Urbanisation of Asansol - Part 4

This post has been divided into five parts:

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Chapter 5

Spatial and Economic Changes in Asansol City, 1951-2001

5.1 Introduction

It has been already observed during 1951-2001, the towns and cities of the mining and manufacturing based Asansol region experienced significant spatial and economic changes due to major shifts in the national economic policy. Asansol, being its nerve centre naturally felt the impact. It gradually transformed itself from a class II town to a city. With the increase in population, the spatial area of the city expanded extensively in these fifty years. It is at present under the administration of Municipal Corporation, the highest local administrative body.

In this chapter we will study how these changes shaped the settlement pattern in Asansol during 1951-2001. For studying these spatio- economic changes, we consider the existing urban location theories discussed in Chapter 2 as our theoretical foundation.

Urban location theories assume that the competition for scarce land in any urban area is the main factor that influences the locational arrangement in a city. Thus the accurate information regarding the urban land use pattern seems to be an important component.  However, the problem here is that there is shortage of authentic and exhaustive statistical record regarding the rent pattern and the functional use of land. To override that problem, residential population density is chosen as a proxy variable for intensity of land use.  No doubt, the decision of the residents regarding their location to carry on their objectives reflects the nature of demand for the land in a city.

In view of that, we are studying the structural changes in the city mainly by considering the socio- economic characteristics of the residential population in the different wards of the city. Wards are the smallest politico- administrative units in a city and there are accessible census reports regarding their areas as well as economic and social characteristics which are useful for our analysis.

We have divided the long period of fifty years into three sub periods 1951-1971, 1971-1991 and 1991-2001 similar to our chapter 4. This chapter thus consists of four sections besides this introductory one. The next three sections 5.2, 5.3 and 5.4 analyse the spatial and economic changes during the above mentioned three periods. Some emergent features cropped up during these different periods. Accordingly a conceptual outline is also developed in the section 5.4 based on 1991-2001 data followed by its statistical analysis. Section 5.5 contains concluding remarks.

5.2 Spatial and Economic Changes in Asansol City during 1951-1971

Asansol was a mono centric town in 1951. The historical perspective of Asansol region in chapter 3 narrated earlier shows how the town evolved rapidly in the late nineteenth century because of rail transport. Since rail was the earliest high-speed mode of public transport there, all the main transport routes converged to the railway station and so the central business district was also located in its neighbourhood. It clearly shows that people gathered around the then city centre, which comprised of the railway station in the north of the Grand Trunk Road and the market in the south of the this road. Except that, absence of suitable routes connecting the other areas initially made land at the central locations adjacent to the rail station and along the Grand Trunk Road the most valuable. Such locations offered the advantage of low transport cost, greater accessibility to the input market, and a greater range of economies of scale. As the Grand Trunk road is also parallel to the rail route, the residential population densities were higher adjacent to the road. The municipality then consisted of seven wards. Asansol however was promoted from the status of a class II town to a city in 1961. It still consisted of seven wards. And its area was the same as in 1951; but the population density of the wards escalated. The Table 5.1 depicts the rise in population growth in the different wards.

Table 5.1

Ward Level Decadal Rate of Growth of Population in Asansol, 1951-1961

Ward Number	Decadal Rate of Growth of Population (%)
1	51.29
2	240.07
3	116.54
4	190.52
5	169.84
6	146.94
7	33.49

Source: Computed from the data of Census of India, District Census Handbook for Barddhaman 1951 and 1961.

Among the wards as mentioned by the above table 5.1, ward no 2 recorded the highest growth rate. It was alongside the G.T. Road and had an excellent location being the gateway to the Burnpur Road and the IISCO factory and also the entry point of the way to Kulti Iron Works and the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works. The administrative centre of the city- the court, treasury, and the police station were also in the neighbouring ward number 1 and 3. The built spaces for non basic activities like good schools were located in the nearby areas thus making the locality an attractive space for residential location even for the people who were employees in the industries of the neighbouring industrial-urban centres like Burnpur, Kulti and Chittaranjan.  People preferred to reside in wards like 2, 4 and 5.  The growth rate of ward no 1 and 3 were comparatively low as there were some areas which were not available for private use since they were under government jurisdiction. Ward number 5 also had land under rail authority’s control. Budha village, one of the oldest localities of Asansol was in Ward number 6. There were also large size of lands owned by Christian missionaries in wards 6 and 7. The comparatively lower population growth in these wards was due to non availability of land during this period for new settlement. Moreover, Ward number 7 was near the market area and the lowest growth rate suggests that the land was allotted for non residential business purposes.

We have noted earlier in the last chapter that during 1961-1971, the decadal growth rate was an impressive 50.83%. The rapid rise of residents in the city changed the structural composition of the wards. The existing wards were rapidly restructured and the number of wards increased from 7 to 25.

Table 5.2

Area & Number of Wards, Asansol Municipality, 1951-1971

Year	Area (in sq km)	Number of Wards
1951	10.44	7
1961	10.44	7
1971	10.44	25

Source: Census of India, District Census Handbook for Barddhaman 1951, 1961 and 1971.

This restructuring of Asansol was due to population hike in the city since 1961. Consequently the population of the first 7 wards of the reorganised Asansol Municipality had a steep fall as the following Table 5.3 shows. It depicts decadal growth rate of population in the erstwhile seven wards of 1961.  

