The Scope and Significance of Rural Infrastructure in India
The Scope and Significance of Rural Infrastructure in India
For any country, infrastructure is the backbone. It plays a vital role in a country’s economic growth and so is the case with India. Rural infrastructure means alleviation of agriculture, agro-industries, and elimination of poverty in rural areas. It is not just concerned with rural roads, dams, and canal works but goes beyond that. It also covers irrigation and drainage, rural water supply, rural housing, rural electrification, and telecommunication connectivity.
VASTRA, an infrastructure NGO in India works with the aim for the development of rural infrastructure and strives to make a meaningful impact on society.
The Scope and Significance of Rural Infrastructure in India
Significance of Rural Infrastructure in India
Rural infrastructure helps to provide basic amenities to people to improve their quality of life. For example, it can help rural producers have access to market centres, and better and easy availability of raw materials at reduced prices, and mobility. The different sections of rural infrastructure that help improve the lives of people are:
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Rural road infrastructure
It provides mobility and connectivity in rural areas. It helps boost agricultural activities by making water, seed, and raw materials available to farmers. It also helps to provide better healthcare facilities in rural areas, this is something that healthcare NGOs in India aim to achieve. Moreover, better connectivity of roads helps enhance employment opportunities for rural people.
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Rural electrification infrastructure
It helps to fulfil the requirements of agriculture and irrigation facilities, small and medium industries, village and khadi industries, cold storage chains, education, and healthcare.
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Rural water supply system
It helps to tackle the problem of water quality and scarcity for promoting the good health of people. It leads to the sustainability of systems and sources.
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Rural housing infrastructure
It helps to improve the standard of living of people.
Hence, the rural infrastructure helps in the development of rural power, water, sanitation, irrigation, and road infrastructure which helps increase income, savings, productivity, and tourism resulting in better job and health facilities for rural people.
Scope of Rural Infrastructure
- It is disheartening to see that most of the roads in rural areas are in bad shape. They have potholes and are unable to withstand the load of heavy farm equipment. This affects the quality of life of people and farmers find it difficult to transport their produce to market. The rural surfaced road is just 33 per cent and remaining is kutcha road which is unsafe to travel on. Thus, surfaced roads are a major requirement.
- A lot of people in rural areas still live in kutcha houses. These houses are very vulnerable to rainfall, fire, wind, and other natural hazards. Hence, good rural housing infrastructure is required in the country.
- According to Census 2011, 45 per cent of rural households still depend on kerosene and other means of lighting and do not have electricity connections. Hence, to make rural people’s life better, rural electrification is needed.
- Rural areas also lack schools with adequate and quality infrastructure.
- Safe drinking water and sanitation facilities are lacking too and need improvement.
- Rural people dont have quality healthcare available and this poses a great threat to their lives.
The above points make it clear as day that there is a huge scope of rural infrastructure in rural areas. It is important to address these gaps properly and as soon as possible to achieve growth and alleviate poverty in India.
At VASTRA, we work to achieve these goals and encourage donations and volunteer work for various sectors, as apart from infrastructure development we are also an NGO for education, healthcare, and animal welfare.
