South Asia Regional Workshop – BhubaneswarMarch, 16-18, 2006

Key-note Address on

“Sustaining Rural Livelihoods: Access & Mobility-Community Based

Initiatives”

By

Prof S L DhingraTransportation Systems Engineering

IIT Bombayhttp://www.iitb.ac.in/~dhingra

Environment

SocialPhysical

Abiotic – Nonliving things & processes

Biotic – Organisms and biological processes

Ecological - Interaction between above two types

Personal – Specific Individuals

Interpersonal – Interaction of group of individuals

Institutional – Dynamics of social system e.g. legal, political & religious Institutions

Introduction

Problem Domain

Human Activities

Exploitation of Natural Resources

Increasing Industrialization &

Urbanization

Pollution

Promotion of sustainable development & human welfare

To avoid serious & irreversible environmental damage

Protection of natural resources & ecological components

To take care of social aspects

Improved environmental design of the proposed projects

Objectives

Sustainable Development Concept

Stability achieved for both social & physical systems

by satisfying present needs without compromising

need of future generations

Our transportation decisions and investments today

should expand, and not limit to the economic,

ecological, and social choices available to future

generations

Main Components

Elements of Sustainability

Ecological

To preserve dynamic ability of biophysical system

Social

To stress on elimination of poverty & protect rights of future generations

Economic

To focus economic welfare

Moving Towards Sustainability

Smoother traffic flow and reduced congestion

Reduced fuel consumption

Reduced emissions

Encourage use of public transport

Improve highway safety

Reduced delays and increased efficiency

SPARTACUS System

SPARTACUS – System for Planning & Research in Towns and Cities for Urban

Sustainability

Funded by European Commission

Tested in : Helsinki (Finland), Bilbao (Spain), Naples (Italy)

Essentially adds Environmental & societal parameters in old system

(Source: http:// www.ltcon.fi/spartacus/ )

Old System

SPARTACUS System

Environment Society

Spartacus System

1000 m2/1000 inh./aERCMConsumptions of

construction material

%pointsERLCLand coverage

1000 t/1000 inh./aERMOConsumption of mineral

oil productsConsumption of

natural resources

t/1000inh./aEAOCEmissions of organic

Compounds from transport

Meq/1000inh./aEAATEmissions of acidifying

cases from transport

t/1000 inh./a(tonnes per th.

inhabitants / annum)

EAGTEmissions of

greenhouse gases from transport

Air Pollution

Environmental indicators

%pointsSESSegregation

- SEJNJustice of exposure to noise

-SEJDJustice of exposure to CO

-SEJPJustice of exposure to particular

Equity

#1000inh./aSHTITraffic injuries

#1000inh./aSHTDTraffic deaths

%pointsSHENExposure to noise in the living environment

%pointsSHENExposure to carbon monoxide in the living

environment

%pointsSHEDExposure to nitrogen dioxide in the living

environment

%points

SHEPExposure to particulate matter in the living

environment

Health

Social indicators

Spartacus System (cont…)

Economic indicatorsECU/capita/aTotal benefits

-

SOVC

SOAC

Vitality of city centre

Accessibility to the centre

SOPT

Level of service of public transport and

slow modes

-- -

SOTT

SOAS

Total time spent in traffic

Accessibility to services

Opportunities

Social indicators

Spartacus System (cont…)

During

Construction

Operation

ImpactsImpacts

Travel

Economic

Social

Environmental / Ecological

Impacts During Construction and Operation

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana

Building Knowledge Corridors

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana

Creating Pathways to Development

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana

Expanding Social Opportunities

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana

Roads to Prosperity

Purpose of Technology Transfer

How the Benefits like economic, social, political etc. and the ongoing projects in Rural India, their strengthening /empowerment can bring in total transformation of Rural India

Role of Provision of Rural Connectivity and Accessibility

Rural people can have easy access to trade, education, health and employment

Villages situated near roads are more prosperous than those situated far from roads

Similarly for the same distances, 23% of workers in villages take to non-agricultural activities compared to 16% and 12% at 5 & 8 kms distances respectively

Even overall well-being, measured by mobility and ownership of assets and amenities, improves by 32% through proximity to the road

NGO’s – Technical Educations’ Role

Adoption of districts for Provision of facilities like

Employment (creation of jobs of perennial nature), Transportation & communication, Water supply/energy, Management training of rural youth, and Sustainable projects for quality of life.