Table 5.3

Ward Level Decadal Rate of Growth of Population in Asansol, 1961-1971

Ward Number	Decadal Rate of Growth of Population (%)
1	-54.01
2	-73.71
3	-60.70
4	-75.29
5	-86.42
6	-39.85
7	-69.10

Source: Computed from the data of Census of India, District Census Handbook for Barddhaman 1961 and 1971

The urbanisation of Asansol within the compass of its municipality was in fact vigorous and expansive. This can be best proved by its spill over effect on the neighbourhood of the municipality. The following maps 5.1 and 5.2 show how urbanisation was rapidly expanding itself with Asansol   municipality as its nucleus.

Map 5.1

Urban Area in Asansol, 1961

Source: Census of India, District Census Handbook for Barddhaman 1961

Map 5.2

Urban Area in Asansol, 1971

 Source: Census of India, District Census Handbook for Barddhaman 1971

The shaded parts show the total urban area.

The spatio- economic changes also led to the rise in urban growth during the next decade. Our next section analyses the emergent factors behind the urbanisation process in this period.

5.3 Spatial and Economic Changes in Asansol City during 1971-1991

The city turned bigger during these twenty years as shown by Table 5.4.

Table 5.4

Area & Number of Wards, Asansol Municipality, 1971-1991

Year	Area (in sq km)	Number of Wards
1971	10.44	25
1981	20.02	25
1991	25.02	30

 Source: Census of India, District Census Handbook for Barddhaman 1971, 1981 and 1991.

The area of the city increased significantly during the first decade of this study period. The wards became bigger in size. In the next decade, the number of wards also increased to thirty from twenty five with expansion of the area. The city was transforming from mono centric to multi centric one due to emergent features which came up during this period.

We have observed from the previous chapter that the seventies was the era of nationalisation of public sector industries like coal, steel and some other manufacturing units. Nationalisation of these industries gave a fillip to the overall development in the employment and urbanisation in this region. The rate of urbanisation here was 17.57% in the first decade and a significant 42.98% in the next decade.  

As mining and manufacturing industries played a dominant role for urbanisation, we are comparing the proportion of population engaged in mining and non household industries in the 25 wards of 1971 with those wards in 1991 . The following Table 5.5 depicts the locational pattern of the residents engaged in the mining sector in 1971 and 1991.

Table 5.5

Proportion of People in Mining Occupation (%), 1971 and 1991

Ward Number	Male ‘71	Male ‘91	Female ‘71	Female ‘91
1	5.49	12.43	4.41	3.85
2	2.49	6.04	1.72	2.60
3	1.91	4.86	0.00	0.47
4	1.53	1.54	2.50	0.00
5	2.11	3.37	3.77	4.58
6	1.29	5.52	2.00	2.61
7	2.03	2.95	2.08	2.92
8	0.10	1.40	0.00	0.48
9	0.27	4.01	3.45	3.39
10	0.46	2.71	0.00	1.27
11	0.96	0.74	0.00	0.00
12	0.92	0.51	0.00	0.00
13	0.92	0.39	0.00	0.00
14	2.76	1.94	0.00	1.89
15	2.33	1.84	4.00	0.00
16	3.17	3.32	1.72	1.15
17	27.33	1.71	41.38	1.18
18	0.79	2.10	0.00	0.00
19	2.33	3.18	0.00	1.32
20	0.63	14.65	0.00	9.06
21	1.00	3.43	0.00	2.70
22	0.46	0.79	0.00	0.43
23	0.80	0.89	0.00	3.48
24	0.15	3.61	0.00	2.22
25	0.44	1.97	3.45	2.56
Asansol MC	2.51	3.44	2.82	1.93

Source: Computed from the data of Census of India, District Census Handbook for Barddhaman 1971 and 1991.

The table 5.5 shows that during 1971-1991, more male population engaged in the mining activities started to reside in the city but the residential female population engaged in the mining sector diminished. The policy decision of the government adversely affected the female mining employment scenario.

The settlement pattern became more even in 1991 then in 1971. Excepting a single ward, ward number 13, every other ward contained male population engaged in mining occupation. The concentration of female workers in some wards also reduced during this period. Ward number 13 was the CBD area. The mining based working population naturally lived in the wards where there were service quarters for them or else they thronged in the wards where there was built in infrastructure for residence with schools and other likely amenities were near at hand. They were well connected by transport network and were either beside G.T. Road or its parallel S.B Gorai Road.

The above table shows that there were significant changes in the proportion of mining population in the wards 17 and 20. Whereas the first one revealed a notable reduction, the second one demonstrated a considerable increase.  Ward 17 was adjacent to the Central Business district and the other wards in the CBD like the ward numbers 13, 14, 15 and 16 also exhibited that either the population of the mining population remained constant or else waned. These wards thus have been transformed from residential to non residential urban space with scarcity of land for residential purposes. Moreover, the mining population here in the sixties i.e. in the pre nationalisation period were mainly semi skilled migrants from the neighbour states. They stayed together in a location. Ward 17 was one of those wards which give an idea about this social and cultural agglomeration.  However, from the eighties onwards, in the post nationalisation era, ECL suffered a set back which virtually reduced the in migration of semi skilled labours employed in coal industry here from other states (CDP, 2006). The mechanisation of production led to decrease of manual labour as revealed by the decrease of residents engaged in mining activities in some wards. In-migration decreased here (Socio Economic Report of ADPA, 1999-2000). Thus depopulation occurred. However, the built up area could not remain as an empty space. Thus gradually these wards were turned to non residential ones. The changes in the occupational structure as studied from these wards are evidences of that. Ward 20 was one of the peripheral wards at that time. Land was comparatively cheaper there than in the central locations. It was alongside the G.T. Road. A significant number of people employed in the mining activities were the residents of the Mohisila colony here. The location of a degree college and two higher secondary schools nearby also enhanced the preference of this ward for residential purpose.  Moreover, there were coal mines in the neighbouring areas and the adjacent town Jamuria was developing as a manufacturing centre. Thus people associated with the activities there also chose to reside here due to availability of urban amenities. The few wards which experienced a rise in female population engaged in mining activities were those where proportions of male mining population were also comparatively high. Thus it indicated the existence of social agglomeration of some sort in those areas.

