Village Panchayats Research Articles

Estimating wheat crop production by using different small area techniques

Small area estimates often is necessary since today in the context of regional planning, the distribution of the central funds may be made on a local or regional basis and may depend on variables such as the principal occupation of household, number of members of the family unemployed and economic status of the families. The small area estimates at micro-level (small area) are now in great demand by Village Panchayat as well as private sectors in order to prepare policy formulation for research and development process specific to small areas on the basis of economic status of the households. The study revealed that the estimates of wheat yield of Bagalkot district varied from 2245 to 2285 kg per hectare while, wheat yield of Dharwad district varied from 1645 to 1675 kg per hectare. The average yield of wheat in Bagalkot district was more (23.86 quintals per hectare) than that of Dharwad (16.21 quintals per hectare).

Women Component Plan at the Village Panchayat Level in Kerala: Does it Live Up to its Promise?

This article looks at the performance of the Women Component Plan (WCP) introduced at the local level in Kerala to encourage participatory planning by studying the experience of five village panchayats over a 10 year reference period. There has been a marked difference among projects carried out under the WCP and general sector projects and projects meant for Scheduled Castes in expenditure efficiency. The article also looks at the nature of projects implemented, the extent of participation of women members in their design and execution, and the opinion of elected representatives on the usefulness of the WCP.

Domestic violence made public: a case study of the use of alternative dispute resolution among underprivileged women in Bangladesh

Disputes within the family and cases of domestic violence in Bangladesh have traditionally been resolved either among kinsmen or in village panchayats where young women have had less opportunity to be heard. This article describes a third-sector initiative in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in cases of domestic violence in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Data from 20 case studies of female victims of domestic violence, interviews with six lawyers, and participant observation in 10 mediations in a counselling centre are used to examine how this kind of social innovation affects the bargaining position of battered women in a kin-based, patrilineal and patrilocal society. The battered women involved in these mediations were rural or urban, less educated, and economically disadvantaged. The findings illustrate the limitations of ADR in cases of domestic violence. ADR as practiced in Sylhet, Bangladesh provides poor women a chance to be publicly heard in mediations of their domestic crises. However, ADR often fails to deliver lasting, just, and socially progressive solutions. The adoption of ADR practices should not be considered as an alternative to the development of the formal judicial system, because it lacks the power to enforce agreements and supports the hegemonic status quo, leaving the battered woman and her natal family with very limited options.

English

The effectiveness and efficiency of the agricultural extension system in India can be improved by motivating and mobilizing the rural and tribal folk towards sustainable productivity. It requires efficient and innovative approaches in order to organize and strengthen the farming community in an effective way for better participation, adoption and empowerment. A sample of 500 tribal families were selected on stratified random sampling procedure from four village panchayats and seven hamlets based on purposive random sampling method. A socio-economic survey was carried out by using PRA techniques to analyze the tribal scenario of East Godavari district. Major problems were identified and agro-based interventions were proposed suitable for the selected tribal area. After conducting an externally funded extension based DBT project for a period of three years (2009 to 2012) and implementing the interventions in tribal area of East Godavari district, it was found that there is a great scope to suggest suitable innovative and appropriate approaches for tribal and rural population. Suitable innovative extension strategies were suggested for bringing a desirable change in improving the livelihood of rural and tribal societies towards productivity and sustainability. Key words: Participatory approach, extension research linkages, capacity building, information technology, resource mobilization.

Socio-economic and political status of panchayats Elected representatives (A Study of Mysore District-Karnataka)

