Unplanned urbanisation affects living standards in mega cities

Islamabad:Large-scale migration from rural areas to bigger cities for better access to basic services and employment opportunities without proper urban planning has caused rapid urbanization while adversely affecting standard of living in mega cities of the country.

In developed countries, cities are the engines of economic growth, innovations, and entrepreneurship. But in Pakistan, the huge flow of migration due to multiple factors have turned the cities into hotbeds of discontent caused by the overpopulation. The massive urbanization has also made it a challenge for the policymakers to make planning for thickly populated urban centres.

Therefore, if not all, the majority of urban areas are being faced with air and noise pollution, water, sanitation, and transport issues due to lack of proper sewerage and waste disposal mechanism. The urbanization challenge seeks serious attention from policymakers to strike balance between industrial growth and the basic needs of the residents.

It is also estimated that after 2025, more than half of the population in Pakistan would be living in cities. However, this challenge could be addressed with indigenous solutions of sustainable policies, effective implementation and evaluation by ensuring transparency, social justice, participation, efficiency and accountability.

When contacted, the official spokesperson for Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Attiq-ur-Rehman told this agency that last census was conducted in March 2017 and the provisional results were also published.

However, he said, the detailed final results of the census would be published after the approval by the Council of Common Interests (CCI). “The final report of Pakistan Demographic Survey that has captured the detailed statistics of births, deaths, migration within the country and from abroad would be published till July 2021,” he added.