Page 139 - SST Class 07

Settlements, Transport
and Communication
q Temporary and permanent settlements
q Scattered and compact settlements
q Communication
Introduction
There was a time when man started his life like
animals. He lived in caves, ate raw food and wore
clothes made of animal skin or leaves. He moved
from one place to another in search of food and
shelter. With time, he learnt new skills that helped
him to grow his food and started leading a more
settled life. He settled down near his fields. Along
with that, life started changing. He modified the
environment around him by building homes,
developing means of transport and communication
and discovering new means of livelihood. This was
the primitive settlement .
Gradually, development took place, trade and
commerce grew and industries were established.
With these developments, primitive settlements
became modern settlements.
Just Think!
How are modern settlements different from
primitive settlements?
TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT SETTLEMENTS
A settlement can be temporary or permanent. A
temporary settlement is established for a short
duration, such as for a few days or a season.
Nomads often establish this type of settlement.
This type of settlement is also prevalent with
cowherds in Haryana and Rajasthan, and
shepherds in hilly areas who settle near grasslands
during the summer. Presently, we find only a few
temporary settlements in India. A temporary
19
q Rural and urban settlements
q Transportation
settlement is set up with basic needs of the
dwellers. It can comprise of kuchcha houses or
even vehicles used as houses, as bullock carts.
They move with all their belongings including
animals. A caravan travelling in a desert is also a
type of temporary settlement.
A caravan A tent A pucca house
A permanent settlement is established for lifelong.
It looks after all basic and secondary needs of the
residents. So, a permanent settlement can have
pucca houses, roads, schools, hospitals etc.
depending on the size and needs of the
population.
RURAL AND URBAN SETTLEMENTS
We can divide a district into rural area and urban
area. We can see distinct difference between a
rural area and an urban area. The houses in a rural
area are generally kuchcha, interspersed with
pucca houses. However, we can see a change in
rural areas today, as we can see increasing number
of pucca houses there. On the other hand, an
urban area mostly has pucca houses which can be
classified into different types such as bungalows,
kothis, flats, simplexes, duplexes etc.
A rural area generally lacks other buildings than
houses; the few utility buildings available there are
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