The following Table 5.6 depicts the locational pattern of the residents engaged in the non household industries in 1971 and 1991.

Table 5.6

Proportion of People in Non-Household Industries in Asansol Municipality (%), 1971 & 1991

Ward Number	Male ‘71	Male ‘91	Female ‘71	Female ‘91
1	44.09	32.50	7.35	8.85
2	19.17	23.51	13.79	4.33
3	54.64	30.08	36.36	7.55
4	24.29	57.01	1.25	9.20
5	11.40	22.75	0.00	6.11
6	28.98	34.03	8.00	4.58
7	26.97	27.72	2.08	7.30
8	21.43	24.05	8.33	1.90
9	11.47	25.62	10.34	5.08
10	15.22	22.87	3.13	5.06
11	17.94	23.76	12.12	4.88
12	16.70	13.23	2.7	0.00
13	20.37	7.11	1.3	2.33
14	37.69	20.92	0.00	6.60
15	21.72	13.04	7.00	4.92
16	28.64	12.87	5.17	1.15
17	24.70	28.69	6.90	4.71
18	6.96	16.90	3.30	2.01
19	18.05	28.25	0.00	2.65
20	15.82	25.26	0.00	4.72
Ward Number	Male ‘71	Male ‘91	Female ‘71	Female ‘91
21	25.24	21.86	11.11	0.00
22	9.77	7.14	5.00	1.30
23	19.80	8.94	8.33	0.87
24	23.18	13.01	0.00	7.41
25	25.46	15.92	0.00	7.69
Asansol MC	22.79	22.28	6.15	4.45

Source: Computed from the data of Census of India, District Census Handbook for Barddhaman 1971 and 1991.

The Table 5.6 shows that though the proportion of residential population engaged in the non household industries reduced during this period. We have studied in the last chapter that since the ‘80’s, deceleration set in the large manufacturing and mining sectors. The recession in production affected both the public sector and the large private sector industrialisation jointly. Some large private sector manufacturing units became sick due to losing in market competition, the public sector suffered as they were compelled to nationalise some of these sick units. It was quite normal that the proportion of population who resided in some wards and employed in non household industries reduced.  However, some wards reflected an opposite trend. Proportion of people engaged in these industries increased in some of them. Male workers increased significantly in the wards like 8, 9, 11 and 17. Similarly, female workers increased significantly in the wards like 13, 14, 24 and 25. We have studied in chapter 4; there appeared a trend towards the proliferation of small scale manufacturing units in the city during this period. They were concentrated in some wards to gain the benefit of external economies of some sort.  For instance, productions of mining and machinery equipments were concentrated in wards like 17, 20, 21, 24 and 25. These wards experienced either rise in male or female employment or rise in both male and female employment. Wards like 24 and 25 had also small scale units producing exquisite garments and home décor to cater the high end market. Similarly factories producing electrical equipments were concentrated in the wards like 18, 19 and 20 especially in ward number 20. Among them, ward numbers 19 and 20 show significant rise of both male and female population employed in non household industries.  These were all parts of already developed Mohisila colony. We have mentioned earlier that these wards were also suitable for residential location due to availability of non basic activities in the neighbourhood. There were also automobile repairing units in ward number 20. Thus it shows that besides the city was turning multi centric with a number of sub centres having diverse economic activities.

Similarly, in the south western part of the city, ward number 4 and 5 attracted a considerable number of residential population engaged in the non household industries. There were more than one reason for this kind of urbanisation. For instance, land was available here during this period as the missionary schools which owned large tracts of land sold parts of them. The residential area Hill View developed in this way here.  Transport network started to develop through S. B Garai Road. Ward number 1 and 3 beside S. B Garai Road as mentioned earlier had land congenial for new urban growth as it already contained built space Court, Thana, Treasury Stadium, schools and college. Moreover, there were factories producing electrical equipments in ward number 1, 3 and 4. There was also automobile repairing unit in ward number 3. The availability of land with improvement in public transport network helped in the expansion of the neighbouring ward numbers 4 and 5. Markets for daily consumables grew up accordingly.

We have compared here the first 25 wards from 30 wards of the city in 1991. However, small non household industrial units were also started to growing in the peripheral wards like 29, 30 in 1991 due to expansion of road network like construction of NH2 Bypass.  A significant percentage of male population (15% to 23 %) engaged in the non household industries started to reside in these new wards. It proved that the city expanded in spatial size as land was not available or too expensive near the G.T. Road or the CBD area. The planned Kalyanpur housing estate area for middle income service groups was built in the 80’s in the north western periphery of the city in ward number 30. Public Transports in the form of new bus routes were started to develop in these newly urbanised areas. Another sub centre was developing there with the improvement in built infrastructure like road network, new schools and increase in public transport.  

