Rural Infrastructure Development

Rural Infrastructure

Rural infrastructure is the physical and social base — roads, power, irrigation, housing, sanitation, health, education and communication — on which every other rural activity (farming, marketing, non-farm enterprise) depends. Without it, credit and marketing reforms have little to work with.

Rural roads

All-weather roads connect villages to mandis (markets), schools, hospitals and towns, so that farm produce can reach the market in time and residents can reach essential services. A major national effort in this direction is the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), launched to provide all-weather road connectivity to unconnected rural habitations; better roads directly reduce the transport losses and delays that otherwise depress the price a farmer receives.

Rural electrification

Reliable electricity supply to villages and farms supports irrigation pump-sets, small agro-processing units, cold storage, and everyday household use. Central schemes such as the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) (and, before it, the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana) have focused on village electrification and separating agricultural from non-agricultural power feeders so that farmers get a more dependable supply.

Irrigation

Extending assured irrigation reduces a farmer's dependence on the timing and adequacy of the monsoon, allows multiple cropping, and supports higher-value crops. Programmes such as the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) aim to extend irrigation coverage ("har khet ko pani" — water to every field) and improve on-farm water-use efficiency through micro-irrigation (drip and sprinkler methods).

Other essential rural infrastructure

• Housing — programmes such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Gramin support the construction of pucca (permanent) houses for rural households that lack one.
• Sanitation and drinking water — the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and rural drinking-water-supply schemes aim to provide toilets and safe piped water to villages.
• Health and education — a network of sub-centres, primary health centres and rural schools is needed so that villagers are not forced to travel long distances for basic healthcare and schooling. …