Process Of Land Acquistion And Occupational Change
The story of land use change and acquiring land use for Raipur city is quite similar to the stories of other cities undergoing planned industrialization followed by urbanization process like Jharia in Jharkhand, Raniganj and Durgapur in west Bangal, Korba in Chhattisgarh, Singrauli in Uttar pradesh, Singareni in Andra Pradesh and Chandrapur in Maharashtra. It is a story of the conversion of relatively market agrarian economy into a more open market based economy. Industrial displacement has two major fallouts – change in land use and change in occupational pattern. The alteration of the local economic system began in Raipur, as else where with land acquisition.
Process Of Land Acquisition
Prior to commencement of the present study undertaken morphological and social system of entire city was thoroughly familiarized to make study fair and relevant. Generally, each village undergoes gradual but a definite change till it gets completely amalgamated to the urban limits and becomes a part and parcel of the urban system. A stage model has been developed by Scholars like Srivastav and Ramachadran (1974) and Gopi (1978), which describe the process of development in stages. This model suggests a theoretical base narrowing to principles for the formation of stages of change. This development has four aspects as under spatial interaction with the city, social dimensions, physical and economic aspects.
These four development aspects lead to transformation. Each stage has been ascribed characteristics-the presence or absence of which tags the villages under respective stage. The main criterion of stage formulation rests with percentage engaged in primary activity, daily commuters regularly coming to the city for work and pattern of land use, occupation and land use pattern .In addition, location also plays an important role in the process of transformation. A village that is easily accessible or sited along the roads and highways can easily jump a stage.
The same model has been taken to illustrate the growth of Raipur city villages. Following are the stages through which each village including selected villages passes before emerging as urbanized village. The phases in the evolution of urban village is presented in the table.
Rural Stage
This stage includes the rural village, located on the periphery of an urban area but still untouched by its influence. Villagers are completely dependent on the natural environment. There is less internal differentiation in the occupation of the people, their ways of life, behaviours, perception etc. Agriculture, which is mainly subsistence, is the main occupation of the people in these villages, the inhabitant themselves produce the goods according to their needs. Thus, the needs of the villagers are met within a small radius. All the six villages pass through the first stage and move towards second stage, which is known as Urbanizing Stage
Urbanizing Stage
This is the second stage in the development process when the village comes under the influence of the expanding urban center and the process of change is set in motion. During this stage, a village, located on the periphery of the urban area still retains its rural character with considerable number of people still engaged in agriculture and related activities. However, the landowner have been issued notices for the acquisition of their land and in most of the cases, the villagers have collected compensation for their land. But in the absence of urban development in the vicinity of such villages due to longer distance between the built up area and the village, villagers still cultivate the land. The villagers have frequent contacts with the city but remain little affected by the urban area. Thus, many villagers are still lacking in health and educational facilities and industrial and commercial establishment. Also, there is not much transformation in the morphology of the village. The houses remain Kutcha and the same is true with roads etc On the whole, Amlidih village is passing through this stage where private builders come into the village. In the process of rural transformation and development it brings the village people in touch with the city and this in turn, starts the process of diffusion of urban lifestyle
STAGE MODEL
| Stages | Economic Activity | Morphological & Social System |
|---|
| I Rural stage | - Isolated villages
- Dominance Of Agriculture Subsistence Economy
|
- Kucha house
- Unpaved streets
- Compact settlement
- No proper drainage
- Very low literacy level
|
| II Urbanizing stage | - Village come under urban influence
-
Area retain its rural character
|
|
| III Urbanized stages | - Commercial Agricultural- market oriented Increase in secondary and territory jobs Establishment of farm houses and industries
|
- Modern reinforced
- Pucca Houses
- Better transport facilities
- Increase in literacy rate
|
| IV Change in Land use |
- Establishment of Industries
- Commercial land use – Retail shops
- Small scale and cottage Industries
|
In addition to the above given changes, social change due to contact with the city |
| V Urban Village | - Dominance of secondary and tertiary activities
- Emergence of Distinct land use pattern
|
- Dominance of urban morphological character business establishments, shops etc
- Disappearance of rural character
- Becomes a part of the Urban Society.
|
Urbanized Village
The third stage of villages results from the gradual expansion of the built–up area of the city, bringing the urban villages closer. The area immediately adjacent to the city is ideally more accessible, followed by major and minor roads. Due to less distance between the built up area and the village few amenities like primary schools, fair price shop, City bus services etc have come into existence.
Also, this is the stage when agriculture losses its pre-eminence as a dominant source of livelihood. But a little is still under cultivation. It may be on lease basis in some of the villages of this stage. Besides this, diffusion of urban way brings change in the occupation of the people. The younger generation gets attracted by the city jobs and they take – up non-forming jobs either locally or in the nearby urban centres to supplement their family income. The character of the community becomes complicated because of labour, diversification of activities and occupational mobility. Similar characteristics and trends is presently experienced by the Labhandih and Mathpurena mainly because both the villages have recently merged villages in the city
Change In The Land use
This phase is characterized by morphological changes imposing factory building, new attractive residential building etc. This consequently leads to the diversification of economic activity. Initially, the requirement for skilled workers are met by the city population but gradually the factory workers decide to live near the place of the work and may shift their residence into the villages. This ultimately results in the construction of houses and much of agricultural land falls into misuse. This initiates the process of succession and invasion leading to the transformation of land from agriculture to urban uses. Gradually, the suburbs and satellite towns come up. Village is now dependent upon the neighbouring highly developed centres. There is also change in the occupation where most of the people are engaged in non-forming activities. The village is no longer inhabited exclusively by the traditional inhabitants. There is infiltration of strangers and gradually, the demand for more houses makes the village living place for low class people. At this stage, village is on the verge of becoming a slum.Similar tendency has been observed in Bhanpuri for the last 15 years.
Urban Village
This is the final stage when the land acquisition process ceases now, agricultural is no more a predominant economic activity but, however, some pockets of specialized and intensive farming may continue. Urban villages of this stage have been completely absorbed by the city and have become part of its built up area. Tatibandh is passing through this stage.
Most of the village now, have lost their traditional rural character to a large extent engulfed by the high class residential areas, industries, office and commercial establishments, the occupational characteristics of the urban village in this stage have also completely changed. These villages attract persons with low income who find employment in the vicinity of the urban villages. Thus, the natives of these villages find themselves living with many immigrants from different parts of the country. It results in changes in the social structure of these villages, a structure that is quite different from that of the villages of previous stages.
The impetus of urbanization and migration into the city also disturb the demographic structure of the urban villages which provides cheap residential sites .It changes not only demographic structure but also techno-economic, political, social, cultural structures. Consequently it results into the changes in land use pattern.