The study of spatio- temporal changes made it clear that there were a number of emergent features behind the urbanisation of Asansol city. Moreover the study shows that improvement in transport network played a major role in the development of the sub centres.

5.4 Spatial and Economic Changes in Asansol city during 1991-2001

Asansol city turned bigger by five times during 1991-2001. The city expanded in spatial area and transformed into the highest local municipal body, the Municipal Corporation in 1994. The places which were added to the Asansol Municipality were the erstwhile Burnpur Notified Area Authority and the erstwhile Asansol CD Blocks. Map 5.3 shows the total area of Asansol Municipal Corporation in 2001.The shaded area was that of the erstwhile municipality.  

Map 5.3

Asansol Municipal Corporation

         Source: Introspection (2001), Asansol Municipal Corporation, Asansol

Besides the Burnpur Notified Area and some non municipal towns, a number of villages which were not part of the Asansol city in 1991 get amalgamated with the erstwhile municipality as new wards by administrative decision.

Table 5.7 informs us about the expansion of spatial area and the number of wards in the city during 1991-2001.

Table 5.7

Area & Number of Wards 1991 and 2001

Year	Area (in sq km)	Number of Wards
1991	25.02	30
2001	127.87	50

 Source: Census of India, District Census Handbook for Barddhaman 1991 and 2001.

The arrangements of the wards in the Asansol city is shown in the map 5.4 below.

Map 5.4

Map 5.5 shows the population density in all the fifty wards of Asansol Municipal Corporation in 2001.

Map 5.5

To see the pattern of urbanisation in the different wards, we compared the population density figures of the first thirty wards of Asansol Municipal Corporation with the erstwhile thirty wards of the former Municipality in the Fig 5.1 below.

Change in Population Density 1991-2001

Fig 5.1

Source: Computed from Census of India 1991, 2001.

The above graph shows that the population density reduced significantly in a large number of wards.

The change in the population density in the Asansol city, 1991-2001 is shown in the map 5.6 below.

Map 5.6

To find out the pattern of urbanisation in these wards, we look into the growth rate of population in these thirty wards from the Fig 5.2 below.

% Rate of Growth of Population 1991-2001

Fig 5.2

Source: Computed from Census of India 1991, 2001.

As the spatial area of these thirty wards did not change during 1991-2001, the above Fig 5.1 and Fig 5.2 depict the similar pattern.

However, as we have mentioned earlier that the overall population growth rate (unadjusted) of the city in 2001 was 81%. This was due to the role of the newly added areas. Thus to see the urbanisation pattern in the new wards, the Table 5.8 compares the population density of these places in 1991 with 2001.

Table 5.8

Population Density of the Newly Added Areas

Name of the  villages & Urban Area 1991	Population Density Per sq Km in 1991	Ward no in 2001	Population Density Per sq Km in 2001
PALASHDIHA	13.73	31	1443
GOPALPUR	7.98
RAMJIBANPUR	8.81
RAGHUNATH BATI	13.30
SUDI	4.99
MARICH KATA	5.74
GOBIDAPUR	6.58
BANSARAKDI	12.14
SARAKDI NADIHA (NM)	823.05
GARUI	-
SARAKDI	-
NADIHA	-
HATGARUI	-
SHITALA	37.16	32	1625
MAHUJURI	10.42
BARAPUKURIYA	8.26
GARPARIA	15.02
UTTAR DHADKA	19.10
SAT PUKURIA	7.51
BAN BISNUPUR	14.61
KALLA (NM)	1790.77
NISCHINTA	9.02	33	1188
KESHABGANJ	7.03
CHAK KESHABGANJ	5.87
KANKHYA (NM)	2875.91
DAMRA	10.96	35	852
BURNPUR (NA)	2659.96	37	611
		38	3637
		39	23484
		40	11795
Name of the  villages & Urban Area1991	Population Density Per sq Km in 1991	Ward no in 2001	Population Density Per sq Km in 2001
BURNPUR (NA)	2659.96	41	21032
		42	12654
		43	6588
		44	8177
		45	847
		46	12477
		47	8096
		46	2474
		49	857
		50	1729

Source:  Computed from the Census of India 1991 and Census of India 2001-Provisional Population Totals

The above table shows that in 1991 the population densities were high only in the non municipal towns and in the Burnpur Notified Area. Population density was very low in the villages when they were not part of the city. A wide disparity was noticed among the population densities of the village areas and the urban areas in 1991. When all these villages and urban areas became part of the city we see that population densities increased significantly in the new wards which incorporated these places. Thus though we are not finding the comparable growth rate of these places but looking into the rise of population density we can assume a considerably high rate of population growth here. This explains the high growth rate of Asansol Municipal Corporation as a whole to some extent.

The changes in the population density indicated the further development of sub centres. It appears that the city is becoming a multi centric one in 2001. There are many reasons for these changes in population density. We have discussed some of them in the earlier sections. However there were other socio-economic, demographic, geographical and historical factors which could affect population density pattern in a city. Moreover emergent factors with passage of time could influence the residential location decision. To study the impact of them on population density we are undertaking the regression analysis by considering the 1991-2001 data. For that, in the following sub section we are discussing the conceptual framework for choosing these variables followed by statistical analysis in the next subsection.

