The Purvanchal Region (An Administrative Region)

The Administrative viability is the component that makes Purvanchal a region. Although a Dalit state

in development transition, it inculcates a strong culture and faces the same problems as the regions

around it…

Regional Planning

2010MURP007

Omkar Parishwad

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The Location

• Purvanchal is a geographic region of north-central India,

which comprises the eastern end of Uttar Pradesh state. It

is bounded by Nepal to the north, Bihar state to the east,

Bagelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh state to the south,

the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh to the west and the end of Doab (at Allahabad) in

Uttar Pradesh to its southwest.

• It is bounded by Nepal to the north, Bihar state to the east, Bagelkhand region of

Madhya Pradesh state to the south, the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh to the west and

the end of Doab (at Allahabad) in Uttar Pradesh to its southwest.

• Purvanchal comprises chiefly of three divisions: the eastern-Awadhi region in the

west, the western-Bhojpuri region in the east and the northern-Baghelkhand region in

the south.

• Purvanchal includes the districts of Varanasi, Chandoli, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Mirzapur,

Sonbhadra, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Azamgarh, Mau,

Maharajganj, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Siddharth Nagar, and Ballia.

• Mayawati government, at the time of reorganisation of the Uttar Pradesh state, formed

the Purvanchal Economic Zone (Dec 13th, 2009) and rather arbitrarily included the

following non-Purvanchal districts into the zone: Allahabad, Pratapgarh, Kaushambi,

Fatehpur, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Sultanpur, Gonda, Bahraich, Shravasti and

Balrampur.

Purvanchal as a Formal Region

Land Use characteristics:

• It lies on the Indo-Gangetic plain, and

together with western Bihar is the most

densely populated area in the world.

• The rich quality of soil and the high

earthworm density in the soil than adjoining

districts of U.P. is favourable for agriculture.

Most of the countryside is given to intensive

agriculture.

• The rain fed farming is prominent. Ganga (Jaunpur), Sone (Sonbhadra), Ghaghara,

Rapti and Chhoti Gandak (Deoria), Ghagra (Mau), Ghaghara River (Basti) are the

major rivers. Paddy, wheat (Chandoli) are the prominent crops.

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Demographic Characteristics:

Sr. no. District Area (sq. km) Population (2001

census)

1 Varanasi 1,535 km² 3,138,671

2 Chandoli 2,484.70 km2 1,148,732

3 Ghazipur 3,384 km2 3,049,337

4 Jaunpur 4,038 km2 3,911,305

5 Mirzapur 4,521 km2 2,074,709

6 Sonbhadra 6,788 km2 1,463,468

7 Ravidas Nagar 1,055.99 km2 1,302,056

8 Gorakhpur 3,483.8 km2 3,769,456

9 Kushinagar 2,873.5 km2 2,235,505

10 Deoria 2,535 km2 2,730,376

11 Azamgarh 4,054 km2 3,939,915

12 Mau 1,713 km2 1,849,294

13 Maharajganj 2,934.1 km2 2,167,041

14 Basti 7,309 km2 20,68,922

15 Kabir Nagar 1659.15 km2 1,152,110

16 Siddharth Nagar 2,752 km2 2,038,598

17 Ballia 2,981 km2 2,752,412

56,099 km2 4,07,91,907

Most of the population is rural in nature. The urbanized regions are due to the cement

industries located sparsely in the area. The young generation is more in number, thus the age

structure is favourable for development.

Infrastructure:

• Transport services are not developed. The existing once are in need of renovation

(NH28). There is a chance for tourism as the culture (Khushinagar) is strong.

• Literacy levels are very low (40-55%). Sex ratio is around 960.

• As the region is in transition state, they suffer from problems such as food shortage,

bad health conditions, water supply, electricity and other facilities, unemployment,

uneven income groups, etc.

A large population, slow economic growth, agricultural mechanisation, and the closure of

sugar mills have led to increased unemployment, social and political discontent, and some

unrest in the region.

Majority of the people belong to Dalit Samaj. This is what overturns the political strength and

interest for this region. Many have tried to separate it from the Uttar Pradesh state.

Development Authorities have been proposed for most of the major cities.

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Purvanchal as a Functional Region

Economic Flows:

• As the transport by rail is developed,

the cargo transport is done by this

route majorly. Flows of commodities

from wholesale dealer to retail dealer

take place by railways.

• Roads however are in bad condition.

Thus, very less cargo flows through

roads.

Flows indicating political polarization:

• The Central and State investment in

these areas is high due to various

reasons. The cultural state of the

region brings a lot of revenue and non-

profit based investment from the

administration.

• Political leaders control the region by

submitting their caste agenda. As the

context is poor and illiterate, the region

has attracted the freeloader politicians.

Flows indicating the extent of the influence of social services and other flows:

• The number of secondary schools is very less and unevenly distributed. Also other

amenities such as the hospitals suffer the same fate.

• Public transport facilities are insufficient. Buses are in bad condition and other types

are absent. Other facilities such as the telephone and fax services aren’t developed.

Purvanchal area, as of now, is represented by 23 Members of Parliament to the lower house

of Indian Parliament, and 117 legislators in the 403 member Uttar Pradesh state assembly or

Vidhan Sabha.

Hence, the region can be delineated based on the principal of homogeneity and with large

politically influenced area.

