SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF URBANIZATION IN SRIKAKULAM DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH

 

SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF URBANIZATION IN SRIKAKULAM DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH

Paper is original contributed by K. Tarakeswar Rao, Kharagpur (W.B.)

Urbanisation is an index of transformation from traditional rural economies into modern industrial ones. It is a long term process of transition from diffused patterns of human settlements to that of concentration of buildup areas (Datta, P., 2006). Urban centres have always been considered the nucleus of human civilization and culture. These activities differ markedly from rural to urban areas. These secondary, tertiary and quaternary activities of towns and cities promote the socio-economic development of the region.

Andhra Pradesh has a total of 13 districts, (After Bifarcated 2014 of Andhra Pradesh) The Anantapur district is the largest and Srikakulam district is the smallest district. The districts are divided into two regions of the state, i.e., Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema and again coastal Andhra divided into sub-regions i.e, south coastal Andhra and North coastal Andhra comprises three districts Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam.

Location map North Coastal Andhra Pradesh of Andhra Pradesh 

Srikakulam district is located on the northeastern part of Andhra Pradesh. The study area Srikakulam district covering an area of 5,837 sq. km. Formerly known as Chicacole, situated within the geographic co-ordinates of 18⁰-20^’ to 19⁰-10’ N and 83⁰-50’ to 84⁰-50’ E. its boundaries are the great Eastern Ghats run from North East. Vizianagaram distric flanks in the south and west while Orissa bounds it on the north and Bay of Bengal on the East. The district is divided into three revenue divisions viz, Srikakulam, Palakonda and Tekkali with 38 constituent mandals (mandals shown 38 numbers in study area map) comprising of 1802 villages. There are 12 urban units, of which are one Municipal Corporation, three Municipalities, One Nagar Panchayat, and Seven are Census Towns, according to Census 2011.

Srikakulam district has a total urban population of 4,36,703 in 2011. There are 12 urban centers in Srikakulam district which is shown by Fig. no. 1 and table no. 1. The smallest urban center is Hiramandalam, with a population size of only 6,603 and the largest one is Srikakulam Municipal Corporation with 1,56,443 population. Srikakulam MC is highly congested with 8,081 person/sq. km while Ichchapuram Municipality has only 1,445 person/sq. km. Urban population is only 16.16 % of the total population of Sikakulam (2011).

Srikakulam mandal of Srikakulam district is the most congested with 1,633 persons / sq. km. while Tekkali is the least congested with 476 persons / sq. km. 

Distribution of Urban Population to the Total Population

1.     Low (<25)

This category consists of three mandals viz., Hiramandalam, Ponduru and Sompeta. These three mandals have (13.2%, 17.11% and 23.8%) of the total population respectively. This mandals have (6,603, 12,640 and 18,778) persons as urban population, while the totalpopulation of the mandasl are (50,018, 73890 and 78908) persons. The urban density of three mandals are (2,589, 1142 and 1692) person/km² respectively.

1.     Medium (25-40)

Three mandals of this category are Palakonda, Narasannapeta and Tekkali. The urban population of these mandals are 27.69%, 34% and 38.7% respectively. Palakonda have 20,760 urban population and the total population of this mandal is 74,972 and occupies 6.15  km² urban area. So the density of this mandal is 3,376 persons/km². Whereas Narasannapeta enjoys a total population of  77,321 and the urban population is 26,280 and covers an area of about 5.18 km², so the urban density of this block is 212 persons/km². Tekkali have 28,631 urban population and the total population of this mandal is 73,993 and occupies 13.58 km² urban area. So the density of this mandal is 184 persons/km².

2.     High (>40)

This category includes Five mandals of Srikakulam district i.e., Srikakulam, Palasa, Rajam, Amadalavalasa, and Ichchapuram  mandals. Percentage of urban population to the total population is the highest in Srikakulam mandal i.e., 68.56% whereas it is lowest in Ichchapuram mandal i.e., 41% (Fig. no. 1). The total population of Srikakulam mandal is 2,41,408 and it covers an area of about 29.63 km². Therefore, urban density of this block is 7,125 persons/km². The urban density for remaining four mandals are 59.0% (Palasa), 44.9% (Rajam), 47.3% (Amadalavalasa), and 41.0% (Ichchapuram) respectively.

