Improving Road Connectivity in Rural India: A Community-Based Approach

Report Overview:

  • The absence of roads is perhaps the most glaring infrastructural gap in rural India
  • Large parts of the Indian countryside remain unconnected, which is an adverse effect on health, education, agriculture and other forms of livelihood in rural India.
  • The National Rural Roads Development Agency (NRRDA) was set up under PradhanMantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY) to prepare guidelines and build capacity of State level agencies.
  • Yet, the absence of funds, poor maintenance and lack of sustainability remain concerns
  • For these reasons, a greater role to local communities in the process of road development becomes important, especially to ensure that the roads constructed are also maintained well to last longer.
Report