BHUBANESWAR: Just nine urban centres of the State can boast of a population of one lakh and more. None has touched the one million mark. According to Census 2011 provisional figures, even the fast growing Bhubaneswar is not a million population City, the head count standing at 8,81,988 persons residing in its limits. Provisional population totals of cities across the country were announced on Monday. India has a total of 53 cities having a population of more than a million. While population of the capitals of the newly-created states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh has soared past million, Bhubaneswar is clearly behind. Jamshedpur’s population stands at 13,37,131 while the Census put Raipur’s population at 11,22,555. The below-one million population could jeopardise Bhubaneswar’s chances of making it to the list of major urban infrastructure projects such as Metro Rail since most plans are based on population and the requirements thereof. Of the nine cities/towns having more than one lakh population in 2011 Census apart from Bhubaneswar, Bhadrak is the only addition; others being Berhampur, Sambalpur, Baripada, Balasore, Puri, Cuttack and Rourkela. While Bhubaneswar is followed by neighbouring Cuttack with a population of 6,58,980, Rourkela and Berhampur are other two cities where the population has crossed three lakh mark. The Census showed that Bhubaneswar registered highest growth of 34 per cent over the decade. Its population enumeration was confined to Bhubaneswar Town, Industrial and Colony Area, Patrapada, Sijua, Ransinghapur, Sarakantara, Bahadalpur, Ebaranga, Raghunathpur, Kalarahanga, Injana, Rokat, Kesora, Koradakanta and Bankual. Similarly, Puri’s population went up by 27.36 per cent from 1,57,837 in 2001 to 2,01,026 in 2011. Growth rate in no other city went past 20 per cent mark.
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