Mumbai metro region has a fourth of state's population

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) accounts for about a fourth of the state's total population, according to the provisional data of Census 2011. The population of the 19 municipal corporations in the region has grown by 32% over the past decade as compared to the overall state growth of around 16%. The trend, demographers and social scientists say, is a result of reduced migration into Mumbai and more migration to the satellite towns of Kharghar, Thane, Badlapur, Belapur, Panvel, and Kalyan-Dombivli."There has been a constant drop in migration over the years, but whatever little is coming to Maharashtra (the seasonal migration) is getting diverted to the townships because of the rise of Mumbai's real estate," said D K Singh, a demographer with TISS.
Overall, the townships registered a huge growth in population over a 10-year period. Data collected for the 2011 Census shows that Kharghar tops the growth list-the town's population increased from a mere 6,000 in 2001 to 73,000 in 2011. That was a 1,117% jump. Other increasing populations were in Vasai-Virar, which recorded a rise of 221%, followed by New Panvel (113%). The overall increase in population in the MMR, with the exception of Mumbai, was 54%. The population in Thane city rose by 43%, from 12.62 lakh in 2001 to 18 lakh people in 2011. In the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation and Mira-Bhayander, the growth was 50%, while Navi Mumbai recorded 48% growth. In Khopoli and Karjat, the populations rose by 21% and 20% respectively. Uran recorded 30% growth, Ambernath 28% and Pen 33%.