Class 12 Geography Notes Chapter 4 (Human settlements) – India - People and Economy Book

Detailed Notes with MCQs of Chapter 4, 'Human Settlements' from your 'India - People and Economy' book. This is a crucial chapter, not just for understanding India's geography but also frequently features in government exams. Pay close attention to the classifications and examples.

Chapter 4: Human Settlements - Detailed Notes

1. Introduction

• Human Settlement: A cluster of dwellings of any type or size where human beings live. It involves grouping of people and apportionment of territory for economic support.
• Settlements vary in size (hamlet to metropolitan city) and function (agriculture to complex services).
• Basic dichotomy: Rural vs. Urban.

2. Rural Settlements

• Definition: Primarily engaged in primary activities like agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining. Population size is generally small, density is low.

• Factors Influencing Location of Rural Settlements:

  • Water Supply: Crucial for life (drinking, cooking, washing, irrigation, navigation). Settlements often located near rivers, lakes, springs, tanks (wet points). Avoiding flood-prone lowlands is also common.
  • Land: Fertile land suitable for agriculture is preferred. Early settlers chose plains with good soil.
  • Upland/Dry Points: In low-lying river basins or flood-prone areas, people choose elevated sites like levees or terraces (dry points) to avoid flooding.
  • Building Materials: Availability of wood, stone, mud nearby reduces construction cost and effort.
  • Defence: Historically, settlements were built on defensive hills, islands, or within forts for protection against invaders or instability.
  • Planned Settlements: Constructed by governments or institutions, often involving resettlement (e.g., canal colonies in Indira Gandhi Canal area, villagisation in Ethiopia).

• Types of Rural Settlements in India (Based on Setting/Pattern):

  • Clustered (Agglomerated/Nucleated):
    • Description: Compactly built-up area, houses close together, distinct separation from surrounding farms/pastures. Streets show recognisable patterns (rectangular, radial, linear).
    • Reasons: Fertile alluvial plains, security/defence needs, water scarcity forcing concentration near source.
    • Regions: Northern Plains (Ganga Plains), Nagaland, Bundelkhand region, Rajasthan.
  • Semi-Clustered (Fragmented):
    • Description: Result from segregation or fragmentation of a large compact village. Main village centre exists, surrounded by smaller units (hamlets) slightly separated. Dominant community often occupies the centre.
    • Reasons: Tendency towards fragmentation due to social stratification or expansion outwards from a core.
    • Regions: Gujarat plains, parts of Rajasthan.
  • Hamleted:
    • Description: Settlement fragmented into several distinct units physically separated from each other, bearing a common name. Units are locally called panna, para, palli, nagla, dhani etc.
    • Reasons: Social and ethnic factors often lead to segregation.
    • Regions: Middle and Lower Ganga Plain, Chhattisgarh, lower valleys of Himalayas.
  • Dispersed (Isolated):
    • Description: Settlements appear as isolated huts or hamlets scattered over a large area, often blending with the landscape. No clear pattern.
    • Reasons: Extremely fragmented nature of terrain, poor land resource base, dense forests, hills, cultural factors (desire for privacy).
    • Regions: Hilly areas of Northeast India, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, forested areas, areas with extensive farming.

3. Urban Settlements

• Definition: Generally larger, more compact, engaged primarily in non-agricultural activities (secondary, tertiary, quaternary sectors). Often have administrative functions. Population density is high.

• Census of India Definition (2011):

  • All places with a municipality, corporation, cantonment board, or notified town area committee.
  • All other places satisfying ALL the following criteria:
    • Minimum population of 5,000.
    • At least 75% of the male main working population engaged in non-agricultural pursuits.
    • Population density of at least 400 persons per sq. km.

• Evolution of Towns in India:

  • Ancient Towns: Developed as religious or cultural centres over 2000 years ago. Examples: Varanasi (Benaras), Prayagraj (Allahabad), Pataliputra (Patna), Madurai.
  • Medieval Towns: Developed as headquarters of principalities/kingdoms, often fort towns. Examples: Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Agra, Nagpur.
  • Modern Towns: Developed by the British and other Europeans.
    • Port Towns: Surat, Daman, Goa, Pondicherry, Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta).
    • Administrative Centres/Hill Stations: Shimla, Mussoorie, Darjeeling, Ooty.
    • Industrial Towns: Jamshedpur, Bhilai.
    • Post-Independence: Administrative HQs (Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar, Gandhinagar, Dispur), Industrial centres (Durgapur, Bhilai, Sindri, Barauni). Some old towns also grew rapidly.

• Urbanisation in India:

  • Level: Measured as % of urban population to total population. Level is relatively low (~31.16% in 2011) but the absolute number is very large.
  • Trend: Increasing steadily over decades, accelerated post-independence.
  • Regional Variation: Higher urbanisation in states like Goa, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra. Lower in Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Odisha. Union Territories generally have very high levels.

• Classification of Urban Centres (Based on Population Size - Census 2011):

  • Class I: 100,000 and more (These are also called 'Cities'). Account for the majority of India's urban population.
  • Class II: 50,000 to 99,999
  • Class III: 20,000 to 49,999
  • Class IV: 10,000 to 19,999
  • Class V: 5,000 to 9,999
  • Class VI: Less than 5,000
  • Metropolitan Cities: Population between 1 million to 5 million (10 lakhs to 50 lakhs).
  • Mega Cities: Population over 5 million (50 lakhs). Example: Greater Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad.

