Ghaziabad

Expanding Contraceptive Use in Urban UP

Ghaziabad City Profile
Urban Health Initiative (UHI) is implemented by a consortium of partners working together to improve urban health
in India. This is a city profile of Ghaziabad City, a priority city for urban health investments.
Ghaziabad district was created on November 26, 1976.
Prior to that, it was a tehsil of Meerut district. However, the
archeological excavations done in the area specifically at
the mound of Kaseri on the bank of river Hindon some 2
kilometres north of Mohan Nagar shows that civilization
had already developed there as far back as 2500 BC. The
district is situated in the middle of the flat alluvial tract
between the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers. The spread of the
district is rectangular in shape covering a total area of 2590
sq km, with a length of about 72 km and width of 37 km.

winter temperatures can dip to 3 C. Average annual rainfall

is 702 mm.

Fig 1: Ghaziabad Location Map

Table 1: District level indicators, Ghaziabad

Population District*
3,290,586 persons
Urban population-District*
1,816,415 persons
Slum population-District*** 333,475 persons
SC & ST*
593,987 persons
TV at home**
61.9 %
Mobile Phone ownership** 52.3 %

Ghaziabad lies just 19 km east of Delhi and is also known

as the Gateway to UP. Ghaziabad district is bounded in
the north by Meerut district, in the east by Jyotiba Phule
Nagar district, in the west by Delhi, and in the south by
Gautam Buddh Nagar and Bulandshahr districts.
Ghaziabad city is the district headquarters, located on the
o
o
latitude 28 40' North and longitude 77 25' East. Ghaziabad
is well connected by roads to Delhi and Meerut. Other
roads lead north-west to Loni and Baghpat and east to
Hapur and Garhmukteshwar. There is regular bus
connectivity to Delhi, Meerut, Aligarh, Bulandshahr,
Moradabad, Lucknow and other districts. It is an important
station on the Northern Railway where railway lines, from
Delhi to Calcutta, Moradabad and Saharanpur meet,
connecting it with many important cities of India.
The climate of Ghaziabad is extreme tropical, with hot
summers, cold winters and a short rainy season of the
o
monsoons. Summer temperatures can rise to 45 C while

Indicators based on DLHS-2 and DLHS-3

Indicator
DLHS-3
DLHS-2
Total
Total
Women married <18 yrs
13.1
9.2
Women 20-24 with 2+
56.5
births
Institutional Births
39.3
36.5
Family planning Use
Any method
50.3
44.5
Any modern method
39.8
36.4
Female sterilization
17.6
18.6
Male sterilization
0.9
0.2
IUD
1.6
3.6
Pill
3.3
3.3
Condom
16.3
10.3
Family Planning Unmet
need
Spacing
6.5
8.9
Limiting
15.6
21.6
Total
22.1
30.4
Source: * Census of India, 2001

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** District Level Household Survey-3, 2007-08

*** State Urban Development Authority, 2003-04

City Institutional Structure

Ghaziabad city is a Nagar Nigam (GNN) or Municipal
Corporation. The river Hindon flows through the city
dividing it into east of Hindon (Cis Hindon Area i.e. CHA)
and west of Hindon (Trans Hindon Area i.e. THA). CHA
rd
constitutes 2/3
area and population while THA
rd
constitutes 1/3
area and population. The urban
development of the city has been achieved through
Master Plan 1981 and Master Plan 2001 from a
population base of 70,000 (1961) to 272,000 (1981) and
968,000 (2001). GNN area has been divided into four
administrative zones, namely city zone, Kavi Nagar zone,
Vijay Nagar zone and THA zone. The area is further
divided into 80 wards. The Mayor and Municipal
Commissioner are the legislative and executive heads of
the city administration respectively. GNNs main functions
include birth and death registration, public health and
sanitation, water supply distribution, horticulture, street
lighting, road maintenance, welfare, recreation and other
civil works.
Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) is the agency
overseeing housing and urban development in the city
and its suburbs. It is responsible for preparation of Master
Plan, land acquisition and construction for development,
whether residential, commercial or industrial. It also
provides physical and social infrastructure in these areas.
Ghaziabad city is developing quite rapidly on account of it
being a part of the National Capital Territory. The city has
attracted immense real estate development in the form of
residential and commercial complexes with similar
amenities as in Delhi. It has been featured in the top 10
most dynamic cities of the world. Continuous
development and construction is taking place on a regular
basis. It is estimated that by the year 2010 the Metro
railway will also be operating through the city of
Ghaziabad.
Demographic & Social Profile
The total population of the city is 968,000. Males
constitute 54% of the population while females constitute
46%. As per the 2001 census there are 179,000
households and about 15 % of total population is below 6
years.
The sex ratio of total population is 860 and sex ratio of
population 0-6 years of age is even worse i.e. 854. About
18% population belongs to SC category. It is important to
note that sex ratio of SC population is better than the city
average. As a suburb of Delhi, Ghaziabad has
experienced rapid growth. From 1991-2001 the district
population grew by 47.47%, which is more than twice the
national decennial growth rate of 21.34%. A study
conducted by the Regional Planning Division and Census
estimated that by 2021 the population of Ghaziabad city
would rise up to 3,019,000.
Population density of Ghaziabad is very high at 2887
persons per square kilometre as compared to the Indian

