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In the Gang Canal region of Rajasthan, the cropping pattern changed from a labour intensive crop, cotton, to a mechanized crop, cluster beans. The shift in cropping pattern not only displaced workers from farm wage work but also brought changes in labour hiring contracts with large scale conversion of daily wage rate contracts to piece‐rate contracts. Drawing on a primary survey in a village from Gang Canal region, the paper examines the change in the agrarian relations in rural Rajasthan by analysing the emerging development in the rural labour relations. For piece‐rate work in farm wage work in some parts of Rajasthan, the wage rate is unilaterally decided by the landlords and large capitalist farmers and is denoted as the ‘village rate’. The manual workers have negligible bargaining power vis‐à‐vis the village rate. The conversion of daily wage rate contracts to piece‐rate contracts has enhanced the duration of working day that involves a rise in the rate of surplus value. Access and availability of low wage labour facilitates the accumulation of capital. With the limited availability of employment in the non‐farm sector (in both public and private sectors), workers are compelled to sell their labour power at wages that do not exceed the level of subsistence. The paper concludes with a brief examination of continuum of coercion and varied degree of unfreedom among worker in the village. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationship between the diffusion of drip irrigation technology, state subsidy programs to encourage its adoption by farmers, and gendered labor dynamics. Drip irrigation is promoted globally as a water conserving agricultural innovation that enhances water-use and productive efficiency by increasing yields with less water, while freeing up "saved" water for other uses. India leads the world in its rate of expansion and in total area. Relying on analyses of government drip irrigation policies and ethnographic field research conducted between 2015 and 2020 in the Indian state of Rajasthan, I find the successful diffusion of drip irrigation is dependent upon state subsidies, farmer adoption decisions and the availability of female labor. I engage conceptual work on water conservation technologies, and from feminist political ecology and infrastructure studies to argue: (1) the diffusion of drip irrigation is better understood as a gendered process of infrastructuring; which (2) is an ongoing process of the assembly of state subsidies, the aggregation of decentralized individual farmer adoption decisions, and the availability of on-demand, underpaid female labor; where (3) female laborers provide a "feminine labor subsidy" that produces productive efficiency gains and lends drip irrigation infrastructure its durability. Conceptualizing drip irrigation as a gendered process of infrastructuring, renders visible its emergent and gendered material politics. The conclusion discusses prospects for reassembling drip irrigation infrastructure in more materially just ways and its implications for the political ecology of water infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper contributes to the growing literature highlighting the significance of assessing risk and vulnerability, micro-level perceptions and adaptation decision-making in building resilience of farm communities to climate change in dryland region of India. To select a region for grassroots enquiry, spatial differential in risk to climate change was assessed in Rajasthan, using IPCC AR5 framework. Among the highly vulnerable and risky districts, Bikaner district was selected for elicitation of micro-level imperatives. Rising atmospheric temperature, inter-seasonal displacements of rainfall and recurrence of extreme events were perceived by the farmers resulting in resource degradation, production risks and erosion of households' socio-economic dynamics. As risk preventive measures, suitable adjustment in agricultural practices, natural resource management, shift to off-farm activities and other relief measures were adopted by the farmers. Farmer's choice of adaptation was influenced by several climatic, socio-economic and infrastructural & institutional factors in varying degree. Moreover, several financial, economic, infrastructural and informational bottlenecks to adaptations were reported during household survey and FGDs. The results suggest that capturing grassroots evidence is crucial for directing locally tailored adaptation strategies, along with the improving deficiencies in the developmental pathways for climate-resilient agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By reference to a multi-caste and tribal village in southern Rajasthan the paper examines the degree to which caste and tribal membership impacts on different aspects of migration, e.g. commencement, form, destination, duration, and types of work undertaken. Using a livelihoods approach, supplemented by other perspectives and concentrating on four migration streams (three domestic, one international), data collected over a period of nearly thirty-five years indicates that patterns of migration are far from random. It is argued that the use of official stratification categories in migration surveys can obscure important differences within caste groupings. Short-term circular migration, underestimated in national surveys, is shown to be substantial, especially for the tribal migrants in the village. While position in the social structure differentially affects aspects of migration across the village hierarchy, examples are given of individual migrant agency overcoming structural constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to identify, analyze and select the enablers for vertical integration of Aloe vera supply chain (AVSC) so that rural employability will be enhanced in the context of Rajasthan, India. Design/methodology/approach: Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) was proposed to develop a structural model to identify the right enablers for enhancing the rural employability and business prospects. Also, fuzzy-matrix cross-reference multiplication applied to classification (F-MICMAC) was applied to segregate the enablers into four clusters on the basis of their driving and dependence power. Finally, the significant enablers were selected. Findings: Out of identified 13 enablers, three enablers (i.e. institute for training and research, transportation infrastructure and government incentives for value addition) were appearing at the bottom of the ISM structural model and also in the driving quadrant of driver-dependent diagram. Therefore, they are the significant enablers for vertical integration of AVSC to enhance the rural employability in the context of Rajasthan, India. Research limitations/implications: The interactions among enablers are not statistically validated. However, the empirical analysis and total interpretive structural modeling may be used for this purpose. Practical implications: The outcomes of the study will provide the guidelines for implementation of vertical integration at the village level to enhance rural employability in the context of Rajasthan, India in specific. Originality/value: Although a few studies have been reported in the literature related to value-addition process (vertical integration), but the modeling of enablers to segregate and identify the appropriate enablers for vertical integration of AVSC for enhancing employability at the rural areas is unique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With