Population Explosion refers to the sudden, drastic, and rapid rise in the size of the population, especially the human population. It is an unchecked growth of human population caused as a result of increased birth rate, decreased infant mortality rate, and improved life expectancy. It is more prominent in under-developed and developing countries than in developed countries.

Causes of Population Explosion:

• Rapid Decline in Death Rate: An improvement in medical science and technology, wide usage of preventive drugs (vaccines), improved health care facilities, has reduced the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR).
• Slower Decline in Birth Rate: Compared to death rate the birth rate declined marginally. Due to lack of awareness about the positive impact of using the birth-control method, there has been a growth in the birth rate.
• Increase in Life Expectancy: Due to improved living conditions, better hygiene and sanitation habits, better nutrition, health education, better medical facilities, etc. the average life expectancy of the human population has improved significantly.
• Advancement in Agriculture: Advances in agriculture made way to technology in farming. Better fertilizers, improved water supplies to the farms increased food production. Better food storage and transport facilities made the food material at any place at any time even during the famine.
• Control of Famine: Better yielding, diseases resistant varieties of crops are developed. It helped in large agriculture produce which can be stored and utilized in time of famine. Thus less number of deaths take place during a famine.
• Control of Diseases and Epidemics: the eradication of fatal diseases, control of epidemics, and control on communicable diseases increased life span.
• Religious Beliefs: Religious beliefs of society opposed the concept of small families.
• Lack of Education: Due to lack of education and particularly in women made them unaware of the benefits of small families, the importance of spacing children.
• Early Marriages: This resulted in more but unhealthy children.
• Increased immigration: An increase in immigration often contributes towards population explosion, particularly in developed countries.
• Government’s Efforts: Government ensures a steady supply of food through the Public Distribution System (PDS). It maintains reserve stocks and checks hoarding.

Consequences of Population Explosion:

• Overpopulation: It is a condition where population surges to a level that the earth cannot accommodate comfortably, and poses a threat to the environment.
• Shortage of Food: The food demand for the growing population cannot be met.
• Unemployment: Unemployment increases with the increase in the population due to lack of educational facilities, proper training, and job opportunities. In developing countries with a backward economy and little scope for fruitful employment, millions of people find no work to do for ensured living. The unemployed individual is left frustrated and demoralize, losing their faith in life itself. Unemployment leads to crimes and lawlessness among the unemployed youths.
• Over Utilization of Natural Resources: There is stress on system to meet the demands of the increasing population. The excessive demand for finished products leading to over-industrialization and over-utilization of natural resources.
• Pollution: The industrial discharges, wastes, and fumes cause water, soil, and air pollution. The burning of fossil fuels in factories and by large population is widely responsible for Global warming.
• Pressure on Land: Due to increase in population, there is a great demand for food, housing. All these activities require land. This land is acquired by deforestation. To obtain good yield of crops more chemical fertilizers are used.
• Less Civil Amenities: Government fails to provide basic civil amenities to its citizens like drinking water, sanitation, education, and better health services.
• Bad Health: Due to large population and lack of proper medical facilities there is fear of epidemic and spread of communicable diseases.
• Increase in Slums: For more people, more houses are required and the houses are not built at high rate. Many people cannot afford them. Thus rising populations results in the growth of slums in big cities leading to unplanned urbanization.
• Poverty: High birth rate, both historically and statistically, is associated with poverty and low standard of living. It may be noted that poverty is both the cause and effect of population explosion. Due to poverty, there has been a growth of population.
• Standard of Living: Due to large population there is a large demands for essential goods which results in increase in the prices of those goods. Thus large families consisting of a single earning member suffer the most. They remain poor and cannot upgrade their standard of living. They cannot provide better education and medical facilities to their children.
• Infrastructure: Due to large population most of the budget of government is allocated to satisfying the basic needs of its citizen i.e. on drinking water, housing, transport, education, etc. As a result very less budget is allocated to infrastructural projects and development.
• Energy Crises: Overpopulation results in high demand for energy. Hence the consumption of oil, petroleum products, electricity increases. Thus less energy available for industry.

Symptoms of Over-population in India:

According to T.R. Malthus, the father of demography, when the population of a country exceeds the means of substance available, the country faces the problem of over-population. In India the food production has increased substantially but problems like poverty, hunger, malnutrition are still acute. Agriculture is the main profession of people which is overcrowded in rural areas of the country which is characterized by diminishing returns. This fact leads to the conclusion that India has symptoms of over-population.

Indians have low per capita income, low standard of living, widespread unemployment and under-employment, etc. indicate that our population size has crossed the optimum limit.

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