Town-planning and better management of existing facilities in rural areas are very important to stop internal migration.
Currently, urbanisation stands as one of the biggest challenges for any country. However, with proper planning, this move can also be utilised positively. If the government provides the same facilities in small cities and rural areas as in metropolitan cities, it could stop the rural population from pursuing internal migration. Why do people move to cities, one may ask? To answer this, we need to look at each region, which poses different reasons, including but not limited to climate change, industrialisation, conflicts, lack of basic facilities in rural areas as well as jobs and business opportunities in cities.
The rapid increase in population and urbanisation is creating a lot of problems in Pakistan. With an urban population growing at three per cent per year, Pakistanis are flocking to cities faster than any other country in South Asia.
By 2030, more than half of Pakistan’s projected 250 million citizens are expected to live in cities. Urbanisation has inflated Pakistan’s biggest cities so rapidly that they struggle to deliver public services and create productive jobs.
Limited resources and facilities in rural areas compel rural population to move to the nearest or largest cities for better health, education, infrastructure, sanitation, jobs, business and other facilities. This internal migration creates a lot of problems in urban areas; putting pressure on available resources and facilities. This step, in turn, also increases urban poverty.
The majority of the internally migrated population is almost raw-handed and cannot adjust themselves to available job and business opportunities. As a result, Pakistan’s cities contribute much less to the economy compared to other developing countries
The majority of the internally migrated population is almost raw-handed and cannot adjust themselves to available job and business opportunities. As a result, Pakistan’s cities contribute much less to the economy compared to other developing countries. Despite being inhabited by 39 per cent of the population, cities in Pakistan make up around 55 per cent of the total GDP. Without better urban planning to accommodate rapid growth, cities have the potential to become hotbeds of discontent and unrest rather than engines of growth and innovation.
The existing pressure of internally migrating population on available urban resources creates several problems. All provincial and federal governments are facing challenges related to urbanisation. Relevant public sector departments are unable to control the problems caused by this internal migration.
The role of public sector departments in providing services to all cities is also not very satisfactory due to the rise in urban population. People move from rural to urban areas for better life and facilities. But currently, the situation is different in Pakistan. People in cities are suffering more as compared to rural areas. In villages, they can have access to pure food, milk, fresh air and other necessities of life.
The only thing required is town-planning and the provision of basic facilities including health, education, sanitation and other utilities.
Although these facilities are available in cities, they are not sufficient due to limited resources and a high ratio of internal migration. These resources are not sufficient for all citizens.
Public sector hospitals and schools are over-crowded. Sanitation and drainage systems are the worst.
Our public departments fail in providing basic facilities.
The recent monsoon rains have proved our managerial failure. In almost all big cities, including the provincial capitals of Punjab and Sindh, all sanitation systems failed. These are seasonal monsoon rains and come every year but even then our relevant departments and management never bother to plan how to handle such situations.
Karachi, the financial hub and backbone of our economy, is suffering a lot in present monsoon rainy season.
Due to a lack of proper sanitation system, people are suffering from many diseases. Poor transmission lines system cause many people to electrocute and many students lost their lives. This city is generating heavy revenue for local, provincial and federal governments.
Punjab’s provincial capital also faces the same problem during monsoon rains Though federal and provincial governments are from the same party, even then, we observed the same issue.
The unavailability of funds is not only the reason behind this disaster. Departmental incompetency also leads to this failure.
The sanitation problems in these cities, during the recent urban floods, have proved that our relevant departments are badly failing in planning, management and execution of projects.
Ironically, we are politicising the issues, not ready to take ownership or responsibility.
How we can reduce or stop this internal migration?
Town-planning and better management of existing facilities in rural areas are very important to stop internal migration.
The structure and facilities already exist in almost all rural areas, but the main issue is management.
Professional capacity-building of lower and managerial staff needs to be done to improve the quality of these existing and new facilities.
On the other hand, we also need to improve the same facilities in urban areas. Health, education, infrastructure, sanitation and all other limited facilities do exist but the staff is unable to manage efficiently. A lack of due diligence and a sense of responsibility is causing the wastage of public funds.
The writer is a research coordinator at SDPI