The paper presents the structure and functions of Panchayati raj Institutions. It also highlights the social composition of elected members and their participation in the decision making process in PRIs. Liberal Democracy is one of the basic features of the Indian Constitution. Mahatma Gandhi advocated Panchayat Raj even before Independence. The further of the Nation felt that as issues at the village levels must be addressed by the people only under self-governance and the State or the Central Governments only facilitate such self-rule through grants and by conferring autonomy on them. Panchayat system had earlier an informal setup to redress the local issues and problems of communities which were mainly social and economic in nature. They were popular institutions at micro levels and the main objective was to keep the local community in harmony and to encourage participation in the process of development. The Mysore Government in 1902 passed the Mysore Local Boards Act with a view to revitaling the rural local Government. In 1918, the Mysore Government enacted the Mysore Local Boards and Village Panchayat Act making provisions for elected representatives at the district and taluk levels. After Independence, District and Taluk Boards were set up by the Mysore Government. The first independent legislation on Panchayat Raj Institutions was enacted by the Ramakrishna Hegde Government in 1983 and was brought into effect from April 1987 with the first elections to these local bodies in rural areas. This was amended during 1993. The salient features of the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act 1993 are: To establish a 3-tier Panchayat Raj System of elected bodies. Reservation of seats to SC/ST and 50% seats to women at all levels; reservation of seats to persons belonging to other backward classes. Reservation of offices of Chairpersons in favour of SC/ST, women and backward classes. Establishing Finance Commission and District Planning Committee. Constituting a State Panchayat Council. Mysore district consists of seven revenue taluks, namely, H.D. Kote, Hunsur, K.R. Nagar, Nanjangud, Periyapatna, T. Narasipura and Mysore (Urban and Rural). For administrative purposes, Mysore district is divided into two subdivisions, which are Hunsur and Mysore and the district has 1,216 villages, 11 statutory towns, 235 grama panchayats and 226 wards. The District Commissioner is responsible for managing the district administration and the Assistant Commissioners are responsible for managing the sub-divisions of the district. Objectives of the Study; To study the socio-economic and political background of the rural political leadership. To examine the nature of the power, structure of the panchayat raj leadership in mysore district, Karnataka. To analyse the problems in implementation of the rural development activities of the panchayats in mysore district, Karnataka. The methodology consists largely of methods of primary survey, namely the questionnaire survey and individual interviews. The primary sources of data are the collected from panchayats elected members in the mysore district. The mysore district has 235 Grama Panchayats (GPs) in which 23 (10 per cent) respondent to a questionnaire. The total number of GPs elected members is 4300, of which 215 (05 per cent) of respondent to a questionnaire. Samples were selected from all the taluks of the district. Word Key: PRIs, presidents, members, Socio, Economic, political

Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in development: from risk to resilience – a report on first session of NPDRR at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, India

Purpose – Due to climate change and a considerable increase in man-made disasters, disaster risk management has gained a lot of importance. This article aims to summarize the proceedings of two days of discussion on natural and human-induced disasters organized by National Institute of Disaster Management at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. The objective is to evolve a holistic national strategy for inclusion of disaster risk reduction (DRR) policies and programs into the mainstream of developmental activities. The libraries worldwide are witnessing a series of disasters, and DRR is one of the much-discussed topics within the library community. The literature on disaster risk management in libraries is scanty, and with less research being done, needs urgent attention. The library conferences in India and abroad hardly address the theme “DRR”; therefore, this report will be of interest to librarians and policy makers for libraries. Design/methodology/approach – This report includes selected presentations and discussion during thematic and plenary sessions and provides a review of some of the events of the first session of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR). The author's observation/participation and discussion on vital areas, namely disaster resilience, capacity building, risk insurance, global warming and climate change, created insight in preparation of this report. Findings – A multi-stakeholder NPDRR has been constituted by the Government of India, with Home Minister as Chairman, in Resolution No. 47-31/2012-DM-III on 26 February 2013. The event was attended by various stakeholders such as policy makers, administrators, professional disaster managers, UN organizations, multilateral organizations, scientists, technocrats, academicians, corporate and private sectors, community leaders, representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions (grass roots-level institutions in India preferably called a “village panchayat”), and NGOs. India is amongst 80 countries which have a national platform on disaster risk management like the NPDRR. The theme generated a lot of discussion on risk financing mechanisms, long-term recovery and rehabilitation, and holistic strategy for multi-hazard DRR. Originality/value – This is an important topic in the area of disaster risk management which includes disaster resilience, capacity development, and policy planning. This discussion forum facilitated the enhancement of knowledge and the integration of DRR into the mainstream of development.