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Proposals - A Need for Regional development:

• Utilizing Resources in an optimal manner so as to realize the development potential of

the region over a given time-frame with minimal negative impacts in order to achieve

economic-equity.

a. The government must take special measures to improve the condition of

Mushahars, Rajbhars, Bansfors, Nonias, Machchuaras, Dom, Swachchakars, Pasis

and Chamars. These communities are living in abysmally degrading conditions

and need special measures

• Securing the planning and equitable distribution of population and economic

resources of a country.

a. In the Eastern Uttar-Pradesh the Sand Mafias are controlling the rivers like Chhoti

Gandak, Gurra, Rapti and Ghaghara. The mechanized sand mining has resulted in

soil erosion by these rivers during monsoon. Thousands of hectares of land have

turned infertile. In Brahmapur region Rapti has destroyed Ranapar area. In

Kaptanganj and Ramkola towns in Kushinagar district are facing severe soil

erosion due to sand mining. Immediate halt of mechanized sand mining and the

government to allow the fish worker to do the same but also government should

fix up a limit for the same.

b. The Sugar factories and distilleries in Ramkola, Kaptanganj, Deoria, Rudrapur,

and Sardarnagar are throwing chemical waste in the rivers like Chhoti Gandak,

Rapti, Amy and Gurra resulting in heavy pollution in the rivers. The fish workers

are facing hunger, as the fish catch is almost nil. Apart from this, the waste has

spilled over to a vast agricultural land turning them completely barren and

dangerous. The ground water in most of the eastern UP town is contaminated

which is a severe threat to public health. Immediate action against these

factory/mill owners and the government to compensate the farmers who have lost

their land to these mills. The Pollution Control board should not allow such

hazards industries to run.

• The task of arranging the available land in a pattern which is most profitable and

productive to the region and the country at large.

a. In many villages of Eastern Uttar-Pradesh powerful local people have illegally

grabbed the land given to Dalits and Most backward communities. In many

villages, the Dalits are not even allowed passage to move out. Government must

ensure that every person lives with dignity at his/her land that everyone has a right

to access road in his/her house.

• Of certain basic resources to generate economic activity in backward regions for

stabilization of their economy by planning an adequate number of medium sized

towns and to provide them with services, employment, and social and cultural

facilities.

a. In Kushingar and Gorakhpur the condition of National Employment Guarantee

Scheme is a matter of grave concern. It has not been implemented accordingly.

We find work being done through tractors and people without work despite

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having the valid card. The scheme seems to have failed because of the connivance

between the village Pradhans and block officials. Severe action against erring

officials to implement the scheme and the government to form a monitoring and

evaluating committee which should include civil society representatives.

b. In Purvanchal, we find lot of discrepancy in the distribution of ration cards. Those

who should have been eligible for the cards have not got it while others have got

it. A strong action against the Sarpanches and officials who are involved in

nepotism and corruption. Also that the reach of the Public Distribution System

should be expanded and it must include important edible items, books, and cloths,

Masalas etc. so that the poor can benefit from this.

c. Hunger and starvation are prevalent in Eastern Uttar-Pradesh. A majority of

families do not ration for two times. The children have uncertain future. It is

shameful that children from Mushahars, Chauhan, Rajbhar etc. are eating rats and

fishermen are forced to survive on snails. The government should focus on these

communities with special programmes particularly developing schools in the

villages with mid-day meals and other incentives for school children and their

parents.

• Preventing irregular and unhealthy urban expansion.

a. The government must form special Land Courts to settle land disputes and

implement the land reform measures strongly and effectively. The government

must concentrate on giving communal entitlement. The women should be given

priority in allotment of agricultural land and all new entitlement whether

residential or agricultural should have joint entitlement.

Conclusions:

Purvanchal Region is in a Transitional developmental state. It also, like most other

developing regions, pertains to some basic issues and problems. The most important of these

are:

• Dual Economy: Purvanchal region is strongly differentiated with respect to the spatial

exploitation of known natural resources, human potential with its social and cultural

characteristics, level of income, urbanization ratio, and economic activity, particularly

in agriculture, or social overhead capital investment. The developing countries are

characterized by features of a dual economy i.e. simultaneous existence of some

modern and very backward sectors which display different spatial pattern.

• Mass poverty: Mass poverty, connected with heavy unemployment and

underemployment of population, is a prevailing feature of this region. The problem

must simultaneously be attacked on a regional scale.

• Infrastructural development: As a precondition to accelerated growth, Purvanchal

region must acquire a certain level of infrastructure in the forms of road, railway &

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storage facilities, electricity power sources and supply lines, communication

networks, water supply facilities etc. This requires early stage development which can

be achieved by comprehensive regional development schemes.

• Political interference: Political leaders are, for the greed of a stable political career

and corruption, not pushing this region towards development. It’s a grave problem

and needs to be addressed immediately.

“India got it independence in 1947 more than 60 years have passed but Purvanchal region

of UP and Bihar got nothing change since independence. It is lacking lots of basic

amenities like, a good University, good railway connectivity. This region was known for

its sugar factory but now everything is in dismay. People may debate by giving the

example of Jharkhand but in my views after separation and decentralization of resources

and management of these states i.e. Chhattisgarh, Uttarkhand and Jharkhand improved

lots. Likewise in Mumbai. The GOI has exploited the resources from all other states,

which made Mumbai flourish on cost of other cities and developed maximum

infrastructure. As of now, Bihar and UP is exploiting the resources of this region

and neglecting this region in all spheres of development.

Thus, small state means development of infrastructure and ultimately development of that

region. Chhattisgarh, or Uttarakhand or Jharkhand has poor governance but after

separation, the infrastructure of these states improved a lot. Thus, for development of

Purvanchal region, a separate Purvanchal state is necessity. By curving out some area

from UP & Bihar, it should be created with its capital either at Gorakhpur or Varanasi.”

(Source: Blog of a local Purvanchalite)

References:

• Regional Planning- concepts, techniques, policies and case studies by R.P Mishra.

• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purvanchal

• Blogs: http://maibolunga.blogspot.com/2011/01/purvanchal-state-is-necessity.html

• TOI News: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-12-18/varanasi/28237244