5.4.1 A Conceptual Outline and the Methodology

The intensity of land use in a city as mentioned above depends on a number of factors. The explanatory variables which assumed to have effect on population density of the wards and in turn shape the urbanization process of Asansol are:

1. Orthogonal Distance of the wards from the Grand Trunk Road
2. Radial Distance of the wards from the rail station area
3. The square of the distance of the wards from the rail station
4. The north- south dummy variable
5. Work participation rate for male main worker
6. Gender ratio
7. Literacy rate of female population

We are summarising the reasons for selecting the above explanatory variables as follows:

In Asansol, the prevailing public transport mode during 1991-2001 consisted of buses, mini buses and rail transport. Rail network as the earlier chapter studied played an important role in the agglomeration economies of this region. However, as we have discussed in the earlier sections here that in the intra city equitable development, the availability of necessary road transport network was also equally important.  Therefore we have considered the orthogonal distance of the wards from the G.T. Road, radial distance of the wards from the rail station and the square of the distance of the wards from the rail station to examine the impact of physical accessibility on residential population density in the wards here.

Grand trunk Road divided the city into two parts. The larger southern part was more congested with a larger number of wards and higher average population density than the northern part. We are considering the north- south dummy variable to see whether any difference exists in the settlement pattern between the northern and the southern part of the city.

To analyse the impact of accessible transport on population density in the wards in the northern and the southern parts of the city, the following methodology is followed:

a) The wards are grouped according to their orthogonal distance from the Grand Trunk Road, in table 5.9.The wards located within average distance of 2 Kms from the Grand Trunk Road are either belong to or adjacent to the Central Business District. The wards at an average distance of 4 Kms and above are peripheral wards.

Table 5.9

Location and Distance of the Wards from the G.T road, 2001

Average Distance from Grand Trunk Road (in Kms )	Location / Ward Number		Number of Wards
	North of G.T road	South of G.T Road	North	South
0.0 -2.0	2, 5, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33	1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 34, 47, 50	13	21
2.1 – 4.0	28, 31	36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 48	2	8
4.1-5.2	-	35,37,43,45,46,49	-	6

Source: Computed from the Map of Asansol Municipal Corporation

b) The rail station and the adjacent business areas is our perceived city centre; it is ward 22, the ward which accommodates the rail station and at present the Central Bus Stand.  It is well connected with the rest of the city. To study the accessibility criteria, the distances of the wards from the city centre have been calculated. Concentric circles are drawn from the rail station taking the distance from one circle to another as 1 km. For instance, the radius of the innermost circle is 1 km, next is 2 km. They are grouped in Table 5.10 as follows.

Table 5.10

Location and Distance of the Wards from the Rail Station, 2001

Average Distance from the rail station (in Kms)	Ward Number	Total Number of wards
0.5	22, 23, parts of 17,19, 20,21,24 and 32	8
1.5	13,14,16,remaining parts of 19,20, 21, 24, 27 parts of 25, 26, 32 and 33	10
2.5	11, 12,15,Parts of 8,9,10, 18,25,26,28,29,32, 33 ,34 36 , 37 and 38	13
3.5	7,8, 28,Parts of 5, 6,9,32,33, 34,36,37and 38,	11
4.5	3,39,remaining parts of 5,6, 33,38, parts of 1,2,30,31,34, 35,36, 37 ,40 and 41,	16
5.5	4,40,41,42, parts of 2,1,30,31,32,34,35,37,42, 43 and 44	13
6.5	Parts of 1,2,35,31,37,44,45,47,48,45,46,47 and 48	13
7.5	Parts of 1,2,31,37,45,46, 47,48 and the beginning of 50	8
8.5	49,50,parts of 31 and 37	4

Source: Computed from Map of Asansol Municipal Corporation

The wards within the average distance of 2.5 Kms from rail station are adjacent to the city centre or some of them are parts of the CBD area. The wards which are at an average distance of 7.5 Kms from the rail station are in less accessible locations with respect to railway facilities.

The next component, the Main Work participation rate of male population is an indicator of the economic condition and thus expected to influence the population density in a space. Since Asansol is a built space consisting of basic and heavy industries besides coal mines and rail, the predominant workers are male. So we have chosen male main work participation rate for more detailed study.   

Theoretically, gender ratio is an indicator of the settlement pattern. As Asansol is a city which is known as the hub of the mining, industrial and trading centre, people resided here mainly for fulfilment of economic objectives. The study thus anticipates a negative relationship between the gender ratio and intensity of land use. Population density is high in those parts of this industrial city where the labourers and people connected to different business activities live. But that are not developed organised spaces to live with families.

Again, the bottom most explanatory variable, literacy rate of female population is also a measure of the settlement pattern because high female literacy rate is an indication of progressive society. Theoretically, literacy rate for female is negatively related to population density as it is high only in upper middle class areas where intensity of land use is comparatively low. From the regression analysis in the next sub section, we can know whether they are statistically significant or not.

All the relationships hypothesized here are tested in the next sub section in a regression framework.

5.4.2 Statistical Analysis

Regression analysis has been done by using SPSS software package to test the conceptual framework and for supporting the theoretical argument. To make the distribution more symmetric, logarithmic transformations have been done. We have checked the correlation matrix which shows very low levels of correlation between two or more predictors. So the problem of multi collinearity does not arise.