Institutional arrangements in fisheries of Ganges River system

Institutional arrangements have been compared in three stretches under different management regimes, namely: (i) open access (River Ganges from Kanpur to Farakka); (ii) private contractor (River Yamuna from Yamuna Nagar to Panipat; (iii) fishermen co-operative (River Ghagra from Ghagra Barrage to Faizabad). The ownership of riverine stretches of Ganges River system is with Departments of Fisheries, Forests, Revenue and the Village Panchayats under Governments of riparian states. The ownership of more than one department in some stretches resulted in more than one lessee for fishing and conflicts among local fishers and degradation of fish stocks. The open access regime has no institutional arrangements, while for cooperative and individual/private regime, the river was leased out for 3–7 years. The lease was generally renewed for fishermen co-operatives, but for private contractors it was not certain due to bidding through open auction system and higher base price. The annual fishing efforts were at maximum and probability of irrational exploitation was high under private regime due to fishing practices adopted and limited lease period. Equity issues were better in co-operative and open access. CPUE was the highest under open access, while the costs were lowest for fisher co-operatives. Fish prices were better for fish co-operatives due to better bargaining power and collective fish disposal. The annual net returns were the maximum for fishers under open access, but net returns per kg of fish produced and output – input ratios were the highest for fishers of co-operatives. This indicated the highest working efficiency and equitable distribution of benefits under co-operative regime. The study concluded that involvement of actual fisher institutions in riverine fisheries may be encouraged for better fisheries management. A need was also felt for periodic evaluation of these institutional arrangements towards their performance and natural resources use.

Decentralization of Health Care Systems: Findings from Odisha and Gujarat, India

India is the second most populous country in the world characterized by regional imbalances like a large north–south divide in health and development. The National Population Policy, 2000 focuses on ‘Decentralised Planning and Programme Implementation’. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, made health, family welfare, and education a responsibility of village panchayats. The panchayati raj institutions are an important means of furthering decentralized planning and programme implementation. The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) also clearly spells out this by recognizing the importance of decentralization and district management of health programmes. In this direction, the concepts of Village Health Plan and Fund, Village Health and Sanitation Committees and Rogi Kalyan Samities are inbuilt in this programme to decentralize the powers, functions and funds to the local frontline health functionaries and to empower them to take decision and utilize the funds for the welfare of the patients. The present study focuses on the decentralization of healthcare systems in Indian context and its relationship with improvement in healthcare service delivery, utilization and outcomes in rural areas. This study was carried out in two districts of Vadodara and Khurdha in the states of Gujarat and Odisha respectively. The data includes both primary and secondary sources. The primary quantitative survey includes data collected through a questionnaire for 480 women (15–49 years of age) and 480 men (15–54 years of age) from 480 households. The primary qualitative data includes data collected from in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and case studies. The secondary source includes the data from the health facility survey of the DLHS-3. The study was carried out during 2009–2010. In this paper, an attempt has also been made to construct an index of health systems decentralization using secondary data with inputs from the field from the primary study in the two states of Gujarat and Odisha, which revealed that Gujarat fared higher in terms of health system decentralization compared to its counterpart.

POLITY, RELIGION AND SECULARISM IN INDIA: A STUDY OF INTERRELATIONSHIPS

POLITY, RELIGION AND SECULARISM IN INDIA: A STUDY OF INTERRELATIONSHIPS

Role of Panchayat President in Conservation of Energy

A study was conducted in Odanthurai Panchayat functioning under Karamadai block of Coimbatore District, Tamilnadu, to find out the efforts undertaken by the President in order to conserve energy. Two decades ago, Odanthurai was a most backward panchayat. Now it has become a national-level role model in conservation of energy for village panchayats. Hence the study was planned. The case study method was followed and interviewed. Mr. Shanmugan served as the President from 1996-2006. His age is 61 and has studied up to 8th standard and is now an Agriculturist. The findings of the studies are as follows: The Odanthuri Panchayat President has ventured into installing the biomass gasifier energy at a cost of Rs 3.7 lakhs during the year 2004, in order to pump and treat drinking water and also has utilised the wastewood available in the village. 70 solar street lights were installed in 2 hamlets at the cost of Rs 7 lakhs, Two night soil-linked community cooking biogas plants were installed with a capacity of 10 cu mts each. This reduced the expenditure of families living below the poverty line. During 2006, under the Remunerative Enterprises Scheme a 350 kw Wind Mill was established to meet the energy expenses and this earned an additional income from the sale of power and was used for developmental work of the panchayat. The expenditure incurred towards installing the Wind Mill was Rs 1.70 crores. Amomg of which Rs.35 lakhs was contributed by the panchayat and the rest was received as loan from the Bank The loan has now been repaid. All this had happened because of Mr.Shanmugam’s dedication, commitment, involvement and effort. Due to these inspite of the power cut the panchayat under energy security and is also utilising the resources in an effective and efficient manner. Why not the other panchayats? This strongly shows that leadership plays an important role in shaping any society.

