In a first-of–its-kind study, the Asian Institute of Transport Development (AITD) has shed light upon the socio-economic impact of the upgrade of a national highway on the adjoining rural community. On the behest of the National Highway Authority of India and the World Bank, AITD conducted the survey on the ongoing upgrade of National Highway 2 between Agra and Dhanbad. The upgrade of NH 2 involved converting it into a four-lane highway.
At the release of the report at a seminar at the India International Centre on Monday, Ramprasad Sengupta, Dean, Jawaharlal Nehru University, presented the main findings of the report and said that this was ?the first such study conducted on Indian roads, and it has revealed some very interesting effects on the rural community living nearby.?
AITD conducted two surveys, one before the upgrade of the highway, yielding the baseline figures, and the second after the upgrade was completed in the 250-km stretch under study. One important effect of the highway upgrade was the improvement in access to work and educational opportunities, the report said. ?School enrollment among children has indicated a marked increase (90.38%), while the share of working population has registered an increase of 5%?, says the report. The overall literacy level has also improved, seeing a rise to 61.86%, although that is still below the national average of 65.38, according to the 2001 census.
The survey reported a three-fold increase in share of income from non-agricultural activities. The share of working population in non-agricultural activities has also increased, meaning more people in the area near the highway are moving away from agriculture and finding alternate means of livelihood. The survey also reported an 85% increase in female labour participation and a two-fold increase in per capita trips for education.
The report goes on to say that the high incidence of poverty in the region was an important criterion for selecting it. The results of the survey shows that ?on the basis of monthly per capita expenditure, the incidence of poverty, both on the household basis and headcount basis has declined in all stretches except Fatehpur and Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh.?