The data sets computed from the Census report of 1991 and 2001 are shown in the following Tables 5.11, 5.12 and 5.13.

Table 5.11

Report of Regression Analysis

Year 1991, No of wards – 30

Dependent variable (Y): log population density, 1991

Independent Variables	Regression coefficients
Radial Distance from rail station	2.418***
Square of the distance from rail station	-2.309***
Orthogonal Distance from G.T Road	-0.296*
Gender ratio	-0.548***
Work Participation Rate Male Main	-0.245
Female Literacy Rate	-0.052
North-South Dummy	0.395*

Adjusted R2 = 0.524     F = 5.568***

[For significant ‘t’s and F, * - for significant at 10%, ** for significant at 5% and *** for significant at 1% besides the values.]

As R2 is 0.524, the regression is a good fit. The overall regression model with all the independent variables included is statistically significant as F is statistically significant.

Table 5.12 and 5.13 are based on 2001 census report. Table 5.12 consists of the data set of the old thirty wards and not the newly added twenty wards for comparative analysis.

Table 5.12

Report of Regression Analysis

Year 2001, No of wards – 30

Dependent variable (Y): log population density, 2001

Independent Variables	Regression coefficients
Radial Distance from rail station	1.566**
Square of the distance from rail station	-1.301**
Orthogonal Distance from G.T Road	-0.494***
Gender ratio	-0.345*
Work Participation Rate Male Main	-0.261
Female Literacy Rate	-0.110
North-South Dummy	0.322*

Adjusted R2 = 0.378, F = 3.519***

Here R2 is 0.378 so the regression is a moderate fit.

Table 5.13 shows the regression calculated from the set of population data of 50 wards of Asansol Municipal Corporation in 2001.

Table 5.13

Report of Regression Analysis

Year 2001, No of wards – 50

Dependent variable (Y): log population density, 2001

Independent Variables	Regression coefficients
Radial Distance from rail station	0.934**
Square of the distance from rail station	-1.025***
Orthogonal Distance from G.T Road	-0.336**
Gender ratio	-0.239**
Work Participation Rate Male Main	-0.083
Female Literacy Rate	0.620***
North-South Dummy	0.027

Adjusted R2 = 0.614    F = 12.124***

Since R2 is 0.614 here, the regression is a good fit.

We summarise the main findings below and sorting out the inconsistencies since the test of hypothesis does not match with the conceptual understanding in some cases.

The above tables show that the explanatory variables denoting physical accessibility are the most important link with population density. This confirms that the intensity of land use and physical accessibility in the form of built infrastructure transport network go together. Physical accessibilities from the CBD area as measured by the radial distance from rail station and the square of the distance from the rail station emerge as statistically significant explanatory variables in both 1991 and 2001. Residential population density was low near the rail station i.e. the CBD area as expected. It was more profitable to use land there for non residential business activities. Moreover, adjacent to the rail station there were built spaces owned by railway authority for administrative set up and service quarters. As land was scarce there, naturally the rent and price was expected to be very high and individuals had to stay at a distance from the rail station. The city expanded accordingly, transport network evolved and sub centres were created to cater the various needs of the residential population. Again, the radial distance from the rail station emerges as a stronger statistically significant explanatory variable when the observation was based on erstwhile 30 wards instead of the 50 wards in 2001. This is because the newly added wards were at a greater radial distance from the rail station. Some of these wards were agricultural and mining areas which needed more land for production activities. Thus residential population density was lesser than the erstwhile thirty wards.

Transport facilities were not developed in the fringe areas. So population density was low there in 1991. When the city expanded spatially in 2001, the relation followed the same pattern because the development of public transport network was not uniform in these areas.

The orthogonal distance from G.T. Road emerges as a statistically significant variable at 10% level of significance in 1991. It emerges as more significant when we consider the old 30 wards of AMC in 2001. It also contributed significantly to the population density changes when the study considers all the fifty wards in 2001.  

As mentioned earlier the expansion of the city over time was along the two sides of the G.T. Road. There was lack of adequate built infrastructural development in road and transport network in the areas away from the G.T. Road. Thus population density was high near the G.T. Road in 1991. During the decade 1991-2001, infrastructural development in road construction and public transport network expanded in some other areas of the old city. The automobile ownership of the residents also increased than in the earlier decades as it became easier to commute by motorised transport. We have also mentioned earlier that sub centres have evolved in these wards. But, as we have mentioned earlier, the spatio- economic characteristics of the newly added twenty wards were different from the erstwhile wards. G.T. Road was lifeline for the population there as rail station was far away and CBD is adjacent to the rail station. Moreover most of these new wards lacked the non basic activities like educational institute and health infrastructure for which they needed the G.T. Road to avail themselves of these facilities. Thus distance from the G.T. Road is statistically significant in all the analysis.  

Gender ratio as anticipated is statistically significant in all the statistical analysis. However, it emerges as a stronger variable in 1991 than in 2001. This is because the city expanded vertically during this decade in the majority of the old thirty wards where there were advantages of non basic activities. Thus more people can reside with family in the same area in 2001 than in 1991. Thus the explanatory variable gender ratio becomes a significant predictor for population density changes only at 10% level of significance. However, it contributed significantly to the population density changes at 5% level of significance when we consider all the fifty wards. We have already mentioned that the spatio economic character of the newly added wards was different from the old wards. Vertical space in the form of multi storied apartment was not developed there because a large part of the land there was owned by IISCO and ECL authorities. There were residential family quarters for the middle and high income earners where intensity of space uses were considerably high.  Besides some wards were tribal inhabited areas with few urban amenities.  

the work participation rate of male main workers is not statistically significant in all the above three tables . Thus, in Asansol, the residential location decision was not determined by the number of workers in the localities in 1991 and 2001.