average of 324. The literacy rate of the city is about 70%.

Hindus constitute 75 percent of the population and
Muslims constitute 24 percent. Other religious groups
constitute the remaining 1 percent population.
Vulnerable Population
Based on the slum mapping exercise conducted by the
State Department of Health and Family Welfare, 82 slums
were identified in Ghaziabad city. Of these, 50 slums were
already in the official list while 32 new unlisted slums were
identified. The total population residing in the listed slums is
194,000.
Table 2: Distribution of slums
Type of slum Number
Listed
50
Unlisted
32

Population
194,178

Source: DoHFW, Slum Mapping Exercise.

Health System and Infrastructure

Health services in Ghaziabad city are provided by the
Public sector, Department of Medical, Health and Family
Welfare and Private sector (hospitals, nursing homes, and
clinics). In addition, there are charitable hospitals, which
provide subsidized health services to the poor.
Table 4: Distribution of Health Facilities
Type of Facilities

Number

Government Health Facilities

First Tier (Primary Health Care Facilities)
Urban Family Welfare Centre

Urban Health Post

12

New Urban Health Post (NRHM)

Second Tier Facilities

District / Joint Hospital

District Women Hospital

Postpartum Centre

Block PPC

Medical College

Source: Office of Chief Medical Officer, 2009

First Tier facilities

Primary health care in the city is provided through first tier
centres located in various parts of the city, especially
urban health posts and urban health & family welfare
centres funded by DoHFW, as well as new urban health
posts funded by NRHM. In Ghaziabad city 14 urban health
posts and 2 UFWC are providing maternal and child
health and family welfare facilities to the entire urban
population. Their main functions include OPD Services,
ANC registration, ANC check-ups, family welfare services,
and routine immunization.
Second Tier Facilities
Secondary and tertiary health services are provided mainly
by the district male and female or combined hospitals,
specialty hospital and medical college hospital. The medical

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college and the district hospitals cater to patients from the

neighbouring districts as well. The Sarojini Naidu hospital
and Kamla Nehru hospital play an important role in terms of
provision of specialized maternal care services. In total
there are 3 secondary/ tertiary care health facilities located
in the city. These hospitals play a major role in catering to
the needs of both urban and rural population.
Private Health Service Providers
Besides public healthcare facilities there are numerous
private providers in the city.
Health Indicators
As per the recent District Level Household and Facility
Survey (DLHS-3) 2007 2008, only 39.8% of currently
married women are using a modern method of
contraception. The DLHS 3 estimates unmet Family
planning need in Ghaziabad at 22.1%, comprised of 6.5%
unmet need for spacing methods and 15.6% unmet need
for limiting methods. The Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare, Family Planning Division has recognized
Ghaziabad as a high priority district for family planning
program in Uttar Pradesh.
Economic Base
Industry and agriculture are the bases of economy in
Ghaziabad. Among the important crops produced are
sugarcane, cereals, pulses, and oil-seeds. Ghaziabad is
primarily an industrial city with manufacturers of railway
coaches, diesel engines, electroplating, bicycles, picture
tubes, tapestries, glassware, pottery, vegetable oil, paint
and varnish, heavy chains, automobile pistons and rings,
steel pharmaceuticals, liquor, etc. It is one of the most
industrialized cities in Uttar Pradesh. The new industry
sector upcoming in Ghaziabad is of high technology
plants. Many companies like Shriram Pistons, Unichem,
Dabur, Bhushan Steels, Rathi Alloys, Crophealth
Products, Hind Biochem and Samtel Color are giving it a
new dimension. Cottage industries, such as silk and
handloom weaving, are also present.

Contributors: Shruti Goyal

Editors:
Layout and formatting:
Urban Health Initiative is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, and by Family Health International, in collaboration with a
consortium of partners committed to improving urban health. The
contents of this paper do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of
Urban Health Initiative, Family Health International, or Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation.

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