Sunday 21 August 2016

Evolution of Residential Concept in India



We all know that as a species, human life began in forests. The invention of tools during the evolutionary phase triggered him to put a full stop to his nomadic life, and to initiate a settled and sedentary life. The fear of unknown and the vagaries of the wild nature compelled him to follow a community life. This later gave birth to the concept of family. In ancient days, life was not stretched along all the continents, as it is today. The lack of knowledge about geography and science forced man to settle in some particular areas, and India was one of those preferred locations.  



Celebrated as the bedrock of two great civilizations, Indus Valley and Harappan civilization, India has always been an abode to a great number of people. Almost all races from across the globe have tried their luck in this country. Due to the vast resources India had showcased itself to the world, people from almost all fields- warriors, administrators, artists, writers, traders- made it their home. This gave a considerable increase in the population of our country. People preferred clustered settlements, leaving enough space for agriculture and other activities. 




Later on, with the development in science and technology, and other areas, people started moving out of extended family system, by late 20th century. Though many still follow joint family system, most of the people are into the nuclear way of life. This change in residential settlement style has got great impact on every walk of human life. Life was more concentrated at village during the bygone era; but, the present generation comes out of the shell to be a part of the larger crowd in big towns and cities. Better career opportunities in cities, stay as a pull factor, whereas poverty and underdevelopment in villages play as the push factor, which forces people to shift towards urban space.

As people flew towards bigger towns for employment, they needed basic amenities for residing also. This gave rise to many real estate firms, which helped them in finding appropriate place for themselves to live in. Major categories of residential real estate found in India are Co-operative Housing Societies, condominiums, chawls, villas and havelis. Considering the role played by a real estate firm in one’s life, it can be termed as the epoch of real estate companies.




We can see that many of the present day housing complexes are made near office areas. This gives people an ease of travelling and can save a considerable amount of money. This kind of housing has greater implications on keeping environment safe and clean. It is expected to have reduced the use of vehicles, and thereby reducing pollution. Though the number of houses is increasing day by day, they are constructed in such a way that they do not harm the surroundings. Due to the higher amount of pollution and serious diseases related to that, people have become more conscious to maintain a healthy way of life. This way of thinking is reflected in their habitat also. Everybody prefers an eco-friendly home, wherein a lot of natural things like greenery, water etc. are entertained.



We can expect this trend in days to come as well, as the global population is expected to be stabilized by the second half of this century. After that, there may not be much pressure on land for accommodating more human life. As per the need and taste of the time, the already-made constructions could be renovated or redesigned. Let us wait and watch how the whole scenario is going to take its shape.


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