Female literacy emerges as a statistically significant predictor for population density changes only in 2001 where we consider all the fifty wards. The upper middle and high income earners whose female literacy rate was high shifted from the old city to the new areas. Lands were available there and these people could enjoy more space in these areas. Moreover, female literacy was comparatively high due to incorporation of the Burnpur Notified Area as it was the residential area of the middle and higher income population employed in the public sector steel industry.

In 1991, the North -South dummy variable contributed significantly to the population density changes. In the northern part there were lands owned by the railway authority. The rail station was in the northern part. There were some of the oldest parts of the Asansol town where poor minority communities live from earlier days. There were also mining areas where there were restrictions on private ownership of land. Moreover the northern part lacked the built infrastructural facility and NH-2 Bypass was not constructed then. For these reasons, residential population density was higher in the southern part and thus north- south dummy variable emerges as a statistically significant predictor for population density changes. When we consider the old thirty wards of the city, the north-south dummy variable again emerges as a significant predictor for population density changes. The construction of NH-2 did not change the population density variation in the two parts of the G.T. road. This is because most of these thirty wards were away from the new Bypass. Sub centres in these wards also grew in the southern part of the G.T. Road.  However, the north south dummy variable is not significant when we consider all the fifty wards in 2001. The industries and the mining sector were passing through a slump in the decade 1991-2001, Asansol being a reputed trade and transport centre, people pressed upon the G.T Road both in the north and south. With the expansion of the city along either side of the G.T. Road both in the north and the south, the habitation along the G.T. Road also expanded. The new wards in the north are adjacent to the NH-2 Bypass. The development of the transport network here led to rise in population density in both parts. Moreover, as land was scarce or the rent was high in the southern part where urban infrastructure was more developed, people settle in the northern part near the G.T. Road. The new Satellite Township was constructed in the northern part. Sub centres grew up in the newly added areas due to the creation of built space like schools, engineering college and hotels. Moreover some of these activities which were in the erstwhile municipality areas along the G.T. Road earlier shifted their activities in the northern part of the newly added areas beside the By Pass.  For instance a reputed school in the city relocated their activities beside the Bypass here. As the school became large with more students, it needed more space which was not possible where it was located earlier due to scarcity of land. So it shifted to the new location because of the availability of required land.  It gradually emerges as a new sub centre with increasing residential population density adjacent to it.

5.5 Conclusion

Thus along the passage of time, the rate of urbanisation increased and sub centres started to evolve depending on external economies. A social agglomeration tendency was also noticed in some places. The empirical findings reveal that residential location patterns in the different wards of the Asansol city is more influenced by the formation and evolution of built infrastructure which again is a complex co ordination of a number of factors as we have studied.

In the next chapter, the concluding one we will sum up what we have realised from the study and would raise some relevant issues regarding spatio- economic planning in Asansol.

Plates of Asansol City

Plate 5.1: Asansol Railway Station

Plate 5.2: Gateway to Asansol Municipal Corporation Area

Plate 5.3: Grand Trunk Road

Plate 5.4: Kushadanga Incline, Ward 33

Plate 5.5: Factory under Lockout

Plate 5.6: Labour Colony of a Coal Mine

Appendix to Chapter 5

Appendix Table 5.1

The Area and Total Population of the Villages and Urban Areas in 1991 Which Became Part of the Asansol City in 2001

Name of the  villages & Urban Area, 1991	Ward No In 2001	Area per sq km in 1991	Population in 1991
GARUI	31	-	1135
PALASHDIHA		50.97	700
SARAKDI		-	925
NADIHA		-	1008
GOPALPUR		67.57	539
HATGARUI		-	362
RAMJIBANPUR		90.22	795
RAGHUNATH BATI		85.54	1138
SUDI		192.49	960
MARICH KATA		159.87	917
GOBIDAPUR		164.86	1085
BANSARAKDI		77.59	942
SARAKDI NADIHA (NM)		5.90	4856
SHITALA	32	45.53	1692
MAHUJURI		78.04	813
BARAPUKURIYA		161.20	1331
GARPARIA		171.64	2577
UTTAR DHADKA		91.24	1743
SAT PUKURIA		181.33	1362
BAN BISNUPUR		65.28	954
KALLA (NM)		2.60	4656
NISCHINTA	33	398.39	3592
KESHABGANJ		60.14	423
CHAK KESHABGANJ		69.79	410
KANKHYA (NM)		1.37	3940
DAMRA	35	344.65	3779
BURNPUR (NA)	37-50	65.79	174933

Source: Census of India 2001-Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 1991

Appendix Table 5.2

Location of the wards and their Average Population Density in North/ South part of the G.T Road in Asansol, 2001

Location(North/South)	Ward Number	Total Number of Wards	Average Population Density
North of G. T. Road	2 , 5, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33	15	8688
South of G. T. Road	1, 3, 4, 6, 7,8, 9,10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 34-50	35	13740

