ANANTAPUR: To lead a better and prosperous life, rural-to-urban migration has been continuing and has gained a considerable pace since the past decade. According to the data, nearly 2-3 per cent of the population have been migrating to urban areas of Kadiri, Dharmavaram, Hindupuram, Kalyanadurgam, Guntakal and Puttaparthi areas from rural pockets.
Out of around 42 lakh population, over 14.3 lakh ie 34 per cent of the population have been residing in urban areas. Employment and education are the major factors influencing rural-to-urban migrations. Since the migrated population are residing on the city outskirts, the price of land in that areas raised drastically. As poverty, food insecurity, and lack of opportunities in rural areas are a consequence of uneven economic development and push people to urban areas where development has been greater, the rural population are flocking to urban areas to get out of their miseries and began a new life.
However, the high spirited and villagers who are ignorant of present artificial city life are falling prey for urban poverty. Taking advantage, most of the people are squeezing life out of these rural migrants in the form of high-interest loans and harassment.
Having less strength to tackle new urban challenges and having no courage to get back to rural life, the rural migrants who sold their agricultural lands in their villages are solely depending on welfare schemes and policies being provided by State and Central governments.
According to estimates, the urban population in 1971 is around 17.77 per cent of the total population of the district. While it was 20.84 per cent in 1981, 23.50 per cent in 1991, 25.26 per cent in 2001 and 28.07 per cent in 2011.
“Keeping the future of their offsprings in mind, most of the rural population are trying to migrate to cities hoping for a better lifestyle. They are taking up odd jobs like daily wage labours, housemaids, and getting settled in the town,” said PVVS Murthy, Regional Director, Municipal Administration and Urban Development.