By Our Special Correspondent
AHMEDABAD, APRIL 6. The Ahmedabad Urban Agglomeration area has
qualified to be declared a metro city registering a population of
45.19 lakhs in the 2001 census but has fallen behind Bangalore
and Hyderabad cities in the race.
But if only the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation area is to be
taken into account, the city's population at 35 lakhs falls below
the qualifying mark of four millions to be recognised as a mega
city.
According to Mr. Jayant Parimal, the Director of Census
Operations in Gujarat, though Ahmedabad urban agglomeration,
which included the areas covered by the Ahmedabad Urban
Development Authority, recorded a growth of 36.44 per cent over
the 1991 census, its total population was behind the 56 lakhs
recorded in Bangalore and the 53 lakhs in Hyderabad. The three
cities were pegged close to about 30 to 35 lakh population in the
last census.
As per the provisional census figures for the State released
here, the population in Gujarat has increased from about 4.13
crores in the last census to over 5.05 crores, including the
estimated population of Kutch district and Maliya, Morvi and
Wankaner talukas in Rajkot district and Jodiya taluka in Jamnagar
district where the census operations could not be carried out due
to the earthquake which hit the State on January 26. Excluding
the estimated population of the earthquake-affected areas, the
State's population was recorded at 4.83 crores recording 22.48
per cent growth rate.
While in terms of population, the State accounting for 4.93 per
cent of the total population of the country ranked 10th among all
the States, in respect of literacy rate, it was a poor 15th and
22nd in respect of sex ration. While Ahmedabad district,
including the Ahmedabad urban agglomeration area with over 58
lakh population, continued to be at the top of the table
accounting for over 11 per cent of the total population of the
State, the highest growth rate at 47 per cent was recorded in
Surat district where the population jumped from 33.97 lakhs in
the last census to 49.96 lakhs this time. The population of Surat
urban agglomeration area increased from about 13 lakhs to over 28
lakhs. The Amreli district in the Saurashtra region recorded the
lowest growth rate of 6.45 per cent.
Even though the literacy rate has increased from a mere 21.82 per
cent in 1951 to 69.97 per cent this time, the literacy rate among
women was still a mere 58.60 per cent, far below the literacy
rate among men at 80.50 per cent. According to Mr. Jayant
Parimal, there still were a number of villages, particularly in
the tribal-dominated areas, where literacy among the women was
found to be zero in the entire village.
In respect of sex ratio at 919 females per 1,000 males, the State
has again fallen below the national average of 933 per 1,000
males after recording higher than the national average in the
last three census. The tribal-dominated districts of Dangs and
Dahod recorded the highest sex ratio with 986 and 985 females
respectively per 1,000 males while Surat with only 835 females
per 1,000 males was the lowest.
The density of population at 258 per one square kilometre area
calculated on the basis of the estimated population of the
earthquake-affected areas was placed at a comfortable situation.
It was largely due to the Kutch district having vast geographical
areas but only sparse population. It was, however, a shocking 718
per one sq. km. area in Ahmedabad district and in contrast only
106 in the Dangs district.