Analytical Study of Population Change in Metro Cities Due To COVID-19 with Special Reference to Uttarakhand

Abstract

COVID-19 is such an infectious disease that has become a matter of concern for the 
global health. Social scientists of the urban condition have long been interested in the causes 
and outcomes of the phenomena that shape the growth and decline of metro-cities and their 
suburbs. Such interests have become more relevant due to COVID-19 pandemic. Given the 
advanced concentration of population and economic activities in metro-cities, they are often 
hotspots of COVID-19 infections. During COVID-19, two major questions arise in the mind of 
researcher, academic and other popular analyses: How has the pandemic changed the metro 
cities? And given thesechanges, are they permanent? Metro-cities contributed almost three
fourth of the total cases from the beginning. Because most of the population pressure can be seen 
in urban areas. People migrate from rural areas to urban areas in search of employment, 
education, better health facilities. Population changes (migration and death) began in 2020 due 
to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in various states across the country. The demographic 
components that have been affected by the pandemic reveal important consequences for these 
changes, such as immigration from different regions of India to Uttarakhand, a decrease in the 
number of births and an increase in the number of deaths. Due to the closure of industries in the 
lockdown, the migration of industrial workers mainly from the industrial area SIDCUL etc. took 
place in the hilly areas, in the Purvanchal areas, and in the areas of Bihar state. Due to lack of 
employment, they went to their native places and the academic activities of the students stopped 
here. After the end of the lockdown, industrial activities have started again, due to which 
workers and other citizens who have gone in reverse migration are settling back in the metro
cities. The main objective of this research is to understand the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on 
metro-cities in Uttarakhandand to examine the factors that have changed thepopulation of 
metro-cities due to COVID-19.To analyze this research, we used primary and secondary data. In 
this research paper, this research data has been collected in the metro-cities like Dehradun, 
Haridwar, Rishikesh, Roorkee, Kashipur, Rudrapur, Haldwani located in Uttarakhand. In this 
research paper, migration and reverse migration have been studied during and after the COVID
19 epidemic. An analysis of the causes and effects of migration and reverse migration is 
presented in this research paper. The research paper also analyzes the changes in the education 
of students due to migration and reverse migration. This research is based on the one major factors of population change in migration (immigration and emigration). The outcomes of this research will be fruitful for academicians, researchers, and policymakers in related studies.