Contributed articles.

Towns are the focal points of trade and administration. Administrative compulsions, economic and commercial necessities influence the location and development of towns. Strategic requirements also determine the setting up of new and small towns. New towns in North East India are over grown villages; trading centres with some rural development administrative outfits which become urban settlements. Most of the urban centres do not enjoy modern sanitation facilities, portable and safer water supply. Urban centre in North East India numbering 195 (1991) are like slum like situation with no civic amenities, education, health care, and modern sanitation facilities. There is hardly any agricultural surplus to sustain the urban life and social development. Social and economic compulsions lead people to migrate in urban centres where bulk of people live in dire poverty. These small towns do not have much scope and potentiality for genuine growth. They grow when Government administrative machinery expands. For their growth as vibrating life centres. North East India’s economy must be expanded with Agricultural surplus to sustain urban development. Appropriate steps must be taken to streamline the management structure by abolishing the system of multiplicity of authorities for urban planning and its execution.

This volume discusses the patterns and trends of urbanization in West Bengal - one of the most urbanized states of India in the early part of the 20th Century. It focuses on the emerging urban landscapes of the state and neighbouring areas on building sustainable urban units and sustainable communities. The book explores the changing urban geographies of the emerging towns of the state and discusses how proper governance can help them to change into sustainable urban units. It presents the historical context of urbanization of West Bengal and traces the factors responsible for the urban primacy of the state. It discusses topics such as the development of the spatial patterns and urbanization, spatial trends of urban growth using remote sensing and GIS techniques, well-being and resilience in the urban society, impact of urbanization on the health status of its citizens, and decentralized governance for inclusive and sustainable development of cities. It also focuses on urban growth, land-use change and its impact on the urban environment. Based on empirical research, this book will be useful for students, teachers and researchers of geography, urban geography, urban studies, urban development and planning, regional planning urban sociology, politics, and urban economics. It will also be of interest to geographers, urban planners, community of geographers, professionals engaged in the discipline, and those interested in the urban geography of West Bengal and eastern India.

Urbanisation Is Still At A Nascent Stage In The Eastern Himalayan Region Of Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim And The Hills Of Darjeeling In West Bengal. In The Indian Portion Of The Eastern Himalayas The History Of The Growth Of Towns Does Not Go Back Beyond The Late 19Th Century-While Urban Centres Emerged In Bhutan Only In 1960S. Most Of The Hill Urban Cetnres That Have Subsequently Emerged Are Small-With Population Even Less Than A 1000 In Some Cases. The Problem Of Urban Development Is A Complicated Process In The Himalayas As The Entire Human Habitation Is Largely Controlled By The Natural Environment. The Unstable Nature Of Terrain, Heavy Rain, Soil Erosion And Mass Wasting Create Many Problems In The Physical Distribution Of The Towns And Sometimes Further Complicates The Situation In The Long Run. Problems Are Accentuated By The Uneven Distribution, Unbalanced Growth And Disparity In The Size Of These Small Towns. The Number Of Studies Relating To Urbanization In The Eastern Himalayas Is Negligible. The Book Includes Articles By Scholars From Different Disciplines Like Anthropology, Sociology, Geography, History, Political Science, Economics And Fills Up The Gap In This Area.