BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
METHOD:PUBLISH
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
PRODID:-//WordPress - MECv6.6.6//EN
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.inhaf.org/
X-WR-CALNAME:INHAF Habitat Forum India
X-WR-CALDESC:Habitat Forum
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
X-MS-OLK-FORCEINSPECTOROPEN:TRUE
BEGIN:VEVENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-0f34314d2dd0c1b9311cb8f40eb4f255@inhaf.org
DTSTART:20260422T123000Z
DTEND:20260422T143000Z
DTSTAMP:20260421T103700Z
CREATED:20260421
LAST-MODIFIED:20260423
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:1
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:What Urban Bengal Expects in Assembly Election 2026?
DESCRIPTION:West Bengal’s urban landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, with nearly 40 million people living in urban centres. While Kolkata remains the dominant urban hub, a significant share of urban growth is taking place in non-statutory census towns. Between 2001 and 2011, these settlements accounted for nearly two-thirds of the state’s urbanisation, and their numbers have continued to rise, now reaching around 800, with many more emerging since 2011. As a result, the demographics, labour patterns, infrastructure needs, and environmental conditions across these regions are rapidly evolving, along with the aspirations of their residents.\nThis transition is closely linked to economic and social shifts, including the decline of traditional manufacturing, increasing population density, and environmental pressures. In search of better opportunities and living conditions, many residents are moving from Kolkata’s core and older industrial towns such as Barrackpore, Khardah, and Sodepur to peripheral areas like Barasat, Madhyamgram, Behala, Joka, and Baruipur. These expanding suburban and peri-urban zones are witnessing changing settlement patterns and rising demands for services and infrastructure.\nA large proportion of these non-statutory settlements are concentrated within a 50-kilometre radius of Kolkata, particularly across districts such as Howrah, Hooghly, and South 24 Parganas. Their economies are driven by small and medium-scale informal industries, including garments, leather goods, food processing, plastics, chemicals, and logistics. Similar patterns are visible around cities like Siliguri, Baharampur, and Bardhaman, as well as in environmentally vulnerable districts such as Bankura, Purulia, and Malda. Notably, many of these settlements have emerged along national highways, reflecting a trend of “highway urbanisation,” where growth is fuelled by informal economies, transport networks, and small-scale enterprises.\nDespite their urban characteristics, these areas remain under rural administrative jurisdictions, resulting in significant gaps in governance, infrastructure, and service delivery. Current state strategies continue to prioritise infrastructure expansion, recreational spaces, and real estate-led growth, often without adequate attention to planning capacity or ecological sustainability. This has led to unplanned horizontal expansion, with urban sprawl encroaching upon agricultural land, wetlands, and open spaces. In and around Kolkata, built-up areas have increased significantly over the past three decades, while green cover and water bodies have sharply declined, accompanied by rising temperatures and falling groundwater levels.\nAt the same time, a substantial proportion of the urban population—particularly in Kolkata, Howrah, and other major towns—lives in informal settlements on marginal lands, often without access to basic services or secure livelihoods. These populations are heavily dependent on the informal economy and lack social security or wage protections. Their vulnerabilities were starkly visible during the pandemic and continue to persist, with many compelled to migrate in search of better opportunities.\nTogether, these dynamics underscore the complex challenges of urbanisation in West Bengal, highlighting the need for more inclusive, sustainable, and well-governed approaches to managing urban growth and addressing the diverse needs of its population.\n
URL:https://www.inhaf.org/webinar/what-urban-bengal-expects-in-assembly-election-2026/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.inhaf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/22.04.2026.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR