Achiransu Acharyya | Visva-Bharati - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Achiransu Acharyya

Praxis International Journal of Social Science and Literature

Solar energy development is paramount for India to achieve environment-friendly energy and fulfil... more Solar energy development is paramount for India to achieve environment-friendly energy and fulfil sustainable development goals. It will help reduce the country’s energy demand and supply gap. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and NITI AAYOG are working together to achieve the alternative energy requirement through solar power. The government of India set the target in 2015 to reach 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022 and 100 GW only from solar power. In line with the Central Government, the states should develop policies to promote solar energy to meet the target. Under the circumstances, this paper attempts to compare the approaches taken by different states in the country and compare such policies to see where West Bengal is falling behind and to discover the barriers and challenges to solar power development in West Bengal.

Routledge India eBooks, Oct 25, 2022

Indian Groundwater, 2022

Sustainable Development Goal 6 is "clean water and sanitation for all". It is one of 17 Sustainab... more Sustainable Development Goal 6 is "clean water and sanitation for all". It is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015; the official wording is: "Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all." India lagged on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as envisaged by the 2030 agenda of the United Nations. It slipped by two places to 117 compared to the previous year's ranking, according to the recently released State of India's Environment Report 2021. India's rank dropped below four South Asian countries due to the challenges regarding 17 SDGs, including SDG-6. In this context, this paper discusses the various policies taken by the Indian Government toward clean drinking water provision in rural India, especially the Jal Jeevan Mission, which envisioned providing safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India. The paper finds that the current scenario necessitates proper planning, strategizing, and implementation of water supply systems, including developing appropriate institutional mechanisms at all levels.

There are several general principles involved in assessing the economic value of water and the co... more There are several general principles involved in assessing the economic value of water and the costs associated with its provision. First, an understanding of the costs involved with the provision of water, both direct and indirect, is key. Second, from the use of water, one can derive a value, which can be affected by the reliability of supply, and by the quality of water. These costs and values may be determined either individually, as described in the following sections, or by analysis of the whole system. Regardless of the method of estimation, the ideal for the sustainable use of water requires that the values and the costs should balance each other; full cost must equal the sustainable value in use so that the full range of environmental and economic services of groundwater need to be accounted for in policy decisions. Non-recognition of these services imputes a lower value for the groundwater resource in establishing policies. In this chapter, an attempt has been made to asse...

With time, there is ample scope to believe the existence of a strong positive relationship betwee... more With time, there is ample scope to believe the existence of a strong positive relationship between change in climate and rising disaster risks. Such relationship makes the effort of poverty reduction as also achieving the goal of sustainable development more difficult. This is more evident in places having a large number of agriculture-based poor people such as South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Under the circumstances, it is extremely important to understand the vulnerability of poor households, the majority of whom are farmers, under climate change, and their capability in adapting their farming practices to changing climate scenarios for sustained livelihood and development. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) attempts at harmonization of various aspects of sustainable development, mainly with respect to social, economic, and environmental, through discussion of questions related to climate challenges and food security jointly. The approach of CSA is meant to recognize as also make v...

Studies in Microeconomics, 2018

Based on village-level primary household survey in three districts of West Bengal, the present st... more Based on village-level primary household survey in three districts of West Bengal, the present study tries to understand the groundwater market structure using the standard market theory. Comparing the internal rate of return of private investors on groundwater irrigation with past studies, it is found that although the degree of monopoly has gone down in the state over time, a certain element of monopoly still exists in the groundwater market. The estimates of price-to-marginal cost ratios and the Lerner index amply demonstrate the existence of high degree of monopoly in groundwater market. The study also shows that since banks give loans based on collateral, it is the large farmland owners who benefit from these bank loans for installation of electric submersibles for groundwater irrigation. Factors such as availability of rain and canal water, advance payment for water, distance of the land from the irrigation source, and maintenance and labour cost of water extraction mechanism ...

Introduction One of the objectives of the Millenium Development Goals is to 'ensure Environme... more Introduction One of the objectives of the Millenium Development Goals is to 'ensure Environmental Sustainability through integration of the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs reversing the loss of environmental resources'. (Goal 7A of MDG) In most of South Asia, while property rights to land are generally clearly defined, rights to water are not. Hence water is an open access resource, a kind of free good that is not treated as an economic input. It is usually assumed that owners of the land become owners of the water below or in the vicinity of the land. It is perhaps for this reason and because of the ill defined property rights to ground water, treating it as a free good, that the role of water has been relatively ignored while providing for explanations of the agricultural growth in South Asia.

