Groundwater Market in West Bengal, India: Does it Display Monopoly Power?

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 105-129
Author(s):  
Achiransu Acharyya ◽  
Madhusudan Ghosh ◽  
Rabindra N. Bhattacharya
Keyword(s):  
West Bengal ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Bank Loans ◽  
Groundwater Extraction ◽  
Market Theory ◽  
Extraction Mechanism ◽  
Groundwater Irrigation ◽  
Private Investors ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Farmland Owners

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 also affect the price of water. As the groundwater extraction increases, it leads to lowering of the groundwater table leading to increasing cost for the water seller who in effect transfers the increasing cost to price leading to a rise in groundwater prices. This is a cause of concern not only for the small and marginal farmers but also for the sustainability of groundwater. JEL Classifications: Q15, D42, Q21

scholarly journals Changing Trends of Antimicrobial Resistance in Neonatal Sepsis: Experience from a Tertiary Care Hospital from West Bengal, India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manjula Dutta ◽  
Piyali Mitra ◽  
Shankha Subhra Nag ◽  
Abhijit Dutta
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Neonatal Sepsis ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
World Health ◽  
Klebsiella Pneumonia ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Very High

Introduction: Sepsis is the second leading cause of neonatal mortality in India. Emergence of highly resistant microorganisms as an aetiology of neonatal sepsis is a matter of serious concern. Aim: To study the prevailing aetiological agents in neonatal sepsis and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was performed in a tertiary care teaching hospital in neonatal care units in North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal, India, over a period of two years from March 2017 to February 2019. All the neonates having clinical features suggestive of sepsis were subjected to blood culture using BacT/ALERT® PF Plus. Microbial identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing was done by VITEK-2 automated systems. Chi-square test was done using Epi info software version 7.1 and p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Out of 403 neonates investigated for suspected sepsis, 156 (38.7%) were found to be culture positive. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common organism isolated (n=90, 57.7%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (n=24, 15.4%) and Acinetobacter baumannii (n=10, 6.4%). Klebsiella pneumoniae showed a very high degree of resistance to ampicillin, amoxycillin- clavulenic acid (100% each), cefotaxime (93.4%), ceftazidime (92.3%), gentamycin (94.5%) and tobramycin (94.5%). High resistance of Staphylococcus aureus was seen against ampicillin (100%), cloxacillin (62.5%), amoxicillin-clavulenic acid (70.9%), and cefotaxime (79.2%). Few isolates of Klebsiella pneumonia (6.6%), Acinetobacter baumannii (60%) and Enterobacter cloacae (50%) were sensitive only to colistin and tigecycline. Conclusion: Most of the isolates showed very high degree of resistance against first line of antibiotics recommended by World Health Organisation (WHO) (ampicillin and gentamycin or amikacin) for empirical treatment of neonatal sepsis. Emergence of highly resistant organisms sensitive only to colistin and tigecycline should be considered as an eye opener. Strict adherence to sepsis prevention along with regular surveillance of organisms and their sensitivity patterns is the need of the hour to improve survival by contributing to antibiotic stewardship.

scholarly journals “Rules of engagement”

2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 551-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolai Mouraviev ◽  
Nada K. Kakabadse
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Law Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Private Investors ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate to what extent one can apply experiential learning theory (ELT) to the public-private partnership (PPP) setting in Russia and to draw insights regarding the learning cycle ' s nature. Additionally, the paper assesses whether the PPP case confirms Kolb ' s ELT. Design/methodology/approach – The case study draws upon primary data which the authors collected by interviewing informants including a PPP operator ' s managers, lawyers from Russian law firms and an expert from the National PPP Centre. The authors accomplished data source triangulation in order to ensure a high degree of research validity. Findings – Experiential learning has resulted in a successful and a relatively fast PPP project launch without the concessionary framework. The lessons learned include the need for effective stakeholder engagement; avoiding being stuck in bureaucracy such as collaboration with Federal Ministries and anti-trust agency; avoiding application for government funding as the approval process is tangled and lengthy; attracting strategic private investors; shaping positive public perception of a PPP project; and making continuous efforts in order to effectively mitigate the public acceptance risk. Originality/value – The paper contributes to ELT by incorporating the impact of social environment in the learning model. Additionally, the paper tests the applicability of ELT to learning in the complex organisational setting, i.e., a PPP.

Placing the Urban in its Rural Context: A Mixed Methods Case Study of a ‘Census Town’ in India

Urbanisation ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srilata Sircar
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Urban Forms ◽  
Mixed Methods Case Study ◽  
Rural Context ◽  
Oral History Interviews

How do we understand the contemporary urban condition, especially in the context of the developing world? Through a mixed methods case study of a ‘census town’ in West Bengal, India, this article seeks to demonstrate that the contemporary urban, in form and content, is the imprint of the rural. Based on narrative analysis of oral history interviews and statistical data from a household survey, the article argues that the urban here is a spatial articulation of the specific historical experiences of people inhabiting the context and brings into relief the continuities between agrarian relations and urban forms.

Fuzzy Expert System for Rural Household Survey in West Bengal

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Himadri Mukherjee ◽  
Samarjit Kar ◽  
Swapan Paruya ◽  
Samarjit Kar ◽  
Suchismita Roy
Keyword(s):  
Expert System ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Rural Household ◽  
Fuzzy Expert System

Safety net programs in West Bengal: how much effective?

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 2019-2032
Author(s):  
Arghya Kusum Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Distribution System ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Cash Transfer ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Transfer Program ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Employment Guarantee

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to find the determinants of participation and targeting efficiency of the following safety net programs in West Bengal: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), self-targeted program; National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), subsidy based livelihood program; Indira Awaas Yojona (IAY), targeted cash transfer program and Public Distribution System (PDS), targeted in kind transfer program. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a household survey comprising 900 households across three Districts: Murshidabad, Nadia and Burdwan. Findings Benefits from MNREGA and PDS are not substantial, whereas financial benefits are substantial from NRLM and IAY. This paper shows that poor people have higher likelihood of participation in MNREGA and PDS. But, non poor get disproportionate benefits from IAY and NRLM both have been designed for the poor. Therefore, targeting cannot remove elite capture altogether. Socially down trodden section have higher participation in MNREGA and PDS, whereas people who are at upper tier of social hierarchy enjoy the benefits of IAY and NRLM. However, it cannot be said that these programs miss their target completely. Practical implications The study suffers from the usual limitations of sampling. Social implications Programs targeted for the poor are being appropriated by the non poor. If there is better targeting money will be channelized to the desired beneficiaries and welfare will be enhanced. Originality/value The study has unearthed the underlying reasons behind why some safety net programs have better targeting and some safety net programs have poor targeting.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Irrigation Water Components for Water Resources Management using Geo-Informatics Approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Mohsin Waqas ◽  
Muhammad Waseem ◽  
Sikandar Ali ◽  
Megersa Kebede Leta ◽  
Adnan Noor Shah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Indus Basin ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Command Area ◽  
Groundwater Extraction ◽  
Canal Water ◽  
Average Value ◽  
Groundwater Irrigation ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Irrigation water management components evaluation is mandatory for sustainable irrigated agriculture production in the era of water scarcity. In this research spatio-temporal distribution of irrigation water components were evaluated at canal command area in Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS) using remote sensing based geo-informatics approach. Satellite derived MODIS product-based Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) was used for the estimation of the Actual Evapotranspiration (ETa). Satellite derived SEBAL based ETa was calibrated and validated using the ground data-based advection aridity method (AA). Statistical analysis of the SEBAL based ETa and AA shows the mean 87.1 mm and 47.9 mm and, 100 mm and 77 mm, Standard deviation of 27.7 mm and 15.9 mm and, 34.9 mm and 16.1 mm, R of 0.93 and 0.94, NSE of 0.72 and 0.85, PBIASE -12.9 and -4.4, RMSE 34.9 and 5.76 for the Kharif and Rabi season, respectively. Rainfall data was acquired from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). TRMM based rainfall was calibrated with the point observatory data of the Pakistan Metrological Department Stations. Canal water data was collected from the Punjab Irrigation department for the assessment of canal water availability. Water The water balance approach was applied in the unsaturated zone for the quantification of the gross and net Groundwater irrigation. Mmonthly variation of ETa with the minimum average value of 63.3 mm in January and the maximum average value of 110.6 mm in August was found. While, the average annual of four cropping years (2011-12 to 2014-15) ETa was found 899 mm. Average of the sum of Net Canal Water Use (NCWU) and Rainfall during the study period of four years was only 548 mm (36% of ETa) and this resulted the 739.6 mm of groundwater extraction. While the annual based variation in groundwater extraction of 632 mm and 780 mm was found. Seasonal analysis revealed 39% and 61% of groundwater extraction proportion during Rabi and Kharif season, respectively. The variation in four cropping year’s monthly groundwater extraction was found 28.7 mm to 120.3 mm. This variation was high in the 2011-12 to 2012-13 cropping year (0 mm to 148.7 mm), dependent upon the occurrence of rainfall and crop phenology. Net groundwater irrigation, estimated after incorporating the efficiencies was 503 mm year-1 on average for the four cropping years.

