[India Report] India, neighboring nations need to curb population

Population Of India. (Photo: funzu.com)

India and its surrounding countries like, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka are so similar in culture and climatic conditions that the region is sometimes called the Indian sub-continent. Though Sri Lanka was never a part of  India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are the countries which were once included in India but at the end of British Raj, i.e. when the British left India, the country was split into two, The West (which is presently Pakistan) & East Pakistan (which is presently known as Bangladesh, after their independence in the year 1971)and India.

These countries have similar climatic and cultural conditions; there is perhaps one more thing common in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh which is the growing population. Growing population is the most commonly talked about and debatable problem all over the world. The Third world Countries are faced with explosion of population. The problem of population has now become threatening in countries mentioned above.

India is the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people (2011 census), more than a sixth of the world’s population. Already containing 17.5% of the world’s population, India is projected to be the world’s most populous country by 2025, surpassing China, its population reaching 1.6 billion by 2050. India has more than 50% of its population below the age of 25 and more than 65% below the age of 35. It is expected that, in 2020, the average age of an Indian will be 29 years. And India’s growth rate is 1.41% as of 2009. (93rd)

over populated pakistan. (Photo: AA@Counter Terrorism, Imperialism, Extremism and Bigotry)

Pakistan’s estimated population in 2011 is over 187 million making it the world’s sixth most-populous country, behind Brazil and ahead of Bangladesh. During 1950–2011, Pakistan’s urban population expanded over sevenfold, while the total population increased by over fourfold. In the past, the country’s population had a relatively high growth rate that has changed by moderate birth rates. The population growth rate now stands at 1.6%. According to OECD/World Bank, population in Pakistan increased from 1990 to 2008 by 58 million, marking 54% increase compared to 34% in India and 38% in Bangladesh.

srilankan population- Population Density Map of Sri Lanka (Photo: WORLD TRADE PRESS,bestcountryreports.com)

Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean. It is about 28 kilometers off the southeastern coast of India with a population of about 20 million. Sri Lanka holds 57th rank in world population. Density is highest in the southwest where Colombo, the country’s main port and industrial center, is located. The net population growth is about 0.7%.

There are also Indian Tamils who form distinct ethnic group which comprises 5.1% of the population. The British brought them to Sri Lanka in the 19th century as tea and rubber plantation workers, and they remain concentrated in the “tea country” of south-central Sri Lanka.

In accordance with a 1964 agreement with India, Sri Lanka granted citizenship to 230,000 “stateless” Indian Tamils in 1988. Under the pact, India granted citizenship to the remainder, some 200,000 of whom now live in India. Another 75,000 Indian Tamils, who themselves or whose parents once applied for Indian citizenship, now wish to remain in Sri Lanka.

The government has stated these Tamils will not be forced to return to India, although they are not technically citizens of Sri Lanka. The growth rate of this country is 0.89% as of 2000 and  0.86%  as of 2010 .  

Bangladesh whose population is 158,570,535 as of July 2011 has the highest population density in the world, excluding a handful of city-states and small countries with populations under 10million, such as Malta and Hong Kong. Growth rate of Bangladesh is 1.566% as of 2011.

Being under the head of ‘developing country’, growth of population is the most alarming situation of the countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Though overpopulation is not yet a risk in Sri Lanka, India and the two other countries are affected by its consequences. Population increases in the countries where there is law and order  are established instead of war and disorder. Medical services have also done much to save life. Social customs however do not change so fast and birth rates remain the same resulting in high population growth.

But countries are now suffering from overpopulation and are compelled to face a number of unwanted situations such as  poverty coupled with inflation in some regions and a resulting low level of capital formation, starvation, malnutrition or poor diet with ill health and diet-deficiency diseases (e.g. rickets). Famine is aggravated by poverty. Rich countries with high population densities do not have famine. Increased incidence of hemorrhagic fevers and other infectious diseases from crowding, lack of adequate sanitation and clean potable water are some of the consequences they are facing. Inadequate fresh water for drinking as well as sewage treatment and effluent discharge are also one of the ill effects of over population.

And again, high rates of infant mortality are caused by poverty. Deforestation and loss of ecosystems that sustain global atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide balance. About eight million hectares of forest are lost each year which is causing changes in atmospheric composition and consequent global warming. This is causing a noticeable change in the weather patterns in the climate of India as well as Bangladesh and Pakistan.

population growth chart. (Photo:The Emergence of a Global Consumer Society)

The situation immediately demands of solution. Unless tackled, population growth would continue to neutralise economic growth expansion and aggravate poverty in the poor countries. But the “solution” is the hard part. Writers of science fiction have come up with many, but none seem overly pleasant. Controlling birth by universal birth control, licensing or social pressure is often mentioned. The experts have stressed the need for adopting the Chinese population policy of one child per family.

But the Chinese policy of one child per family would be difficult to implement due to lack of institutional efficiency. India once tried to restrict its population growth through harsh measures, but it had to abandon the programme under tremendous social and religious pressures. Bangladesh’s vigorous family planning programme has weakened in recent years with no justifiable reason.

The government ought to realise the seriousness of the population problem for and has to take the needed action. The uneducated rural people need to be motivated to adopt family planning. For example, a simple video presentation on sexuality, health, hygiene, child bearing, family planning, and birth control through a question and answer session could be helpful. Special emphasis should be given to inexpensive and relatively safe methods of birth control.

Above all, education is the best motivation for men and women to achieve the goal of population control. Educating the poor will also help, since the largest population booms are always amongst the poor. 

Sudhanya Ghosh Intern Reporter news@theasian.asia