Dr. N.S. Srinivasan Executive Director, National Transportation Planning and Research Centre, Trivandrum, and formerly Head of Traffic and Transportation Division, Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi Published in the document of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), 1985 Dr. N.S. Srinivasan Executive Director, National Transportation Planning and Research Centre, Trivandrum, and formerly Head of Traffic and Transportation Division, Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi Published in the document of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), 1985 Author : Prof. Dr. N.S. Srinivasan B.E., Civil, B.E., Highways Dr.-Ing. (Germany), F.I.E. (India) F.I.T.E. (U.S.A.) Mailing Address : Flat 1C, Sharada Apartment, 3A, (New No.9), Warren Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004, India. Telephone : +91-44-4210 8168 Mobile : +91-99401 08168 Email : [email protected] Printed by : Shri C. Devaraj Uni Graphicss New No. 24, Old No. 20, Swamy Achari Street, Royapettah, Chennai - 600 014, India. Telephone : +91-44-2861 4670 Mobile : +91-9444152044 / 9566253811 Planning of Rural Roads i ABSTRACT The paper highlights that inspite of the highest place of rural roads in the planned development of rural oriented Indian economy, the Indian planners have been preoccupied with inter-city and intra-city transport during past plan period, leaving the rural transport system in a state of utter neglect. The paper deals with the impact of rural roads on agriculture, industry, health, communication, education etc. and describes the planning targets and achievements during the last three decades of planning for rural roads and highlights the need to formulate long term plans and to sort out national policies and priorities. The paper presents some of the experience gained from the studies on rural roads conducted by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre and suggests some recommendations which may accelerate the process of rural road development. ii Dr.N. S. Srinivasan Planning of Rural Roads iii CONTENTS SI.No Title Page No. 1 Introduction ……………………………………………………….………………………………………..…………….………….…… 1 2 Definition of Village Road …………….……………..…….……………….…………………………..………….…………… 3 3 Impact of Rural Roads …..…............................................................................................................ 4 4 Planning Targets and Achievements…………………………………………………………………….……………….. 7 5 Indicators of Rural Road Development……………………………………….….…….……………………………… 9 6 Optimisation of Rural Road Network……….………………………………………………...………………………… 12 7 Data Base for Planning Rural Road……………………….….…….……………….………………………….……..…. 16 8 Conclusions………………………………….………………….….……………………………………………………………………..... 18 Planning of Rural Roads 1 1 Introduction 1.1 India is overwhelmingly an agricultural country with about six lakh villages, many of which have little or no connection with the outside world. The preoccupation of Indian planners with inter-city and intra-city transport during past plan periods has left the rural transport system in a state of utter neglect. Although rural population accounts for three- fourth of the total population and generates more than half of the national income, commensurate attention to rural transportation has not been paid in the past. 1.2 In the planned development of rural areas the development of rural roads merits the highest priority. For multifarious aspects like provision of food and labour to the cities; for balanced regional development; for curbing rural to urban migration; for improvement of agricultural productivity; for removal of socio-economic inequalities and above all if all the people have to be brought into the main stream of development, rural roads have to be provided to link all the villages in an integrated road network. 1.3 During the last three decades of planned development, road length has gone up from 3.97 lakh kilometres in 1950-51 to 15.34 lakh kilometres in 1979-80, and well over Rs. 7500 crores have been spent in road construction and maintenance. Rural road length has increased from 1.65 lakh kilometres in 1950-51 to 4.50 lakh kilometres in 1982-83. However, overall availability and quality of roads are far below the desired level. A large part of network is unsurfaced with improper alignments, weak bridges, narrow widths, lack of shoulders, and poor maintenance. Quality of rural roads and connectivity of villages are much below the target values. 1.4 Thus, a lot more needs to be done in the sphere of rural road development. There is a need to formulate long-term plans and to sort out national policies and priorities. Rural road planning in India is of recent origin and it needs to be strengthened and modified as per the present day needs. In this paper, some of the experiences gained from the following studies conducted by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) are briefly presented: i) Study on socio-economic aspect of rural roads in Patiala district in Punjab (study area has well-developed rural road network) ii) Study on socio-economic aspect of rural roads in Salem district in Tamilnadu (Rural road network is yet to be fully developed in the study area, which is comparatively backward) iii) Study on "Optimisation of bus transportation in Aurangabad region" (Bus transport in a backward rural area) 2 Dr.N. S. Srinivasan iv) Study on socio-economic impact of command area road development in Ukai- Kakrapar region in Gujarat State (study pertains to command area roads) v) Integrated development of transport system in Palghat district in Kerala State (The study area has considerable potentiality for agricultural production) vi) Development of transport system for Malappuram district in Kerala State (The study area is predominantly undulating and it is yet to be developed) Planning of Rural Roads 3 2 Definition of Village Road 2.1 Precisely what part of the total road network constitutes of rural road network is still unclear. As per the classification system adopted in India, Village Roads together with other District Roads from the rural road network link villages with the nearest village, or any other settlement or to a National Highway, State Highway or Major District Road. Traffic volume on these roads is low comprising mainly of slow moving vehicles and pedestrians who are generally cultivator of abutting land. 2.2 In the prevalent circumstances the above definition of rural roads is not comprehensive. In Kerala State, for example, the average population of village is 155500 grouped into four to six desmos. Each desom is almost equal to a village in other States. Inter-desoms distance may range between three to six kilometres. Therefore, inter-desoms roads in Kerala are as important as village roads in other States. In Tamil Nadu State also, many of the villages are divided into two to three hamlets located at different places. Inter- hamlet roads are also important in the context of rural road network planning. In many other States villages are clusters of small size settlements known with local names. Thus, the definition of rural roads should be enlarged to include, (i) Other District Roads, (ii) Village roads, and (iii) intra-village roads connecting different segments of the village, like desoms, hamlets etc. 2.3 A large part of the rural road network is maintained by local bodies including Panchayat Unions, Panchayat Samities, Panchayats, Community Development Blocks etc. Roads maintained by these agencies are generally unsurfaced and narrow, many a time only a foot path or cart track. The standards of classifying a road as village road, cart track or foot path are not same in each State. Generally, local bodies enlarge the list of such roads just to obtain more grants. Therefore, there is a need to provide standard norms for classifying a road as a village road, especially in the case of earth roads. 2.4 There is another segment of roads known as farm roads traverse the agricultural fields and are mainly unsurfaced linking agricultural farms with the main village. In Uttar Pradesh, for example, these roads are called Chuck Roads. These roads should also form part of the rural road network. 4 Dr.N. S. Srinivasan 3 Impact of Rural Roads 3.1 In a developing country like India, investment on rural roads has a vital role to play in waging war against rural poverty. Rural roads facilitate better goods distribution, promote the development of market centres, and provide an incentive to farmers to generate more marketable surplus. It is the rural road that delivers fertilizers, pesticides, seeds and other agricultural inputs to farmers to improve both production and productivity. A good rural road network would be able to move marketable surplus efficiently and effectively to consumption centres and promote agro-businesses. 3.2 Integrated road network also facilitates farm mechanization, better mobilization of man power, effective utilization of resources and increase in use of rural infrastructure facilities. It opens new areas for industrial and thereby to balanced regional development. Rural roads are likely to accelerate village development resulting in reduction of rural to urban migration. Thus rural road is a basic requirement with multitudinous returns both direct and indirect. In the following sections, selected empirical studies are discussed to illustrate the importance of rural roads. 3.3 In Thailand, the construction of a particular road has increased fruit production by more than three times in three years; in Bolivia, rural roads have eliminated the need for