Rural-Urban Frings in Indian Cities : A Case Study of Varanasi

Contents: Preface. 1. Geographical Background. 2. Delimitation of Rural-Urban Fringe of Varanasi. 3. Impact of Varanasi City on its Rural-Urban Fringe. 4. Changing Environs. 5. Characteristics of Rural-Urban Fringe. 6. Problems and Prospects. Bibliography.

An unprecedented growth of urban population within last few decades has posed the problems for the fringe villages of cities all over the country. As such Varanasi city has also undergone vertiginous growth of population during last fifty years, which has caused several problems of haphazard and imbalanced development in its peripheral zone. Although, the social and religious impact of Varanasi is far and wide, but its economic impact appear to be more relevant in this context.

The book has been organized into six chapters and quite well supported by 33 figures. Review of literature and delimitation of the actual fringe zone of the Varanasi city are highly interesting and valuable. Urban sprawl of Varanasi is explained to a considerable extent by the growing impact of the city growth and the changing environs in the fringe. In the last, the salient feature and the problem of rural-urban fringe of Indian cities in general and Varanasi city in particular have been highlighted. Suggestions and future land use zoning have been also proposed, which appears to be quite logical.(jacket)