Computers and Development

A vast majority of India’s population is still living in the rural areas and there is great scope for improving the services in these areas. Computer technology has developed tremendously in the last decade and spread fairly well across our country. Computer applications till date have been largely restricted to urban areas. There is great potential in refocussing priorities to address and solve some of the issues that are important to rural areas through computer applications. From health-care data to land-record systems, to resource mapping which would help to identify and sustainably use the vast natural resources, computers can play a crucial role.

The combination of people and machines has frequently resulted in dramatic change - for instance, the industrial revolution, the technology revolution, and now the information revolution.

Several nations have developed significantly because of the successful integration of information technology into their economy. The importance of this revolution was fully brought out at the two day workshop on `Computer Applications for Rural Development’, August 7-8, 1992, Nashik organised by Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas (CTARA) and Computer Society for India (CSI) Nashik Chapter.

CTARA is a multi-disciplinary Centre aimed at developing alternate technologies for the perceived needs of a specific region within a planning perspective. CSI is a body of professionals related to the field of Information technology. It is committed to the advancement of Computer Engineering and Technology System Science and Engineering and information processing.

The workshop, the first of its kind, attracted representatives not only from the computer industry but also people from public, private and independent sectors. The focus of the workshop was the wide spectrum of areas in which computers are being used for rural development with practical case studies. The workshop was a revelation as to how the computer technology is and will be, playing a major role in every conceivable field related to rural & sustainable development.

The objectives of the workshop were:

To be able to assess what is possible to use from available computer technologies for rural development.

To evolve a catalytic effect towards further action plans for enhanced technology transfer to improve the situations.

The topics covered ranged from Conceptual applications, to User friendly databases, to Computer-aided design and support systems for rural utility.

The paper presented by Dr. Prasad M. Modak and Juzer F. Dhoondia from Centre for Environment Science and Engineering [CESE], IIT Bombay was on "Personal Computer Application in Water Supply and Management". It provides an overview on how computer hardware coupled with softwares like DataBase Management Systems (DBMS), Graphics and Computer Aided Design can help water engineers in the area of interactive water distribution and sewerage network designs.

Waterbase, a DBMS software, developed by CESE, IIT Bombay, for the Central Pollution Control Board, consists of a database which maintains data on the water quality of several Indian rivers. Within seconds it is capable of recalling data based on any qualitative or quantitative index [for instance, the number of locations where the BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) concentration of the Ganga river is above 2mg/l]. DBMSs can also be used to store data relating to water treatment plants. Such DBMSs can help make regular evaluations of the performance of the plant, show the pattern of chemical consumption, issue preventive maintenance circulars, maintain list of workers on the plant etc. All these database together can help in developing data banks and can facilitate in designing realistic and improved water treatment plants.

The interactive computation and graphic capabilities of computers coupled with CAD softwares have opened up new avenues of design options. A number of applications of graphics with built-in design process exist, e.g.. design of branch and looped water distribution networks or sewerage networks. An option of graphical editing interface helps in interactive designing of networks which leads to a better understanding of system behaviour. The most common form of water distribution network, relevant to rural or semi-urban areas, is the branched network. The BRANCH Version 3.9 software helps to design the diameter of the pipes used in these networks.

Dr. Syed Ismail from SIFA Sanpra System Pvt. Ltd., presented a paper on "The Role of Computers in Rural Development", listing out the areas where computers can help in developing rural India. The developing rural sector requires constant intensive investment in power generation and distribution, transport and communication. But for development to be significant and self-sustaining, parallel activities must continue, for instance improving educational standards, reducing the extent of damage due to natural disasters, assisting the agricultural sector and providing information on weather and soil fertility, water management and forecasting etc.

The population of our country is increasing day by day resulting in a decrease in the per capita availability of food. This clearly indicates that there is a need to monitor and use the available resources efficiently. Nodal rural computer centres should be set up to collect and maintain information like cropping patterns in the area, irrigation schedules, availability of water, pest control, expected yield etc. The data collected can be analysed by experts at an apex location to provide necessary guidance or advocate preventive measures, which will surely increase the productivity significantly. Sprinkler irrigation with microprocessor controls, drip irrigation with measurement of soil moisture and flood-water canal irrigation are all other areas for using the computer technology effectively.

One outstanding example of computer-propelled success is the Balram-a machine, designed by Development Alternatives, that revolutionised the concept of a compressed mud block press. Computers were used to convert what was merely a tool into a piece of technology capable of functioning under extremely demanding circumstances. Another innovation is the Tara Loom - an improved loom with increased productivity over traditional versions, owning to computer -aided modifications made by Development Alternatives.

Computers and their varied capabilities a crucial to yet another dream of Development Alternatives - the "building supermarket" - conceived as a vehicle for propagating alternative building technologies. At a building supermarket, rural or urban people would have an opportunity for the first time to "shop" for the dwelling unit of their preference. Customers would come into the supermarket and specify designs in lay terms to the specialists available there. The specialist would then be in a position, utilising the services of the computer, to design a structure, make necessary alternations and be able to provide the person with a list of items that would be required alongwith their projected costs. This would enable the person to decide, and even buy the entire lot of materials that would be required for the purpose of constructing the unit very conveniently.

Computers play an important role in storage, classification and retrieval of information on various issues. Organisations working on a wide range of issues, have been able to utilise information on a large database to some good effect through the services offered by computers.

The merger of computer and telecommunication technologies is part of a broad array of technological innovations that have enabled the direct end user an access to organisational databases via interfaces, on a global scale. E-mail is a system which not only provides access to databases on various subjects, but also allows sharing of information bases amongst institutions across the globe.

Yet another area where computers can play a crucial role is to function as Decision Support Systems (DSS) enabling communities to plan and decide for themselves the path and pace of development. They can help the communities identify their resources, link them to their goals, and prepare a plan of action to achieve these goals, thereby accelerating the development process at block and district levels. The capability to perform this task, given the size and diversity of a country like India, will be greatly enhanced through the use of computer-based DSS.

In order to achieve sustainable development, the first major task is to acquire the capability to identify, quantify, and put to optimal use the available resources. Geographic information systems [GIS] provide this capability. GIS will also provide a whole new opportunity of sharing skills and knowledge and more particularly output, with other organisations in the country, providing each with the type of data that is required to make their programmes more effective and productive.

The circle of development will not be complete unless computer capabilities are fully understood and their benefits are delivered to the sections of population that require them at the grassroot level. Computers may not have solutions to all our developmental and planning problems, but they can serve as a very important tool to facilitate better living options for a vast majority of urban and rural population in any country.


by Rajalakshmi Murali

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