Prevalence of Malocclusion and Orthodontic Treatment Needs Among 12 and 15 Years Old Rural School Children in Kancheepuram District, Tamilnadu

ABSTRACT Introduction Oral health care in rural areas is limited due to shortage of dental manpower, financial constraints and the lack of perceived need for dental care among rural masses. Aim and Objectives To assess malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs among 12 and 15 years old rural school children in Kancheepuram district. Materials and Methods Multistage random sampling methodology was employed for the selection of blocks, village panchayats, schools and school children. The final sample size of the study is 1000 which included 500 children from 12 years and 500 from 15 years. The malocclusion was recorded using Dental Aesthetic Index. Results The overall prevalence of malocclusion among both the age groups was 75%. The mean DAI score among the 12 years was 29.1 ± 6.02 and among the 15 years was 28.2 ± 5.45 respectively. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that there is high prevalence of malocclusion among the rural school children.

Arbitration Conciliation and Mediation- Conflict between Formal and Informal Setups

The ever increasing litigations, the complexity of procedures and the enormous spend of time and money compelled to seek an alternative system for settlement of disputes. The origin of ‘Arbitration’ may be traced back to the age old system of village panchayats prevalent in India. The decisions of the ‘panchas’ were adhered with reverence by the members of the society with a popular belief that they were the embodiment of voice of God. This mode of divine dispensation of justice underwent radical changes with the changing pattern of society and growth of human knowledge and civilization.The complexities of modern commercial transactions in the wake of globalisation of economy have necessitated effective redress mechanism for speedy settlement of domestic as well as international commercial disputes with a view to ensure uninterrupted flow of trade and commerce. This has been possible through measures such as arbitration, conciliation and mediation which are considered as relatively less expensive and speedy as compared with the traditional court proceedings which are expensive, dilatory and involve a complex and cumbersome procedure. Though these are the alternative methods of dispute resolution but they are the formal setups with legal recognition. There are other more informal setups like the caste-panchayats, gram-panchayats etc prevalent in India. This paper attempts to study the various alternative dispute redresal avenues available and the is there any conflict amongst such formal and informal setups.

Success Status of Government Development Programmes: An Experience from Cooch Behar District,West Bengal, India

Based on the demographic data of 2001 census, a total number of 4,612 revenue villages have been identified by the Panchayat and Rural Development Department, Govt. of West Bengal, India as the most backward in the state. Cooch Behar (one of the sub Himalayan district of the said state) also had declared 52 (fifty two) villages as backward in two consecutive phases. Some extra developmental impetus had been given in those villages to facilitate growth and prosperity. The present investigation was undertaken in the backward villages of Cooch Behar District of West Bengal (India) to study the success status of government development programmes running in the villages. A sample of 10% families was taken randomly for the study. Besides analyzing the secondary data obtained from ICDS projects (Integrated Child Development Project) and village Panchayat, an index called Composite Success Index (CSI) was developed for assessing the present status of success of the development programmes undertaken by the government agencies. The study revealed that the success of development programmes were low to medium in most of the villages. It is also revealed that success status is more where backwardness is more i.e. more backward villages achieved more success with respect to implementation of different development programmes.

