater Harvesting 3
Ground water is the major source for most of the
drinking water supply schemes. As much as 90 per cent of
the rural population and 70 per cent of urban population get
their drinking water supplies from the ground water sources.
In Tamil Nadu, as many as 52 blocks have been classified as
overexploited blocks where the ground water extraction has
exceeded the recharge level, 37 blocks have been classified
as dark area blocks where the ground water extraction is
more than 85 per cent of the estimated recharge and 86
blocks have been classified as grey areas where the
exploitation is between 65 per cent to 85 per cent.
Urbanisation at Chennai
In Tamil Nadu where 73 % of the geographical area is
covered with hard crystalline formation and where the
7.5.2. Housing for all
annual rainfall occurs during a short spell of few days.
There is acute shortage of housing stock in urban
Rainfall is the only source of recharge for replenishing the
areas because of mushrooming growth of urban slums.
ground water sources. The declining levels of ground water
Because of this, there is a constant need to augment urban
indicates that many of the rain water catchments are in
housing stock. Creation of housing stock has been an
degraded state and their holding capacities have been
important aspect of urban development. The TNHB created
reduced considerably due to factors like siltation,
the highest number of housing units (3.94 lakhs), followed
encroachments, conversion of rain water holding structures
by the Cooperative Housing Society (2.98 lakhs) and Tamil
for other uses, etc. It is therefore necessary that this
Nadu Central Cooperative Bank (0.69 lakhs).
dangerous trend of degeneration is halted and immediate
remedial measures are undertaken. The Government
Table 7.9. Creation of Housing Stock, 2003-04
Sl.
No.
Agency
No. of Housing
Stock Created
(Cumulative)
1.
Tamil Nadu Housing Board
393684
2.
Tamil Nadu State Central
Cooperative Bank
69126
3.
DRDA - Valmiki Ambedkar
Housing Programme
7250
considers this as a major thrust area and proposes to initiate a
massive programme for rainwater harvesting and
groundwater recharge.
The Government proposes to enlist the participation
of the Public and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
in propagating and installing rainwater-harvesting
structures. Every single household can construct and benefit
from rainwater harvesting. Every rooftop and any open space
is a potential catchment area for rainwater harvesting2.
4.
Co-operative Housing Society
297596
Source : Policy Note on Housing and Urban Development 2004-05.
Almost all the Government buildings and the
privatebuildings have installed rain water harvesting
76
Urbanisation
structures in order to replenish the water table by storing rain
under severe strain as population has grown at a pace
water. So far, 23.66 lakh structures had been built.
higher than the growth in infrastructure sector. This has
Table 7.10. Achievements in Water Harvesting
Number of
Sl.
Items
Structures
No.
1.
Private Buildings Institutions/
2315520
Commercial buildings
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Streets
Government - Buildings
Temple tanks
Road Margins
Corporation and Municipal tanks
Bridges and Culverts
Total
2335
7647
36977
2546
409
365
23,65,894
Source : Policy Note on Administration of Urban Local Bodies,
Corporation, Municipalities and Water Supply - 2004-05.
led to serious concerns over our present concept of urban
planning and development.
Considering the above facts in mind, the Directorate
of Environment, Government of Tamil Nadu had proposed to
develop a carrying capacity based developmental planning
for Thoothukudi town.
Carrying capacity of the environment refers to the
level of environmental load that nature can absorb without
showing significant environmental degradation. Any large
development project leads to some environmental
degradation. As long as these degradation are within the
7.5.4. A pilot research project - Eco City
acceptable levels, the project is environmentally viable.
To propagate the environmental friendly concept
Carrying capacity study of the Thoothukkudi town involves
Department of Environment has prepared an "eco-city
multifaced development of the area i.e. exploitation of
plan" for Kancheepuram Town through National
natural resources, industrial development, population
Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI),
growth, population migration etc.; its impacts on
Chennai. The overall objective of the programme is to
environment, environmental master plan and environmental
incorporate environment considerations into urban
action plan to mitigate the adverse impact on the
planning and prepare an Environmental Management
environment. The study is a step beyond the EIA and
plan for improving the environment quality the specific
incorporates all the elements of development and
objectives are:
environment. The main objectives of the study are to5:
To map the environment profile of study area and to
identify the environmental pollution hotspots.
To prepare an environment management plan that
the various sectors of environment
includes rehabilitation and mitigation measures
To recommend guidelines for environmentally
host of problems, i.e. increasing slums, water, air and
noise pollution, accumulation of solid waste, etc.
The existing infrastructure in various urban centres is
77
Identification of sectors that have already been degraded
in excess of their carrying capacity
compatible land use planning.
The unplanned growth of Indian cities has led to
Comparison of stress or loads on various sectors of
environment, vis-avis their carrying capacity.
7.5.5. Carrying capacity evaluation Thoothukudi City
Access the various environmental loads and stresses on
Formulation of suitable management measures for
amelioration of adverse impacts.
7.5.6. Schemes Under Implementation
7.5.6.1. Master plans for urban towns
A master plan to cover the urban towns with
underground sewerage schemes is to be prepared. The
Urbanisation
Master Plan will also provide for exploring the possibilities
7.5.6.4.1. Involvement of NGOs
of adopting alternative technology options for the safe
disposal and recycling of wastewater. An action plan for
providing sewerage schemes for all the municipal towns will
be drawn up and implemented in a phased manner2.
7.5.6.2. Low Cost Sanitation
Low cost sanitation (LCS) is executed in Tamil Nadu
with the World Bank loan assistance, 14 Municipalities were
An example of the first kind is the role played by
Exnora in Solid Waste Management. Exnora was set up as a
citizen's initiation to improve the environment at the
neighbourhood level with the participation of the local
community2.
7.5.6.4.2. Involvement of private sector
included in this project2.
7.5.6.3. Municipal/Tamil Nadu Urban
development fund
Tiruppur is often cited as a good example of publicprivate partnership in respect of urban infrastructure. The
New Tiruppur Area Development Corporation was formed
as a public-private partnership under the Indian Companies
One of the major urban problems the government
has been addressing is the Municipalities financial
and organizational capacity for maintenance, municipal
service obligation and investment. Convinced of the
Act to undertake water supply and sewerage projects in
Tiruppur2.
7.6. References
merits of strengthening the municipalities, the government set up a new source of municipal funding called
1. Economic Appraisal 2003-04, 2004-05, Evaluation and
Municipal Urban Development Fund (MUDF), under the
Applied Research Department, Government of Tamil
Tamil Nadu Urban Development Project financed by the
Nadu.
World Bank2.
2. Tamil Nadu Development Report, 2005, Planning
Commission, Government of India.
7.5.6.4. Public-private partnerships
There are two types of public-private partnerships that
3. State of Environment Report, 2001, Government of
India.
have emerged in Tamil Nadu with respect to urban
infrastructure:
q Involvement of NGOs in provision of public services
like solid waste collection.
q Private firm or agency enters into an agreement/ contract
to provide the service.
4.
Eco-City plan for Kancheepuram Town, Directorate of
Environment, Government of Tamil Nadu.
5. Carrying Capacity Based Developmental Planning for
Thoothukkudi Town. Directorate of Environment,
Government of Tamil Nadu.
78
