TNN

BANGALORE, Jul 5: The price of progress could get steeper. Teeming cities like Bangalore will have to tread in caution between development and disorder, if a new study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is any indication. Rapid urbanisation is hampering the economic infrastructure and leaving vital services at risk in Asian cities, the study says.

The report, 'Managing Asian Cities', shows that among Indian cities with 50 lakh or more residents, Bangalore is the second fastest growing in terms of population. Bangalore, with an annual population growth rate of 2.8%, is next only to Delhi (3.5%).

The study projects the population in Bangalore to be 99.2 lakh in 2020, based on the city's population in 2006, before the dawn of Greater Bangalore.

Among Asia-Pacific cities with 50 lakh or more residents, Bangalore stands eighth in terms of rate of population growth. Dhaka, with an annual increase of 3.8%, tops the Asia-Pacific list.