A Spatial Approach on Delineation of the Sphere of Urban Influence of Six Municipalities of Koch Bihar District, West Bengal, India

Growth of an urban centre and the regional development of that place are correlated to each other. Availability of different facilities affect the people of that place by changing their socio economic condition and also its benefit spread over the people on those who resides in the hinterland of that urban centre. Optimum level of urban growth mainly depends on the capacity to provide the required facilities to peoples. Hierarchical growth of urban centres in associated with available basic amenities help in regional development in a hierarchical way. But in case of developing countries, like India, some urban centres have more facilities with the higher regional influence whereas some are deprive for the facilities though having a large number of population.

This paper is an attempt to calculate the functionality and delineating the extension of influence with radius over the rural part of six municipalities of Koch Bihar district which was a princely state in pre independence period. The result shows that, the highest radius (km.) of circle indicating the sphere of influence is for Koch Bihar municipality and the least is for Mekhliganj municipality. Along with this, this paper also examines the adequacy and inadequacy of facilities for the urban centres which will be helpful for the future planning of these urban centres and a balanced regional development would be achieved.