An Economic View to Forage and Fodder Production in Eastern India

The mixed crop–livestock systems of India are underpinned by the crop residues which contribute on an average 40–60% of the total dry matter intake per livestock unit. There is however considerable regional variation in the dominant type of crop residue: rice and wheat straws in irrigated regions compared to coarse cereal straws and hay from leguminous crops in the drier, semi-arid regions. This paper synthesizes a series of recent studies on the role and importance of crop residues and farmers’ perceptions of fodder quantity and quality in coarse cereal and groundnut based feeding systems. Crop improvement programs for sorghum, pearl millet and groundnut have traditionally focused on grain/pod yield improvement, pest and water stress tolerance. Livestock rearing plays a significant role in the economy of the Indian people. Crop residues and pastures/grasslands are the major feed resource for this activity. Forages can be a simple answer to soil erosion and decline in organic matter and fertility, a problem caused by modern cultivation and fallowing practices on much of the farmland the world over. Keeping in view the constraints in fodder production and in order to overcome the gap between demand and supply, the emphasis need to be given on several steps for augmenting the fodder production. Existing resource utilization pattern needs to be studied in totality according to a system approach. Fodder production is a component of the farming system and efforts need to be made for increasing the forage production in a farming system approach. The holistic approach of integrated resource management will be based on maintaining the fragile balance between productivity functions and conservation practices for ecological sustainability. Forage production must be taken up as a first management goal and 25% of the forest area should be put under trees with regulated accessibility to the farmers. It is suggested to grow forage grasses and fodder trees along village roads and panchayat lands, and on terrace risers/bunds - a non competitive land use system. Conservation of native biodiversity for future improvement along with breeding biotic, abiotic, stress tolerant cultivars of forage species suitable for area not used under arable agriculture can be possible answer to chronic fodder shortages. Use of participatory techniques to identify the problems and to carry out the improvement programme along with In-depth studies on migratory graziers, forage based agroforestry systems and controlled grazing to maintain the productivity of pasture (grazing should be allowed as per carrying capacity) are some other solutions to this problem.

Panchayati Raj Institutions: Participatory Democracy or Participants’ Democracy? Case Study of Balekoppa Gram Panchayat in Shimoga District of Karnataka

The concept of Panchayati Raj has undergone several changes ever since its inception five decades back. These changes have come through various means, amendment to the constitution, corresponding changes to the various State Panchayati Raj Acts and through both positive (progressive) and negative (regressive) activities at the grassroots level by the participants themselves.The present study attempts to capture the political dynamics involved in the running of a Gram Panchayat. The first part of the paper focuses on the alliances and counter alliances made by the elected members to get elected to the posts of the Chairperson and the deputy chairperson, contrary to the general research conclusions that caste plays a predominant role in the Panchayati Raj institutions, especially in the village panchayats. This issue gains importance in the state of Karnataka where the top posts in PRIs are held on quota reservation system, (allotment of reservation to SCs/STs and women by rotation to different panchayat constituencies and various executive posts) something similar to the American system of Gerry(Jerry) mandering. The former is politico-social in nature while the latter is politico-geographical. The second part of the paper shows how after having made an alliance, the leadership, in informal terms, the ruling alliance, functions, responding to the demands of the alliance on the one hand and keeping at bay the opposition on the other. This paper is a qualitative analysis and shows how weak leaderships based on opportunistic alliances function and who gains from such a political phenomena. Further more, it shows how the bargaining power of the electorate from ‘the other side’(non-ruling alliance) is reduced to mere requests, and how the ruling alliance gets the developmental work done through their own people and for their own people. Panchayati Raj Institutions, which were supposed to be ‘participatory’ in nature is reduced to mere participation of the ruling alliance and how the people from ‘the other side’ (both elected members and the common villagers) respond to the dynamics. The paper concludes by showing how such political dynamics at the grassroots level weaken the real and original objective of taking governance to the people branding it ‘participatory democracy’ and how the weak leadership plays into the hands of the permanent executive. According to the statistics provided by the Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, government of India, there are about 231815 Gram Panchayats with a total number of 2186452 elected representatives. Each gram Panchayat is distinctively different from each other. The present paper attempts to analyse not the comprehensive developmental and political activities of the Gram Panchayat and compare it with other successful panchayats, but to observe how political dynamics within the leadership effects political and developmental activities in the villages and how the grassroots stakeholders respond to such dynamics.Though the 73rd amendment to the Indian Constitution visualized democratizing deliberative bodies at the grassroots level, the p resent study suggests that this ‘democracy’ is actually hijacked by some local leaders through various political/social and cultural means merely to neutralize the influence of the mandatory provisions of reservations in order to suit their political interests and to retain their control over the local polity and resources, without effecting the provisions of reservation.

