Massive rural-urban migration, natural
population expansion, and the increased concentration of
new opportunities and services made available in urban
regions all contribute to the growth of cities in urban
spaces. Cities and towns are appealing to rural dwellers
due to the increased work opportunities, advanced
educational facilities, less transportation expenses,
superior communication facilities, and an overall ambient
level of life. There have been a lot of research done in the
past about how urban agglomeration affects the
environment. Without careful town planning, the demand
for urban land has increased significantly along with
record levels of migration and population expansion,
which has led to the uncontrolled conversion of non-urban
and agricultural land along the boundaries of cities.
Environmental deterioration as a result has led to a high
carbon footprint, the loss of open space, and the
destruction of ecosystems that are ecologically sensitive.
Urbanisation also brings about profound changes in social
organisation and in the pattern of family life. A key
outcome is reduced social support so readily available in
villages. The rise of nuclear families especially makes
urbanites vulnerable to psychological trauma and to
mental disorders. These include dementia, depression,
substance abuse, alcoholism and family disintegration. A
report by World Health Organisation (WHO) titled The
Mental Health Context, has enumerated that mental
disorders account for nearly 12 percent of the global
burden of disease. By 2020, these will account for nearly
15 percent of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost
to illness. The incident of mental disorders is highest in
young adults, the most productive age of the population.
It is estimated that about 150 million people in India are
in need of active psychiatric intervention. Given the fertile
conditions, Indian cities are likely to have a very large
share of this global health challenge in the coming
decades. Therefore, this paper discusses the health
impacts due to urban agglomeration in India
Keywords :
Urban Agglomeration, Health Impacts, Pollution Management.
