Article | Municipal Administration
The Largest Municipality as the parameter to determine their largeness and differences in the character of municipalities within different countries would be ignored.
Dr Jairaj Phatak Former BMC Commissioner
M
ankind has always been fascinated by higher a c h i e v e m e n t s. The motto of the Olympic Games has been ‘Citius altius, fortius’ that is faster, higher and stronger in Greek! While the winner of the 100 metre sprint in Olympics is called the ‘World’s fastest man’, the weightlifter who lifts the maximum weight is called the world’s strongest man! Thus, for those working in the municipal sector, it is always interesting to know as to which is the largest municipality in their country and in the world! The choice is easy within a country. The census figures give a clear idea as to which city has the largest population. A Census within a country uses the same definitions and parameters for giving the populations of municipalities. However, international comparisons are difficult since the pattern of municipalities is different from country to country. In China, the Federal Municipalities, i.e. the largest cities are administered directly by the federal government and they are actually similar to Union territories in India. Chongqing Municipality has an area of 24000 sq km that is comparable to some of the largest districts in India. Beijing Municipality has an area of 16000 sq km, which is similar to Pune district. Thus, the Chinese Municipalities have a large rural area surrounding them and they are not strictly urban units. For the purpose of this article, population (and not the area) of the Municipalities would be considered
28 September 2020 | www.urbanupdate.in
India: Municipalities
In India, the National Census is held every ten years in the first year of the new decade and thus the populations of different cities are readily available. The Census figures clearly list the populations of the Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils, Cantonment Boards and the Village Panchayats. The Census also lists populations of Census towns, which are large villages with urban characteristics, which do not have a municipal body. Thus, there is little scope for an argument as to which Municipal Corporation is larger than the other. Of course, the Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils are created under respective state laws. Some states go in for large Municipal Corporations by merging neighbouring urban areas while some others keep the individual identities. The following table shows the population of the ten largest Municipalities in India as per the 2011 census. It is to be noted that Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been trifurcated after 2011 and Chennai Municipal Corporation’s area has increased making it Greater Chennai Municipal Corporation. The population of the respective urban agglomeration is of course, higher in all cases. Here the 2011 census figures for the Municipal Corporations have been
taken into account.
1. Greater Mumbai (MCGM) Thus, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), whose boundaries have remained unchanged since 1958, continues to be the largest Municipal Corporation in India. The growth rate of its population is relatively lower as compared to the other cities, mainly because its area is not expanding. In fact, the population in Mumbai City district (the original core) actually declined during the 2001 to 2011 period. This could be because some slum-dwellers and tenants moved out of the city since affordable housing became available in the suburbs and elsewhere. The Corporation is generally considered to have three parts, the Mumbai city, which is a separate revenue district (Mumbai City District), with many leasehold lands; the western suburbs, which are serviced by the suburban trains of the Western Railway and the Eastern Suburbs, which are serviced by the suburban trains of the Central Railway. The suburbs constitute one revenue district called the Mumbai Suburban District (MSD). The following table compares the populations of MCGM and MCD (municipal Corporation of Delhi) as per the last three censuses. Population in lakhs Census 1991 Census 2001 Census 2011
MCGM MCD 99.25 72.06 119.78 98.17 124 110
Sr No Name of the city Name of the State/UT Population in lakhs 1 Greater Mumbai (MCGM) Maharashtra 124.4 2 Delhi (MCD) NCT of Delhi 110.3 3 Great Hyderabad (GHMC) Telangana 69.93 4 Bruhat Bengaluru (BBMP) Karnataka 68.00 5 Ahmedabad Gujarat 55.77 6 Chennai Tamil Nadu 46.46 7 Kolkata West Bengal 45.80 8 Surat Gujarat 44.66 9 Pune Maharashtra 31.20 10 Jaipur Rajasthan 30.46