Decentralisation, Service Delivery, and People's Perspectives: Empirical Observations on Selected Social Protection Programs in India

Decentralised governance is generally believed to facilitate pro-poor economic development. The process may however be captured by elite and become counterproductive if implemented without acknowledging the disparities in asset-ownerships and entitlements, strengthening accountability mechanisms, and building capacities at various levels. This paper evaluates delivery of various social protection programmes in two Indian states following different decentralisation mechanisms. Drawing on our empirical observations and research we argue that village panchayats need to incorporate mechanisms to enhance participation of the poor, and the women, in its institutions. This may enhance accountability and transparency in the functioning of panchayats and may make them more relevant to the deprived population.

Impact of NGO run mid day meal program on nutrition status and growth of primary school children

To study the impact of wholesome mid day meal (MDM) program run by an NGO on the growth of the primary school students in rural area of Mathura district. This intervention study involved children enrolled in Government run rural primary schools in Mathura district in Uttar Pradesh from March 06 through August 07. A wholesome, nutritionally balanced MDM provided by an NGO for the students in the 6 primary schools was selected as intervention group. Control group consisted of children in 8 schools which received locally prepared MDM by village panchayats. Height, weight, change in height/month, change in weight/month, prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition and prevalence of signs of vitamin deficiencies, were measured. Food was provided for 221 days in one year. Within group and between groups repetitive measures were compared using generalized estimating equation (GEE). Within both intervention and control groups height and weight had significantly increased (p < 0.05), while there was no significant difference between the groups. There was no change in prevalence of malnutrition within either of the groups. Reduction in vitamin A deficiency signs was 38% more in intervention group (p < 0.001). Prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency reduced by 50% more in intervention group. No such differences between groups were observed for vitamin B complex and vitamin C. MDM provided by the NGO has no better impact on growth of the primary school children, however, it reduced prevalence of vitamin deficiency significantly in comparison to the MDM run by Village Panchayats.

India's Approach in Constructing One-Stop Solution Towards e-Government

The spinning of time the wheel has seen a lot; but the best gift of mankind to mankind is the discovery of Information and Communication Technologies, the tool that gave birth to the big bang theory of electronic-Governance in the universe of countries and nations. The explosive ingress of technology into every facet of life has changed how people exist, how they work, how companies do business and how governments serve their communities. e-Governance has given new dimensions to the system of governing nations and enhancing citizen services by making the process of governance and public administration much more efficient and effective. e-Government reveals the ultimate visions for public administrations and governments to undergo a huge modernization and reorganization. E-governance has played an essential role in improving governmental processes (e-administration), connecting citizens (e-citizens and e-services) and building external interactions (e-society). With the inclusion of e-governance in governing process came the concept of Single Entry National Portal i.e. One Stop Government which efficiently integrates public services from a citizen's point of view. Such Portals help the citizens and other stakeholders to have a 24 × 7 × 365 access to public service authorities and the services being provided by them at a single point. The various Government Departments at Central, State and Local level collect, use and manage large volumes of information/services and to ensure effective access to government policymaking and operations as well as to ensure government accountability, the public needs consistent, predictable access to government information. One Stop Government Portals step in here and provide full entree to its citizens making their lives easy and smooth. This paper discourses the significance of One Stop Government accentuating india.gov.in, The National Portal of India. The National Portal of India is a huge and comprehensive repository of information and data regarding the citizen services available in India. india.gov.in, is a Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), of the country implemented with an objective to provide a single window access to the information and services of the Indian Government at all levels, from Central to the State Government, from the District Administration and to the village Panchayats, all for the citizens and other stakeholders. The National Portal india.gov.in, acts as a front end to various e-Government initiatives and a gateway to over 6000 websites providing a variety of information and services being provided by different Indian government departments at multiple levels. It is a reservoir of resources and provides in-depth information about the India and its various aspects. india.gov.in plies valuable information to a wide variety of target audience encompassing the citizens, government, business strata and overseas Indians. The National Portal of India is one stop portal for all those who need information on anything related to India, from paying utility bills to accessing information on welfare schemes in different economic sectors, from obtaining licenses/certificates to apply for Indian passport india.gov.in has it all!