Suggestions for Funding for T & C projects

Financing of Rural Transportation Projects Cess on Marketing Societies like Food Corporation

of India (FCI) Punjab Model using cess on agricultural produce

by marketing societies to raise funds on perennial basis for rural road construction and maintenance

Growing fruit trees on the roadside for the purpose of generation of employment and beautification

Increased mobility and vehicle ownership through rural connectivity

Establishing co-operative vehicle maintenance workshops for cluster of villages by vocationally trained school children

Identifying the tourism and Heritage/Historically potential villages

Suggestions for Funding for T & C projects

Village Level Transport

Pedestrian based transport activities take up a huge proportion of the active working day

Differential burden on women – collecting firewood and water

Need for better transport and transport infrastructure Improvement of accessibility and mobility by the

drivers of the villages.

Impact of Rural Transport and Poverty Alleviation

The most immediate poverty-alleviating effect of road investment is the local employment created in both improvement and maintenance

Enhancing labour-based methods in these investments will lead to short-term employment generation

Roads act as a catalyst to development

Impact of Rural Transport on Agriculture

Cultivation of bigger areasUtilization of more fertile, though remote, soilsProduction of heavier and better crops and cash

crops Increased utilization of fertilizers and manureReduction in spoilage at crop harvest timeBetter marketing

Social Impacts of Rural Transport

Education Attendance levels low in schools due to lack of

access Teachers not attracted because of remoteness

Health Better access to hospitals Mobile health centres

Social Impacts of Rural Transport

Empowerment Labour based construction methods provide useful

cash supplement Training in necessary skills is required

Improved access to markets and towns More involvement of rural folk in the cash economy Better access to urban markets leads to marginal

savings on transport costs Increased Production

Better access to markets leads to increase in farm and agricultural production

Increasing Demand for Rural Transport Services

Interconnectivity of rural infrastructure

Improving the flow of information through telecommunication

Provision of rural markets and storage facilities

Complimentary investments to rural transport interventions

Increased employment through increased access

Improved agricultural production: better living conditions and increased demand of various services, like hospitals, markets, banks etc.

Training for operators, mechanics, drivers to help reduce maintenance costs and reduce accidents

Fostering a strong entrepreneurial culture to maximize the use of assets

Increased employment through increased access (cont…)

Changes in transport regulations to allow use of less conventional vehicles, bringing new services

Providing subsidies for plying vehicles in local areasTourism

identifying tourist attractions in villages Bread and Breakfast stops

Plantations in adjoining areas: employment generation and environmental improvementBetter living conditions in villages will reduce migration to urban areas

Job Creation Estimates

Workshops 1 workshop for 5 villages and 5 people per workshop

implies 1 lakh new jobs

Local plying of vehicles 3 drivers per village plying vehicles locally imply 3

lakh new jobs

Plantations 5 people working per village imply 5 lakh new jobs

Job Creation Estimates (contd..)

Tourism 3 bread and breakfast stops per village with 3 persons

in each imply 9 lakh new jobs Impetus to rural handicraft industry and cottage

industry products

Conservative estimate of 64 lakh new jobs

Jobs hence created are perennial in nature

Vocational Training to Supplement increased employment opportunities

Vocational training to be introduced for 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th classes

Training in all aspects, plus specialization in some, like mechanics, gardening, cooking etc.

Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas (CTARA), IIT Bombay

Technological inputs of IIT Bombay to Rural development

Involved in design and development of technologies to rural areas

The current working areas of CTARA include farm machinery, food processing, low cost housing, renewable energy, water management, rural industry etc.

District level Resource Management and training by CSRE based on GIS, GRAM++ package.