Source: Asansol Municipal Corporation

Appendix Table 5.3

Data Set for Regression Analysis, 1991 and 2001

WARD NO	N (0) - S (1) OF GT RD	DIST FROM RAIL STN (KM)	DIST FROM G.T ROAD (KM)	POPULATION DENSITY		GENDER RATIO		FEMALE LITERACY RATE		MALE MAIN WPR
				‘91	‘01	‘91	‘01	‘91	‘01	‘91	‘01
1	1	6.64	0.66	4955	5211	833	964	77.7	84.8	49.8	49.1
2	0	6.00	0.55	5977	6670	853	933	61.1	83.5	47.2	49.7
3	1	4.73	1.60	24409	22546	804	900	80.5	88.4	47.4	45.0
4	1	5.00	0.28	66321	60926	806	877	72.9	80.8	39.4	39.6
5	0	4.00	0.28	13043	12437	862	978	79.7	83.0	43.8	50.4
6	1	4.00	0.55	7871	8263	914	925	76.8	90.0	39.7	44.2
7	1	3.45	0.99	13302	13456	879	899	72.4	81.9	38.1	48.5
8	1	3.00	0.28	62737	52554	868	896	74.0	77.8	45.0	44.4
9	1	4.00	2.09	6735	9796	870	933	76.7	83.4	49.0	44.8
10	1	2.55	1.10	17292	17175	868	934	82.8	88.0	49.1	48.4
11	1	2.64	0.44	11702	14634	801	908	85.1	86.8	49.9	42.5
12	1	2.36	0.17	43128	29359	841	885	77.5	88.9	49.7	47.6
13	1	2.00	0.17	32796	18920	705	859	75.0	87.7	58.2	54.3
14	1	1.73	0.55	32105	24573	737	916	81.1	87.0	58.4	55.6
15	1	2.00	0.55	34677	28328	771	821	75.8	84.2	49.8	49.6
16	1	1.73	1.10	8388	8283	827	926	74.9	80.2	52.5	53.3
17	1	1.00	0.22	26017	26291	814	896	74.2	83.5	48.9	49.4
18	1	2.45	1.87	5119	7219	938	953	74.1	83.4	49.9	49.6
19	1	1.00	0.66	8623	8865	846	920	66.3	80.5	52.2	48.6
20	1	1.36	0.55	6110	5869	873	899	68.1	79.0	46.8	46.4
21	0	0.70	0.28	5041	5677	735	895	74.8	85.2	46.8	47.6
22	0	0.00	0.44	5448	4945	720	862	59.8	72.8	47.9	48.3
23	0	1.00	1.21	4684	5156	818	849	67.6	69.2	38.0	39.6
24	0	1.45	1.27	4498	5160	836	906	72.1	74.4	44.7	42.4
25	0	2.36	2.26	10781	13528	813	833	58.9	72.2	43.1	42.4
WARD NO	N (0) - S (1) OF GT RD	DIST FROM RAIL STN (KM)	DIST FROM G.T ROAD (KM)	POPULATION DENSITY		GENDER RATIO		FEMALE LITERACY RATE		MALE MAIN WPR
				‘91	‘01	‘91	‘01	‘91	‘01	‘91	‘01
26	0	2.00	0.77	9297	8058	753	865	56.1	75.9	47.6	47.8
27	0	3.00	0.55	34764	29024	832	910	75.3	80.8	40.3	40.9
28	0	3.45	2.48	19600	22564	870	899	49.7	65.9	37.3	36.7
29	0	4.00	1.54	10255	8612	845	922	56.2	65.1	38.2	36.7
30	0	5.45	2.42	3533	4247	873	924	85.1	87.0	47.2	42.1
31	0	8.00	2.75	-	1443	-	907	-	59.5	-	34.0
32	0	2.00	1.49	-	1625	-	921	-	49.0	-	29.9
33	0	2.45	1.93	-	1188	-	913	-	54.3	-	27.6
34	1	4.00	1.38	-	2041	-	848	-	44.5	-	33.7
35	1	5.00	4.51	-	852	-	906	-	55.6	-	36.5
36	1	3.00	2.97	-	1290	-	865	-	52.7	-	31.3
37	1	5.36	5.34	-	611	-	903	-	41.1	-	31.5
38	1	4.00	3.91	-	3637	-	898	-	69.7	-	33.1
39	1	4.82	2.42	-	23484	-	881	-	73.6	-	34.3
40	1	5.82	2.86	-	11795	-	859	-	65.5	-	36.1
41	1	5.00	3.41	-	21032	-	904	-	88.8	-	43.8
42	1	5.18	4.29	-	12654	-	837	-	86.5	-	46.5
43	1	5.73	5.45	-	6588	-	887	-	73.8	-	37.5
44	1	6.00	4.02	-	8177	-	882	-	85.7	-	43.1
45	1	7.00	5.78	-	847	-	906	-	73.1	-	33.3
46	1	7.45	5.23	-	12477	-	901	-	69.7	-	38.1
47	1	7.00	1.49	-	8096	-	820	-	67.5	-	40.4
48	1	7.45	3.41	-	2474	-	843	-	81.0	-	43.7
49	1	9.45	5.56	-	857	-	886	-	59.2	-	30.3
50	1	9.00	1.65	-	1729	-	887	-	63.8	-	34.7

Source: Computed from the data of District Census Handbook Census of India 1991,Census of India 2001 and Ward Map of Asansol Municipal Corporation