Bhavnath Temple and Government of Gujarat
Essay by satish kumar • July 24, 2019 • Case Study • 648 Words (3 Pages) • 2,008 Views
Case Analysis: Bhavnath Temple
Problem Statement:
What course of action should the Government of Gujarat follow for the construction of Dam.
Situation Analysis:
The Public Works Department has been working towards the construction of dam across the rivers Lokmata and Sadmata in the state of Gujarat to improve the agricultural production. However, they have been facing resistance from the villagers as the construction would result in the submergence of Bhavnath temple located in the projected reservoir. The issue is of sensitive nature, as it revolves around both the religious sentiments and economic development of the state. The department is uncertain about how to accommodate both the facets under a single umbrella.
According to the original proposal, the dam was set to impound 4700 million cubic feet of water without submergence of the Bhavnath temple and the revised proposal suggested an increase in capacity to 5700 million cubic feet at an additional cost of Rs. 20 lakhs. However, the additional benefits were to be realized at the cost of the temple.
Criteria | Original Plan | Subsequent Plan |
Dam Capacity | 4700 million cubic feet | 5700 million cubic feet |
Irrigation Land | 92000 acres (19300 + 73600) | 112000 acres |
Numbers of district benefited | 3 | 3 |
Land to be submerged | 10500 acres | Increased area |
Affected villages | 20 | Cannot be determined |
Compensated villages | 8 | - |
FSL (Full Supply Level) | 592 | 595 |
HFL (Highest Flood Level) | 596 | 606 |
TDL (Top of the Dam Level) | 601 | - |
Catchment area | 230 square miles | - |
Expected Revenue | 15.83 lakhs | Approx. 19.27 lakh |
Expected increase in agricultural production | 30400 tons per annum | Will increase according to proportional increase in area |
The new plan was devised with the interest of raising the irrigation potential with the new capacity at 5700 million cubic feet. While there was a marginal addition to the cost of constructing the canal system, the irrigation facilities would spread to a larger area(20,000 acres) which would result in an increase in the agricultural production and revenues.
Criteria for Decision Making:
- Long-term economic development of the state
- Agricultural advancement
- Religious sentiments
- Social cost
- Marginal benefit vis-à-vis. Marginal cost
Alternatives:
- Follow the initial plan of construction of dam with capacity of 4700 million cubic feet.
- Follow the subsequent plan of construction of dam with capacity of 5700 million cubic feet.
- Follow the first (1st) alternative with expansion potential.
Evaluation of Alternatives:
Rank of Criteria | Criteria | Alternative 1 | Alternative 2 | Alternative3 |
1 | Long Term Economic Development of the state | High | High | Maximum |
2 | Agricultural advancement | Average | Maximum | Average |
3 | Religious sentiments | Attended to | Not Attended to | Attended to |
4 | Social Cost | Low | High | Relatively low |
5 | Marginal benefit vis-à-vis. Marginal Cost | Benefit > Cost | Benefit < Cost (High social cost) | Benefit > Cost |
6 | Government’s credibility | High | Low | Maximum |
Choice of Alternative and Implementation:
We are choosing the third (3rd) alternative which is an extension of the initial plan. The intent is to be able to make the villagers comfortable with the dam and see the economic benefits of this advancement. With more money flowing into the area, they will hopefully be able to think objectively at a later stage. It provides a scope to expand dam capacity to 5700 million cubic feet after 7-10 years. We will provide contractual jobs to the villagers as laborers in the construction of the dam and building of roads who have lost their livelihood. After the completion of dam one person from each family with matric qualification will get a government job, for which the government will provide accessibility to schools in these villages. Further, for every 3 villages government could provide a primary health care center. Since the temple is a popular pilgrimage site for a large number of people and it provides multiple attractions such as fair, dharamshala, suryakund, yagnakund and bhrugukund, it could be developed as a major tourist attraction which could result in an increase in the revenue from tourism for the government.
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