Centre for Rural Development and Technology, IIT Delhi

Support activities such as academic activities, R & D and pilot scale evaluation of rural technologies and technology transfer

Objectives: Identify problems of the rural sector requiring science

and technology inputs and solve within the paradigm of sustainable development

Generate a sustainable technology base by blending appropriately modern with traditional knowledge

Orissa Project (Project SANJOG)

Covering a cluster of 17 tribal villages under Chadeyapalli Gram Panchayat of Daspalla block in Nayagarh District of Orissa

Activities includes construction of village road using largely labour-based technologies, promotion of suitable IMTs including bicycles, launching community bus service, etc.

It is a rural development model to address the access and infrastructure needs of the rural and tribal communities based on community centred approach

PURA (Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas)

Announced by The President on the eve of 54th Republic day of India, aims at providing amenities similar to urban areas to the rural people

Cluster based approach to achieve uniform development for rural

PURA is to be implemented in 4,130 rural clusters across the country in the next five years

PURA (Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas)

Creating following types of connectivity within them: Road, Transport and Power Electronic (IT, Telecom) Knowledge( Educational Training Institutes) Market Connectivity

Warana Co-operative, Maharashtra

One of the forerunner of successful integrated rural development resulting from co-operative movement

Major activities involved are: Provide computerized facilitation booths in 70

villages, which are linked up to control computer network

Provide Tele-education to both primary and Higher Education institutes by developing IT centres at most popular points

IIT Madras model for district level IT education implementation can be a good model

Bio-Diesel

Transesterfied vegetable oil derived from oils of plants & animals

Plant sources – Mahua, Jatropha, Neem, Castor etc.

Similar to diesel fuels with same physical characteristics

Biodegradable fuel, devoid of sulphur and low in emissions

Neat bio-diesel has 13% less energy than diesel fuel hence 7 % Neat bio-diesel has 13% less energy than diesel fuel hence 7 % loss of power loss of power

Disadvantages

Bio-Diesel – The Next Generation Sustainable Fuel

Bio Diesel is a substitute for, or an additive to, diesel fuel that is derived from the oils and fats of plants, like Sunflower, Canola or Jatropha

Bio Diesel is a renewable domestically produced liquid fuel that can help reduce the countries dependence on foreign oil imports

Production of Bio-diesel fuel will also boost the rural economy which will bring more enthusiasm in more than one billion lives in the area

Also it will provide technological and employment generation focuses for the rural sector. Use of eleven million hectares of wasteland for Jetropha cultivation can lead to generation of minimum twelve million jobs

Approach of Other Organizations

PMGSY aims at Total Transformation of Rural India and road connectivity should do it to a large extent

Planting of fruit trees, flowers and medicinal plants on road side. This will generate employment and revenue for panchayats

Punchayat Raj’s and NGO could join hands to provide sustainable maintenance of rural roads

Some of the villages with special heritage characteristics could start Rural Tourism

The Centre proposes to electrify 62,000 villages through grid power, during the 10th Five-Year Plan (2002-07) under the Pradhan Mantri Gramodhaya Yojana

electrified through decentralized plants based on biomass, gasification of biomass, hydro power, solar energy, wind energy etc.

Approach of Other Organizations (cont…)

Biomass is and will remain central to any strategy for determining a rural energy solution

To have at least one model rural road in each district/ taluka

40,000 villages have been targeted for electrification. This may be taken up through solar power lighting, Intelligent Street lights, etc.

Huge allocation for rural infrastructure is significant for accelerated development as well as rapid improvement of quality of life in Indian villages

Approach of Other Organizations (cont…)

Providing Rural Amenities in Urban Areas (PRUA)

Process could be reversed for all the measures to provide rural amenities in urban areas

Conclusions

NGO’s and Technical Educations’ can adopt districts for provision of facilities to generate employment

Overall integrated measures will generate funds with panchayats to provide sustained maintenance to roads and generate gainful rural employment

In Budget 2006, as many as 40000 villages have been targeted for electrification, this may be taken up through Solar Power Lighting, Intelligent Street lights, etc.

Production of Bio-diesel fuel will provide technological and employment generation focuses for the rural sectors

Rural connectivity can generate a number of jobs in terms of self-employment resulting into advancement of livelihood in rural India, leading to Transformation of Rural India