UMERKOT, March 14: Migration from rural to urban areas has reched an alarming level in the district, compounding problems like congestion and Over-population and giving rise to numerous socio-economic problems in the desert town.

Lack of health and education facilities, weak economy, recurring droughts, shortage of irrigation and potable water, poverty. Unemployment and quarrels between clans, atrocities of feudal lords, are some of the problems, forcing people to leave safety and cosiness of their home for urban areas.

Umerkot, a gateway to the most backward area of the country and one of Asia’s biggest deserts, is spread over 5608 sq kms and its population stands at 663,095, according to 1998 census.

The town municipal administration and departments of revenue and other departments concerned have no current data available on the population, while National Programme of  LHWs put the current population at 945,641,  415,625 urban and 530,016 rural.

The district’s problems continue to rise with sudden jump in population as people are forced to leave their ancestral villages and ratio of migration is increasing. It can be estimated at 15 to 20 per annum.

A survey conducted by this scribe revealed that a large number of people have migrated from villages Motoo Malhai, Jawahir Singh, Timoo Malhai, Saddori, Sariband, Bhooro, Hasisar, Nohiyon, Sabho, Haveli, Parchoo Palli, Gamoori, Khunhar, Janhero, Haji Abdul Hakeem Arisar, Kamalud-Din Arisar, 8-Mile Hiral, Hiral Station of Umerkot taluka due to acute shortage of water and disputes among communities.

Around 20 per cent population of Satrion union council and Arharo Bhurgri of Samaro taluka have left tehir homes for urban areas, 40 villages of Deh Hiral of Pithoro taluka and 32 villages of UCs Nabisar and Talhi have migrated to cities.

Migration is a natural process and it has been taking place since centuries but this migration has on the one hand defaced the beauty of villages and on the other increased burden on limited resources of urban areas.

A number of clashes over encroachments and land-grabbing were recently reported in the district due to shrinking spaces for newcomers and clearance of nearby trees for fuel due to unavailability of gas is also going on unabated.

A visit to newly-built colonies Chandiram Mohalla, Rahooma Mohalla, Manoon Malhi, Kando Baber, Kaloi Mohalla, Bajeerabad, Meghwar Colony, Akhji Dhani, Kolhi Daro, Molchand Malhi village, Juneja Colony, Rahim Colony, Kunbhar Colony, Mangria Mohalla, revealed that these katchi abadis were facing congestion and over-population, which in turn was giving rise to numerous socioeconomic problems.

The colonies lacked infrastructure for education and health facilities, supply of clean drinking water and sanitation and other social services. The residents of the colonies complained that they felt no change in their living standard.

Most of the children living in these colonies were found begging in the streets. The migrants discovered that their needs were neglected and in towns where income inequality was more evident, some of them had resorted to petty crimes, beggary and sex work to make both ends meet.

Mir Hassan Arisar, a social development activist and writer, said that rural areas were fast losing their agriculture-based employment potential due to persistent shortage of water and land degradation.

But this source of livelihood and employment has come under immense pressure due to a variety of reasons. Drought, faulty water distribution mechanism, poor management of water resources, land degradation, lack of research and inept market policies are some of the reasons taking their toll on agriculture economy.

Since resources of urban centres like Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad and Karachi are divided among an ever-increasing population, the general public services are barely able to meet demands of migrants.

This increasing gap between demand and supply of public services gives rise to many problems such as the emergence of slums, shortage of resources, inadequacy of public transport and increasing crime rate along with social costs such as inter-ethnic conflicts and imbalances.

Since most of the planning regarding infrastructure, housing and other public services in urban areas has always been reactive instead of anticipatory, it has caused many problems, most pressing of which is the rise of squatter settlements or katchi abadis.

Wahid Dino, an elderly villager, said that in past villagers used to gather at some place in the village and discuss all the matters of village and always succeeded in solving them.

There had been an air of friendliness among the villages, pleasant weather, greenery, chirping of birds in trees, livestock grazing in meadows but all this had disappeared now, he said.

But thanks to lack of basic facilities, unemployment, brawls among communities, destruction of agricultural economy and seasonal urban migration in drought-like conditions or during harvest time, villages are getting emptied day by day and giving a deserted look.

Growing incidents of theft, insecurity, cruel attitude of landlords and influential villagers towards the weak ones are also some of the main reason, causing increase in migration to urban areas.

Townspeople suggested that the government should take measures to provide economic as well as social well-being, training and development of manpower, infrastructure at village level, improved microfinancing for self-employment, relieve rural folk from their grievances by providing them adequate economic opportunities and focusing on rural development programs for a change, to discourage migration from rural to urban.