scholarly journals Literacy Rates and its Impact on Birth Rates in Nadia District, West Bengal, India

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahadeb Ghosh ◽  
Biswaranjan Mistri
Keyword(s):  
Birth Rate ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Educational Inequality ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Birth Rates ◽  
Spatial Inequalities ◽  
The One ◽  
Demographic Behaviour

Equality in socio-economic component is essential for human development and social change. Educational inequality reduces economic growth and women's empowerment on the one hand and increases birth rate on the other. In population studies, it has been established that educational level is collinearly related with demographic behaviour. This study aims to investigate inequalities in literacy rates and its impact on birth rates in Nowpara-I Gram Panchayat (GP) located in the Krishnagar II C.D. Block, Nadia District of West Bengal using a household survey conducted in 356 households among women aged 49 and above in triangulation with secondary data. The aim of this study is to explore the causes of the spatial inequalities in education and its effect on spatial variations in birth rates. The key finding suggest that in Nowpara-I, negative relationships exist between female education and birth rate because education has a positive impact on empowerment, late marriage, use of contraceptives and family size.

scholarly journals Rhinosporidiosis: Various Presentations and Different Sites

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-56
Author(s):  
Saumendra Nath Bandopadhyay ◽  
Utpal Jana ◽  
Gautam Bandopadhyay ◽  
Tapas Kumar Majhi ◽  
Shubhrakanti Sen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Respiratory Distress ◽  
Nasal Obstruction ◽  
Nasal Mucosa ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Subcutaneous Tissue ◽  
Nasal Discharge ◽  
Nasal Disease ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Medical Colleges

IntroductionRhinosporidiosis commonly affects nasal mucosa but may have varied presentations depending upon the site of involvement. Materials and Methods119 patients of rhinosporidiosis, attending the two medical colleges of West Bengal over a period of two years were reviewed. ResultsGranulomatous lesion in the nose and nasopharynx was the commonest presentation. The most common symptoms were nasal obstruction, bleeding from the nose and nasal discharge. The less commonly involved sites were the eye, penis, skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and bone. DiscussionMost of the extranasal rhinosporisdiosis were secondary to nasal disease. Extranasal lesions do not have the typical granular polypoid appearance of the nasal and nasopharyngeal rhinosporidiosis. Extranasal rhinosporidiosis could be excised with minimal operative bleeding. ConclusionRhinosporidiosis has nasal and extranasal presentations. This chronic disease may also present acutely with respiratory distress or haemorrhage. A high degree of suspicion helps the diagnosis of extranasal rhinosporidiosis. FNAC helps in the diagnosis. Histopathology is confirmatory.

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