This is mainly due to the expansion of cities and the migration of people. In India Rural Development and Migration Commission is mandated to check the worrying trend of people leaving villages in the hills for a better life in cities. According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) future increases in the world’s urban population will be concentrated in India, China and Nigeria. These 3 countries are together expected to account for 35% of the projected growth in the world’s urban population until 2050. The absolute growth in urban population is projected to be the highest in India.

Asif Mohiuddin There is difference between increase in outmigration and increase in number of uninhabited villages. The magnitude of outmigration in Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh is highest but both the region never witnessed increasing number of ghost or uninhabited villages. The increasing number of uninhabited villages in Uttarakhand is disproportionate to any other part of the country and my question here specific about uninhabited villages and not out-migration.

Hills of Uttarakhand filled with 'ghost villages' as growth inequality widens. There are no jobs to be had in these districts and this is leading to large-scale migration to the plains, leaving ...

https://m.hindustantimes.com/india-news/growth-inequality-is-emptying-out-entire-villages-in-uttarakhand/story-8WKFLavV9OOkqR1uQsIbWM_amp.html

Thank you very much for the interesting question, dear Dr. Sanjeev Kumar

Please explain the background behind this out-migration and ghost villages, some more.

Thanks.

Ghost villages - india - Hindustan Times. The fresh census data reveals 33 villages no longer exist in ... hill villages witnessed...

https://m.hindustantimes.com/india/ghost-villages/story-YnDSomxc7nQFmLGsZOmbXP.html

Socio-Economic Implications of Out-migration in Garhwal ...Virtually uninhabited (ghost) villages and land ... An increasing number of people worldwide are migrating to. improve ... of developing countries including the Himalaya ...

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322100697_Socio-Economic_Implications_of_Out-migration_in_Garhwal_Himalaya

Thousands of abandoned villages are scattered across northern Russia. Many have become uninhabited due to a lack of infrastructure and jobs. Poor quality roads make some regions unreachable, so people have to save food for weeks ahead, especially in early spring when the frozen rivers begin to melt and before ferries are operational.

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2014/05/pictures-russia-decaying-village-20145212242508695.html

Thanks Chinaza Godswill Awuchi Chinaze Godswill Awuchi for sharing information regarding Russia. There is a documentary on the same also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvUvoA-GOoM

I feel the ghost villages of Uttarakhand needs to be understood from historical and cultural perspectives. Unlike Russia, ghost villages in Uttarakhand is historical phenomena. The ghost villages in Russia is largely the result of decline of USSAR. I am trying to understand this. Scotland also witnessed few ghost villages during nineteenth century.

Thanks Prof. Syed Naimul Wadood for giving so much importance to my question. Actually in last thirty years there has been rapid increase in number of uninhabited villages in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand is the only state in india which has separate migration commission to study and act upon the issue. Most of the reports and writings on the issues are looking at the issue from the question of livelihood and misses the historical and cultrual aspect of the question in the debate. The latest report count more 1700 ghost villages in Uttarakhand and that also concentrated in three hill districts. Would love to engage with you further if you are really interested in this.

Sanjeev Kumar

Thank you very much, dear Dr. Sanjeev Kumar. Sure, I would like to follow up on this issue later on.

Regards,

Naimul Wadood

Kindly check https://m.hindustantimes.com/india-news/deserted-houses-wild-fields-where-have-people-gone-from-uttarakhand-s-734-villages/story-FY7uGuVz6enK4CqszgB8vN_amp.html