Night light data reveals limited urban growth in Bihar

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In 2023, the illumination class  of Bihar Assembly constituencies dropped to 16%, with a important    information   of these seats shifting into the “low” and “medium” illumination bands. File

In 2023, the illumination class of Bihar Assembly constituencies dropped to 16%, with a important information of these seats shifting into the “low” and “medium” illumination bands. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

A examination of nighttime airy information from 2013 and 2023 shows that astir Assembly constituencies successful Bihar proceed to stay predominantly rural. Only a fewer constituencies person shown important maturation successful nighttime luminosity, chiefly successful Patna, which was already among the much urbanised parts of the State.

Nighttime illumination tin service arsenic a utile proxy for gauging quality enactment and energy usage successful an area. A higher attraction of nighttime lights often reflects not conscionable thoroughfare oregon vehicular lighting, but besides ongoing economical activities specified arsenic operation oregon roadwork. Together, these patterns of brightness connection a ocular measurement of municipality maturation and development.

The Hindu Data Team uses this method to classify constituencies successful a State arsenic rural, semi-rural, semi-urban, oregon urban. This attack is adopted owed to the lack of up-to-date authoritative information connected the subject, and arsenic administrative boundaries alteration from governmental boundaries.

Slow transitions

The illustration shows the stock of Bihar’s Assembly constituencies crossed antithetic levels of nighttime illumination — precise debased and debased (mostly agrarian and immoderate semi-rural areas), mean (semi-rural and semi-urban areas), and precocious and precise precocious (largely semi-urban areas and cities) — successful 2013 and 2023.

In 2013, astir 90% of Bihar’s Assembly constituencies fell nether the “very low” illumination category. By 2023, that fig had dropped sharply to conscionable 16%, with a important information of these seats shifting into the “low” and “medium” illumination bands, suggesting that immoderate agrarian areas person gradually transitioned into semi-rural ones.

In contrast, question to the “high” and “very high” illumination categories has been negligible. The stock of constituencies successful the “very high” set — representing mostly cities — roseate lone slightly, from 0% to 1.6%, portion the proportionality successful the “high” set has remained unchanged. In 2023, each constituencies successful the “very high” illumination set were located successful Patna, portion lone 3 constituencies extracurricular the superior — Gaya Town, Bhagalpur, and Muzaffarpur — fell into the “high” luminosity category.

Published - October 15, 2025 10:10 p.m. IST

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