The correct option is Greater land availability and improved connectivity.
Explanation
The location of industries is influenced by factors such as raw material, labor, land, and transport. In the context of Indian urbanization, the phenomenon of deglomeration is occurring, where industries move away from saturated urban cores to the periphery due to rising costs and congestion.
Analysis:
- Greater land availability and improved connectivity is Correct: Traditional textile centers (e.g., Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore) have become congested with extremely high land values. Textile units require significant space for modern machinery and expansion. Peri-urban areas provide greater land availability at lower costs. Additionally, improved connectivity through national highways and freight corridors allows these units to transport raw materials and finished goods efficiently, compensating for the distance from the city center.
- Lower labour cost and higher fibre availability is Incorrect: While labor costs might be lower in peripheral areas, fibre availability is a regional characteristic (e.g., proximity to cotton-growing regions) and does not significantly differ between a city center and its immediate outskirts.
- Declining importance of power cost in spinning is Incorrect: Power costs remain a critical input cost in the spinning and weaving sectors. The importance of power has not declined; in fact, consistent power supply is a prerequisite for modern textile units.
- Higher concentration of skilled workers in rural belts is Incorrect: Skilled labor is typically concentrated in established urban industrial clusters. Moving to rural or peri-urban belts often presents a challenge regarding the availability of skilled workforce, rather than being a driver for the shift.
Key Takeaway: The shift of textile units to peri-urban areas is primarily a response to high land rents and congestion in traditional cities, facilitated by infrastructure development in the outskirts.