Sulbha Khanna / Publication

Publication

Books
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Planning for Sustainable Agricultural Development: (1995), published by Discovery Publishing House, New Delhi.

The book has tried to explain the concept of Sustainable agriculture. It explains how decision of farmers for selection of crops and of cultivation technique influences their achievement of sustainability in agriculture. The book has suggested many alternatives which can take Indian farmers on the path of sustainable development. It has explained that neither commercial agriculture, (with use of high yielding variety of seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, surface irrigation, mono culture and mechanization) nor traditional agriculture (with use of local seeds, manure, plough, rain water, and multicultural) is sustainable. Degradation of land has been assessed with the help of remote sensing imageries, in both commercial and traditional agricultural areas. The book examines whether only increase in income in commercial agriculture areas could achieve the development or it has distorted the life style of the people. The diffusion model is tested in a unique manner by considering physical, economic, social, communication and administrative distance. It has come up in the book very clearly that there is a need to adopt some intermediate technology with traditional wisdom and modern scientific knowledge. The book is different in its approach to explain the problems of sustainable agricultural development from different angles. It is very interdisciplinary, and can be used by Geographers, Economists, sociologists' agriculture planners and rural voluntary workers.

Forward

Preface

Acknowledgement

1 .Introduction

2. Methodology and Data Aspects

3. Utilization or Exploitation of Land Resources

4. Decision Making Process among Farmers in Commercial and Traditional Agriculture Areas

5. Diffusion of Agriculture Information and Environment Degradation

6. Distortion or Development: Changing Socio-Economic Standards in Commercial and Traditional Agriculture Systems

7. Planning for Sustainable Agriculture Development

8. Conclusions

References

Rural Development Strategies and Planning (2003) coauthored with Upma Diwan, published by Sonali Publications, New Delhi.

Written with the intention to review the present socio-economic ethnic and culture scenario this book explores the existing system of human settlements, with reference to their linkages and agglomeration of facilities. It brings to fore the most important functional centers in space that play a vital role in the life of the people. It further illustrates those centers that have evolved over time. It also, studies the reasons of low growth in those centers with induced services and functions.

The book discusses about the functional community centre (F.C.), which is also the weekly market (WM), an alternative strategy for location decisions. This can be the only non-political and unemotional decision making process directly. This leads to proper location of socio-economic services in order to reach the maximum people with a minimum investment and travel distance. The issue of the commodity flow, particularly of agriculture, determining the socio-culture activities, Linkages and depressions in the overall landscape is the core focus of the book.

This book has adopted a multidisciplinary approach and is intended to cater to the needs of planners, implementing agencies (GOs, NGOs and funding agencies), Geographers, Economist, Sociologists, Agriculture and rural Development professionals.

Contents

1 Bindranawagarh Region - Strategy, Area and People

2 Human settlement system and Pattern

3 Social - Economic Infrastructures

4 The Market System and Market Settlements

5 Planning Relevance of Weekly Market s

6 Emerging Agri-produce Market System-Locations

7 Emerging functional communities

8 Annexure

Participatory Approach to Development: Policies, Process and Performance (2006), Discovery Publishing House, New Delhi.

The book deals with Participatory issues in three major natural resource development programme of government of India namely: Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT), Joint Forest Management (JFM), and Integrated Watershed development (IWD). It makes an attempt to raise issues on the urgent need for genuine participation of people and the stakeholders for sustainable natural resource management system. It tries to highlight the facts that how participatory policies are relevant to India's overall development strategy of reducing poverty, protecting the environment, developing human resources, and fostering farm sector growth. The chapter on IMT looks into the reasons for participatory irrigation systems, scope of their work, reasons for successes and failures of different irrigation societies, and their impact on local agriculture. The chapter on JFM highlights the existing pattern of people's participation in forest resource development. The study investigates various systems developed for protection, plantation, and sharing of benefits in JFM villages. The reasons for successful working of the JFM in some villages have been examined with special focus on participation of people. The study has also tried to investigate the reasons behind low participation of people and why were they reluctant to accept JFM programme. The chapter on IWD assesses the impact of watershed programmes on natural and human resources. Under natural resource development comprise aspects of improvement in groundwater level, increase in soil 4epth, improvement in cropping pattern and crop yield, and increase in availability of fodder and fuel. Human resource development deals with improvement in economic conditions, health and nutrition, decrease in drudgery of women, and institutional building.

The book tried to analyze, how practice and experience of participatory approach varies from the theory. Looking at the diverse socio-eco!lomic, cultural, and political environment, it is a challenge to apply participatory approach for satisfactory implementation of development of natural resources. The book makes an attempt to suggest, how to bring people, government officials, and NGOs together to make participation more meaningful and useful for management and conservation of natural resources for present and future generation. The book is based on actual field experience and has adopted a multidisciplinary approach to cater needs of planners, implementing agencies (Gos, NGOs, and funding agencies), agriculture, and Rural development professionals.

Contents

I. Participatory Approach to Development: An Introduction

2. Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT): Policies, Process and Performance

3. Joint Forest Management (JFM): Mechanisms, Systems and Arrangements (Contd. on next flap)

4. Integrated Participatory Watershed Development: Policies, Techniques, and Impacts Assessment

5. Watershed Treatment Methods: Contour Bunds and Gully Plugs

6. Role and Importance of Participation: A Development Approach