 

Distribution of urban population to the rural population

In this urban population to the rural population distribution we categorize it into three classes, which are as follows:

 

1.     Low (<50)

This category consists of four mandals namely Sompeta, Hiramandalam, Palakonda and ponduru. In Sompeta mandal the percentage of urban population to the rural population is 31.2%; and total rural population is 60,130. In Hiramandalam mandal percentage of urban population to the rural population is about 15.2%; and total rural population is 43,415. In remaining two mandals viz, Palakonda and Ponduru percentage of urban population to the rural population are 38.3% and 20.6%; and the total rural population in these two mandals are 54,212 and 61,250 persons respectively.

2.     Medium (50-100)

This category includes five mandals i.e., Ichchapuram, Tekkali, Rajam, Amadalavalasa and Narasannapeta which has 69.5%; 63.1%; 81.4%; 89.9% and 51.5% respectively. In Ichchapuram total rural population is 52,472 persons, where as it are 45,362; 51,842; 44,294 and 51,041 persons in the remaining four mandals.

3.     High (>100)

Two mandals come under this category. These are Palasa and Srikakulam mandals. Srikakulam has a very high urban population i.e., 206.1%. just because highly developed urban centres like Srikakulam MC and Balaga city, therefore Srikakulam mandal has two urban centers with a total urban population of 1,65,514 persons. Whereas the total rural population of this mandal is only 75,894 persons. Palasa has also a very high percentage of urban population to the rural population is 143.6%; and the rural population in Palasa mandal is 40,044 persons.

Distribution of urban centres per 100 km²

1.     Low (<0.90)

Four mandals of Srikakulam district come under this low category i.e.,Sompeta, Tekkali, Narasannapeta and Ponduru. The number of urban centres per 100 sq.km each mandals are 0.84(Sompeta), 0.64(Tekkali), 0.81 (Narasannapeta), and 0.81(Ponduru) respectively.

2.     Medium (0.90-1.10)

Under medium category there are five mandals namely. Palasa, Hiramandalam, Palakonda, Rajam and Amadalavalsa. The number of urban centres per 100 sq.km each mandals are 0.93(Palasa), 0.97(Hiramandalam), 0.93(Palakonda), 0.91(Rajam) and 1.10(Amadalavalsa) respectively.

3.     High (>1.10)

Two Mandals(blocks) are found in this high category, namely Srikakulam and Ichchapuram. In Srikakulam mandal two urban centres are located. Srikakulam Municipality Corporation and Balaga town are the urban centers in Srikakulam Mandal. The total area of Srikakulam mandal is 134.95 km², so the number of urban centers per 100 sq.km is highest which is 1.48. While in Ichchapuram mandal the number of urban centers per 100 sq.km is 1.35. in this mandal one urban center, and the total area of this mandal is 74.03 km².

In Fig. no. 3 Urban location with different geographical entities (Vegetation, Gardens, water bodies, transport, settlements etc.) is shown in fig. no. 2. It is very clear picture that highly and densely populated settlement are located in the central - urban functional zone in Srikakulam MC, whereas there is low settlement and low density in the peripheral and remote zones of the city. Srikakulam MC has highest (1,37,944) Urban Population and highest (7,125) Density of the Srikakulam District. This is Administrative city and Headquarter of Srikakulam District. 

Conclusion

It may be conclude that the pattern of regional variation in the distribution of urbanization is much similar to that of urban population to the rural population and the distribution of urban centers. The regional variations of urbanization may be visualized to that of the urban population as the percentage of total and rural population and number of urban centers per 100 sq. km. However the range of variation is considerably wide (13.2  to 68.56%) for the urban population to the total population; (15.2 to 206.1%) for the urban population to the rural population and (0.64  to 1.48%) for the case of urban centers per 100 sq. km. Urban variation  are high (above 40%) particularly in Srikakulam, Amadalavalasa, Rajam, Palasa and Ichchapuram mandals (Blocks); medium (25 – 40%) in Tekkali, Narasannapeta, Palakonda mandals and low (below 25%) in Sompeta, Ponduru and Hiramandalam mandals of the District. 16.2% urban population is very low in this district. There are 12 urban centres out of 38 mandals (Blocks). Inspite 5 (Five) mandals are above 40% urban population out of 38 mandals in this district. Infact a reflection of higher levels of Industrial and Economic Development is observed in particularly above 40% urbanization mandals and Srikakulam and Palasa mandals are a very high percentage of Urban Population to the Rural Population i.e., 206.1% and 143.6% respectively. Such as Srikakulam Municipal Corporation and Balaga town are two urban centres in Srikakulam mandal. So the number of urban centres per 100 Sq. km. is highest i.e., 1.48 in Srikakulam, while in Ichchapuram mandal the number of urban centres per 100 Sq. km. is 1.35 of the Srikakulam District. 

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