Public Investment in Household Water Infrastructure and Economic Development: An Achilles Heel for India?, 2021

There is a positive correlation between increased national income and the proportion of populatio... more There is a positive correlation between increased national income and the proportion of population with access to improved water. An increase in investment in household access to safe water is associated with an increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the economy. Therefore, it can be argued that improved water services and water resources management are an essential and necessary condition for economic development and growth. The Jal Jeevan Mission, a central government initiative under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, aims to ensure access of piped water for every household in India and has earmarked Rs 3.6 trillion for the mission. The mission's goal is to provide to all households in rural India safe and adequate water through individual household tap connections by 2024. In India, the financial challenges water utilities face are layered onto chronic, long-term, and insufficient investment in the nation's water infrastructure. Billions of dollars are needed each year to renew and replace outdated pipes, pumps, storage facilities, and treatment plants that ensure clean water delivers to homes and businesses across the nation, carry away and safely treat sewage and stormwater, and return treated water to rivers, streams, and other water bodies. Local, state, and Central government funding is meeting a fraction of the current need. Only 1.1% of the GDP has been earmarked for water in the budget of 2019-20. If this trend continues, the nation's water systems will become less reliable, breaks and failures will become more common, vulnerabilities to disruptions will compound, and the nation will put public health and the economy at risk. Under such conditions, this paper argues for facilitation of private investment in the domestic water supply market. India has already experimented with the public-private partnership model. However, the model has not worked well. It is imperative on the government to look for avenues to involve the private sector for the efficient running of the water supply system.

Indian Groundwater, 2021

The state of West Bengal in India is severely affected from both high concentrations of Arsenic a... more The state of West Bengal in India is severely affected from both high concentrations of Arsenic and Fluoride. Many existing studies on Fluoride and Arsenic have focused on the problem of mobilization of contaminants and some on the epidemiological aspects. This paper looks at the impact of the problem on the people affected. Medical cost is a burden of the affected people as also wage loss and complete inability to work. This is enhanced by the stigma that these ailments carry and the general perception about them in rural areas, partly influenced by doctor's reluctance or ignorance in linking the symptoms with the cause. One important reason for hiding the ailment is also perceived genetic links amongst people, which affects marriageability amongst the youths. Some of these social impacts are measurable. Some others are intangible – loss in self-confidence, a self-enclosing of an affected pocket. What we see as common in both Fluoride and Arsenic contamination related problems is the root cause of both, i.e. groundwater contamination and that these impacts are longer term as opposed to short-term ailments such as Diarrhea that also emanate from water contamination. Thus, an attempt is made to measure these tangible components of the social impacts of Fluoride and Arsenic contamination – those of medical cost and wage loss.

Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 2020

Land ownership in West Bengal has passed through different phases. Initially there were land owne... more Land ownership in West Bengal has passed through different phases. Initially there were land owners with large tracts of land. Later in the 1960s and 1970s, Government of West Bengal decided to redistribute land from the original land owners to the small and marginal farmers. The operation of this land redistribution was called 'Operation Barga'. In our survey of groundwater markets, we found that land relations are affected by water relations especially in case of groundwater sellers. In this background, the paper attempts to analyse the various water and related land based transactions experienced at the field level in the three agricultural districts of West Bengal. From field level survey of ground water markets and transactions between water sellers and water buyers, it is observed that owners of Groundwater Extraction Mechanisms (WEM), in order to economise their scale of water usage and maximise profit, form a collective monopoly amongst themselves, not only to divide the land to sell water but also to consolidate on the surrounding lands for economies of scale. Although this may lead to higher productivity of agriculture it may also lead to increase in landless farmers. Thus we find a situation in West Bengal which may thwart the very essence of land reforms.

Technology Infrastructure as a Catalytic Agent for Eradicating Rural Poverty, 2020

As per the latest Agricultural Census in India, the share of small and marginal holdings in the c... more As per the latest Agricultural Census in India, the share of small and marginal holdings in the country has risen to 86.21 percent of total operational holding in 2015-16 as against 84.97 percent in 2010-11. On the other hand, the share of semi-medium and medium operational holdings in total land holdings dropped from 14.29 percent to 13.22 percent, while that of large holding fell from 0.71 percent in 2010-11 to 0.57 percent in 2015-16. This means the number of small holdings in the country has grown in five years, due to fragmentation of land, while that of medium and large holdings have gone down. With increasing fragmentation of land and small holding size, technology infusion in agriculture is a big challenge. Added to this is the problem of poverty among the poor farmers. This paper argues that perhaps the only way out from such a scenario is investment in education and skill formation among farmers as also research and development so that farmers can adapt to new technology to generate surplus. Else, neither can technology be infused nor can poverty be eradicated from the country and the government must run between the devil and the deep sea.

Indian Groundwater, 2019

Game Theory (GT), both in its non-cooperative (NCGT) and cooperative (CGT) forms, has been pivota... more Game Theory (GT), both in its non-cooperative (NCGT) and cooperative (CGT) forms, has been pivotal in its contribution to the analysis of important aspects related to water resources. Over time, GT models have developed and have been applied to various aspects of water management, such as decisions on cost and benefit allocation in multi-objective multi-use water projects, conflicts and joint management of irrigation projects, management of groundwater aquifers, hydropower facilities, urban water supplies, wastewater treatment plants, and trans-boundary water disputes.
World water resources face new challenges that suggest a renewed role for GT in water management. Scarcity, growing populations, and massive development have led to increased competition over water resources and subsequent elevated pollution levels. Climate change is expected to unevenly affect the hydrological cycle, leading to increased variability in water supplies across time and space and uncertainty in water allocation decisions. Future investments in water resource projects will be astronomical, needing much more stable rules for cost allocations among participating entities and over time. Levels of water disputes may vary from local to regional, state, and international levels. All of these suggest that while GT models and applications to water resources have advanced over the years, much more is expected.

Indian Groundwater, 2019

The true compliance cost of any fluoride mitigation policy is unknown but some estimated figures ... more The true compliance cost of any fluoride mitigation policy is unknown but some estimated figures can be used. However, we do not know the full behavioural reactions to different possible mitigation policies. An alternative, equally ideal model on which decision-making could be based involves (a) estimation of changes in levels of exposure; (b) exposure-response functions linking levels to human mortality, human morbidity, and ecosystems and species; (c) willingness to pay for measures that avoid impacts identified in exposure-response relationships; and (d) allocation of benefits and costs to time periods (years). Such a procedure for estimating health benefits is more tractable than a CBA, but remains very difficult due to the absence of (a) a behavioural model of the economic sectors that use fluoride-contaminated water; (b) knowledge of change in exposure; (c) knowledge of exposure-response functions; and (d) internalization assumptions for occupational effects.

Praxis International Journal of Social Science and Literature

Routledge India eBooks, Oct 25, 2022

Indian Groundwater, 2022

Studies in Microeconomics, 2018

Public Investment in Household Water Infrastructure and Economic Development: An Achilles Heel for India?, 2021

Indian Groundwater, 2021

Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 2020

Technology Infrastructure as a Catalytic Agent for Eradicating Rural Poverty, 2020

Indian Groundwater, 2019

Economic Effects of Natural Disasters, 2021

Digital India for Agricultural and Rural Development: Scope and Limitations, 2019

Slow agricultural growth is a concern for policymakers as some two-thirds of India's population s... more Slow agricultural growth is a concern for policymakers as some two-thirds of India's population still depends on rural employment for a living. Current agricultural practices are neither economically nor environmentally sustainable and India's yields for many agricultural commodities are low. Poorly maintained irrigation systems and almost universal lack of good extension services are among the factors responsible. Farmers' access to markets is hampered by poor roads, rudimentary market infrastructure, and excessive regulation. Under the circumstances, it is high time that India thinks of modernization in agriculture to catch up with other developing countries. Smart Farming is the breakthrough application of science and technology in the field of agriculture. It is the application of technologies like Internet of Things (IoT), and Big Data analytics to enable farmers to take a much better and informed decision on farming practices and reap large benefits. This chapter is a review of how Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data Analytics is changing the agricultural scenario globally and how developing countries like India can benefit from use of such technology. The chapter also looks at examples of such modern technology based agricultural practices in other Asian and African countries.