• Functional Classification of Towns: (Towns often have multiple functions, but one usually dominates)

  • Administrative Towns: Capitals, district HQs. Examples: New Delhi, Chandigarh, Gandhinagar, Bhopal, Shillong, Chennai.
  • Industrial Towns: Dominated by industries. Examples: Mumbai (textiles initially), Jamshedpur (steel), Modinagar (various), Salem (steel), Bhilai (steel), Coimbatore (textiles).
  • Transport Towns: Major ports or inland transport hubs. Examples: Kandla, Kochi, Kozhikode (ports); Mughalsarai, Itarsi, Katni (inland hubs).
  • Commercial Towns: Specialise in trade and commerce. Examples: Kolkata, Saharanpur, Satna.
  • Mining Towns: Develop around mineral-rich areas. Examples: Raniganj, Jharia, Digboi, Ankaleshwar, Singrauli.
  • Garrison (Cantonment) Towns: Established for defence purposes. Examples: Ambala, Jalandhar, Mhow, Babina, Udhampur.
  • Educational Towns: Centres of learning. Examples: Roorkee, Varanasi (BHU), Aligarh (AMU), Pilani (BITS), Allahabad.
  • Religious and Cultural Towns: Famous for pilgrimage, heritage. Examples: Varanasi, Mathura, Amritsar, Madurai, Puri, Ajmer, Tirupati, Ujjain.
  • Tourist Towns: Attract visitors for recreation/scenic beauty. Examples: Nainital, Mussoorie, Shimla, Pachmarhi, Jodhpur, Ooty, Mount Abu.

• Urban Agglomeration (UA): Defined by Census as a continuous urban spread comprising a town and its adjoining outgrowths (OGs), or two or more physically contiguous towns with or without OGs.

• Smart Cities Mission: A government initiative to promote sustainable and inclusive cities that provide core infrastructure, a decent quality of life, and a clean environment through 'smart' solutions.

4. Problems of Human Settlements in India

• Rural Settlements:

  • Infrastructure: Inadequate supply of safe drinking water (especially in arid/hilly areas), poor sanitation facilities (leading to health issues), lack of proper housing, absence of all-weather roads and modern communication networks.
  • Services: Paucity of health and educational facilities.
  • Environment: Water-borne diseases (cholera, jaundice), open defecation issues.
  • Drought & Floods: Frequent disruption, crop damage, loss of life/property.

• Urban Settlements:

  • Economic: High cost of living, lack of employment opportunities for unskilled/semi-skilled migrants, saturation of existing jobs.
  • Socio-Cultural: Overcrowding, inadequate housing leading to slums/squatter settlements, social tensions, crime, lack of social infrastructure for the poor. Sex ratio imbalance due to male migration.
  • Environmental: Massive consumption leading to waste generation, air/water/noise pollution, heat island effect, groundwater depletion, lack of green spaces. Poor sanitation and sewage disposal in congested areas/slums.
  • Infrastructure: Overburdened transport systems (traffic congestion), inadequate water supply, power shortages, poor sewage and waste disposal systems, lack of parking space.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Which of the following factors is LEAST likely to be a primary consideration for the location of ancient rural settlements in India?
   a) Availability of water
   b) Fertile agricultural land
   c) Proximity to industrial zones
   d) Defensive site features

2. Settlements fragmented into several physically separated units like 'panna' or 'dhani' are characteristic of which type of rural settlement pattern?
   a) Clustered
   b) Semi-Clustered
   c) Hamleted
   d) Dispersed

3. According to the Census of India (2011), what is the minimum population density required for a place to be classified as an urban area (if it's not already a statutory town)?
   a) 100 persons per sq. km
   b) 250 persons per sq. km
   c) 400 persons per sq. km
   d) 500 persons per sq. km

4. Which of the following Indian cities is primarily classified as an 'Administrative Town'?
   a) Jamshedpur
   b) Chandigarh
   c) Varanasi
   d) Kandla

5. 'Dispersed' or 'Isolated' rural settlements are typically found in which type of geographical region in India?
   a) Fertile alluvial plains
   b) Coastal regions
   c) Hilly and forested terrains
   d) Desert fringes

6. Which period in Indian history saw the development of towns like Delhi, Hyderabad, and Lucknow, often as headquarters of kingdoms?
   a) Ancient Period
   b) Medieval Period
   c) British Period (Modern)
   d) Post-Independence Period

7. A city with a population exceeding 5 million (50 lakhs) is termed as a:
   a) Class I Town
   b) Metropolitan City
   c) Urban Agglomeration
   d) Mega City

8. Raniganj and Jharia in India are prominent examples of which functional type of town?
   a) Transport Town
   b) Mining Town
   c) Educational Town
   d) Garrison Town

9. Which of the following is a major problem typically associated more with urban settlements than rural settlements in India?
   a) Lack of safe drinking water
   b) Poor road connectivity
   c) Traffic congestion and air pollution
   d) Absence of higher education facilities

10. The 'Smart Cities Mission' primarily aims to:
    a) Develop only metropolitan cities.
    b) Promote sustainable and inclusive urban development with better infrastructure.
    c) Focus solely on improving rural sanitation.
    d) Resettle urban population into newly planned rural areas.

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. c) Proximity to industrial zones (Ancient settlements were primarily agrarian/religious/administrative)
2. c) Hamleted
3. c) 400 persons per sq. km
4. b) Chandigarh
5. c) Hilly and forested terrains
6. b) Medieval Period
7. d) Mega City
8. b) Mining Town
9. c) Traffic congestion and air pollution
10. b) Promote sustainable and inclusive urban development with better infrastructure.

Make sure you revise these points thoroughly. Focus on the definitions, classifications (especially the Census definition of urban, population classes, and functional types with examples), and the distinct problems faced by rural and urban settlements in India. Good luck with your preparation!