Paradox of Migration in Kolkata: A Megacity in GBM Delta

Abstract:

Contrary to other coastal cities (Mumbai, Chennai, Bhubaneswar etc.) in India, Kolkata, the largest city of India until 1990, has been showing a persistent trend of out-migration over the last decade. The situation is more paradoxical when compared to Dhaka in Bangladesh, the other coastal city in Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) delta. Exacerbating impacts of Climate Change like accelerated sea level rise, impact of cyclones, rising temperature and high rainfall events and waterlogging, vis-à-vis the density of poor population in slums, Kolkata has been assessed as one of the most vulnerable cities of the world. However, Kolkata has long been a preferred destination for migrants for its port based economy, existence of industrial belt with labour intensive industries. The city and its surrounding districts attracted a massive influx of trans-border migrants when India and Bangladesh gained Independence in 1947 and 1971 respectively. The paper attempts to explore reasons behind the present trend of depopulation in the erstwhile preferred migration destination.

This paper distinguishes between ‘Kolkata City’ (census district) with 4.5 million residents and ‘Kolkata Megacity’ which encompasses also the peri-urban areas and home to almost 14.1 million people according to Census 2011.

Analysing migration as an ongoing research activity under DECCMA project, an overall ‘in-migration’ pattern can be deciphered in Kolkata ‘megacity’. On the contrary, the Kolkata ‘city’ located right in the heart of the megacity exhibits negative net migration (-5.11%) i.e. high ‘out-migration’. Plausible causes can be movement of people from Kolkata ‘city’ to peri-urban areas and satellite towns (urban to urban migration) probably due to closure of labour intensive industries, comparatively lower land prices, availability of space and accommodation, lower costs of living, development of different modes of commutation and communication. Further growth of population in the Kolkata Megacity area is accomplished by rural to urban migration from vulnerable areas of Sundarban. Thus in spite of the declining population in Kolkata city, Kolkata megacity is emerging as a ‘major setting of human habitation’ in a 21^st century world stressed by climate change.