Cost of Unaccounted for Water - An Empirical Study In Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu state, India, it is the responsibility of the state government to provide drinking water to every household. This is carried out through the lowest elected government at the village level. Of late, the government puts into practice concepts like Demand Driven Approach, which demands the community contribute financially for any social infrastructure to be created, including drinking water supply. This approach seems to give financial matters the overriding priority blinding all the other realities such as actual requirement as per technical standards, and responsibilities of Operation and Maintenance etc. That means being able to contribute financially puts the local community in a position to get water supply infrastructure even excessive of the technical norms. This results in excessive draft of ground water resulting in wastage of fresh water. Especially in a piped water supply system, the water pumped from the ground whether they are used or wasted has an economic value – as this is a service provided using electric power. It is found through an empirical study that the community is insensitive to the cost of water wasted. This study conducted in 17 villages found that all the 17 Village Panchayats (village administrative units) put together, on an average 35 per cent of the water pumped is either excessively used or wasted. It means merely by being judicious in the use of water, each Panchayat has the potential of saving approximately one-third of the expenses incurred on water service delivery. The research paper elaborates this point.

Village-level tsunami disaster assessment: A volunteer’s perspective

Introduction: The Tsunami hit Indian coastal line between 8.30 and 9.30 AM Indian Standard Time (IST) on the December 26, 2004. A lot of damage to life and property—both movable and immovable— occurred to approximately 3-4 km of land adjacent to the coastal line. It mainly took away lives, shelter, fishing boats, and fishing nets of the fishermen folk. Relief in terms of money, manpower, food, water, clothing, medicines, and all other resources poured in plenty. However, any amount of relief or compensation could not match the amount of damage that had occurred. A team of 11 volunteers (two Public Health Specialists, seven Medical Interns, and two Medico Social Workers) led by the author went through ActionAid International and Community Health Cell (CHC), Bangalore, for relief work in Nagapattinam District of Tamil Nadu, which is one of the worst affected districts in India.Objectives: To conduct a rapid assessment of the amount of damage at village level to lives, social and economic losses, and damage to community resources in 15 villages of Sirkali taluk of Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu with an ultimate goal to provide long-term services in that community. To assess the relief needed and relief that was actually provided in these 15 villages through Government and various Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs).Methods: A 1-day (December 27, 2004) training and orientation on rapid disaster assessment, the tool to be used for the village level disaster assessment and handling relief operations in a Tsunami affected situation was given by the Country Coordinator for Disaster Management, ActionAid India, at CHC, Bangalore. Then, a 1-day (December 28, 2004) Planning and Review meeting was conducted at ActionAid Office, Chennai, to draw up an action plan for the areas to be covered and the steps to be followed during the assessment. The Survey Team was then divided into two groups of five members and six members each and set out to the villages selected for the actual data collection. The 15 villages that were part of the survey were selected by the ActionAid Chennai Office, based on the severity of destruction caused in those areas, and also since, they were the villages that ActionAid had longterm plans of adoption. A standard pretested semistructured questionnaire was provided by ActionAid and the data was collected by using participatory methods: (i) observations, (ii) key informant interviews (KIIs), and (iii) focus group discussions (FGDs). (KIIs were conducted with the Village Panchayat leaders, informal leaders, and the local residents. FGDs were conducted with the local residents. The information obtained through these participatory methods was validated against the records that were available with the local government.)Results and Discussion: An analysis of the data from the rapid assessment done in these 15 villages of Sirkali taluk are presented and discussed in this article. A discussion about some of the best practices, major pitfalls in handling certain issues, challenges faced during data collection in these disaster situations, the preparedness for this kind of a situation in India, and developing systems for warning and reporting of this kind of a disaster are also discussed.Conclusions: A disaster of this magnitude in a developing country like India clearly shows the need and commitment for Disaster Preparedness and Management. There is an urgent need to develop systems at the local, state, regional, and national levels and also ensure implementation. By doing so, although we cannot totally avoid natural disasters, we could probably be more prepared to face it and also minimize loss to lives and property to the least possible extent. Agencies involved in disaster management need to realize the ground realities of the effected area for planning a mitigation operation since each situation would be unique.