BHUBANESWAR: Odisha may have emerged as one of India’s rapidly developing states but urbanisation and its pace in the state remained among the lowest and slowest in the country in the last one decade, a new study by SBI research wing has found.
The study conducted as a precursor to the next census revealed that urbanisation growth rate in Odisha stagnated at a mere 2.3 per cent (pc) between 2011 and 2024, making it one of the slowest in the country.
It is among the bottom six big states in terms of urban area growth. The pace of urbanisation in the state is below the national average of 4.2 pc and behind neighbouring states like Chhattisgarh (4.2 pc), West Bengal (5.3 pc), Andhra Pradesh (7.6 pc) and Telangana (9.4 pc).
Other states lagging behind Odisha are Uttar Pradesh (1.9 pc), Rajasthan (1.9 pc), Assam (1.6 pc), Madhya Pradesh (1.5 pc) and Bihar (1.1 pc). The growth has been highest in Kerala at 29.7 pc during the period.
Odisha is among the bottom three states in urban population, which stood only at 19 pc as compared to the national average of 35.4 pc. The two other states are Bihar (12.4 pc) and Assam (15.7 pc). Kerala is the most urbanised state with 77.4 pc urban population.
The sluggish pace has raised questions about the state’s ability to keep up with national trends and the needs of its growing population. Policymakers attribute it to a multitude of factors including limited economic diversification, infrastructure deficiencies, low investment in urban development and rural-urban migration barriers.
Chairman of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (CREDAI), Odisha DS Tripathy said economic growth notwithstanding, Odisha continues to face significant infrastructure challenges, including poor roads, drainage and sanitation, inadequate transport facilities and civic amenities.
“The state has huge potential for urbanisation. But delay in approval of plans proposed by developers has been a concern all along. Surprisingly, many cities and towns, including Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Puri, Rourkala, Berhampur and Balasore are yet to have comprehensive development plan (CDP). Time bound approval must be emphasised,” he said.
Administrators and policy makers pointed out that investment in urban infrastructure and services has not kept pace with the growing demands of the population.
“This is why many cities struggle with basic amenities, leading to a lower quality of life and reduced urban appeal. Targeted interventions and a comprehensive approach to economic and infrastructure development can help growth of urbanisation,” said former chief secretary Sahadev Sahoo.