reference to a village in a predominantly tribal part of Rajasthan, this paper illustrates the increasing heterogeneity of the rural educational landscape and examines different patterns of enrolment within this. While the findings confirm those of more macro-level studies using the four official social categories, intra-category differences are shown to be equally, if not more, important in helping to explain variations in the types and locations of schools chosen by parents. The social composition of government schools in the village has greatly narrowed and the majority of pupils in local private schools now come from tribal households. The expansion in size and number of commutable schools has moved the frontier of private schooling away from the village and provided new and increasingly exclusive contexts for both old and new forms of social division to be manifested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Indian adolescents experience body dissatisfaction. However, empirically supported interventions are lacking, particularly in lower socio-economic regions of India. This paper describes the acceptability testing of a six-session teacher-led comics-based intervention, aiming to improve body image and related outcomes among adolescents in Indian Hindi medium schools. Methods: Thirty-five students (50% girls; M age, girls = 12.3 years; M age, boys = 13 years) and nine teachers (11% women) from Hindi medium schools in Rajasthan, India, completed a quantitative acceptability questionnaire regarding comics that target body dissatisfaction and associated risk factors. They also participated in online or telephone semi-structured interviews to share in-depth feedback, with teachers providing additional feedback on an accompanying teacher guide. The quantitative data were analysed descriptively, with the interviews analysed using qualitative codebook thematic analysis. Results: Quantitative analyses revealed that 73% of students felt the comics made them feel good about themselves. Qualitative analyses revealed four themes: (1) body dissatisfaction is a concern; (2) the comics are powerful; (3) increasing ease of understanding; (4) a teacher guide to aid delivery. Conclusion: This study demonstrates acceptability of a novel teacher-led comics-based body image intervention for adolescents in Indian Hindi medium schools from lower socio-economic settings. These findings are currently informing intervention optimizations, which will be evaluated in a randomized controlled effectiveness trial. If found to be effective, this intervention will be disseminated across eight Indian states by UNICEF. Trial registration. This trial has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov; a database of privately and publicly funded studies conducted around the world. Registration date: 2nd May 2020; Registration ID: (NCT04317755). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04317755?term=NCT04317755&draw=2&rank=1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Disruptions during the COVID-19 lockdown caused children to miss immunizations. • Government catch-up efforts substantially reversed these effects. • Yet, children that were due vaccinations during the lockdown remained 10–15% less likely to be immunized 4–5 months later. • Catch-up was more likely to be incomplete among children of low socioeconomic status. • Ensuring all children are fully immunized requires careful tracking and disaggregated data. Governments around the world suspended immunization outreach to control COVID-19 spread. Many have since resumed services with an emphasis on catch-up vaccinations. This paper evaluated immunization disruptions during India's March-May 2020 lockdown and the extent to which subsequent catch-up efforts reversed them in Rajasthan, India. In this retrospective observational study, we conducted phone surveys to collect immunization details for 2,144 children that turned one year old between January and October 2020. We used logistic regressions to compare differences in immunization timeliness and completed first-year immunization status among children that were due immunizations just before (unexposed), during (heavily exposed), and after (post-exposure) the lockdown. Relative to unexposed children, heavily exposed children were significantly less likely to be immunized at or before 9 months (OR 0.550; 95% CI 0.367–0.824; p = 0.004), but more likely to be immunized at 10–12 months (OR 1.761; 95% CI 1.196–2.591; p = 0.004). They were also less likely to have completed their key first-year immunizations (OR 0.624; 95% CI 0.478–0.816; p = 0.001) by the time of survey. In contrast, post-exposure children showed no difference in timeliness or completed first-year immunizations relative to unexposed children, despite their younger age. First-year immunization coverage among heavily exposed children decreased by 6.9 pp to 10.4 pp (9.7% to 14.0%). Declines in immunization coverage were larger among children in households that were poorer, less educated, lower caste, and residing in COVID red zones, although subgroup comparisons were not statistically significant. Disruptions to immunization services resulted in children missing immunization during the lockdown, but catch-up efforts after it was eased ensured many children were reached at later ages. Nevertheless, catch-up was incomplete and children due their immunizations during the lockdown remained less likely to be fully immunized 4–5 months after it lifted, even as younger cohorts due immunizations in June or later returned to pre-lockdown schedules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The psychological well-being of school teachers is a growing concern in the post-pandemic era. Many initiatives are undertaken by individual school authorities and government agencies to address this issue. In this study, we examine the impact of energy management, thriving, and stress on the psychological well-being of school teachers in India. Method: Data was collected from 356 school teachers in Rajasthan, India, through a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. These teachers were working both in rural and urban areas. The relationship among energy management, thriving, stress, and psychological well-being was analyzed using hierarchical regression. Results: The findings suggest that energy management positively impacts psychological well-being. A mediating effect of thriving and stress on the relationship between energy management and psychological well-being was also found. The results support that psychological well-being can be enhanced by investing in managing school teachers' energy levels. Discussion: These results contribute to our theoretical and practical understanding of factors that can enhance the psychological well-being of school teachers and improve the quality of education. Institutes may design and implement interventions on energy management to enhance the psychological well-being of school teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Culture, Health & Sexuality is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Though Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is successful in increasing antenatal and natal care services, little is known on the cost coverage of out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) on maternal care services post-NRHM period.Methods: Using data from a community-based study of 424 recently delivered women in Rajasthan, this paper examined the variation in OOPE in accessing maternal health services and the extent to which JSY incentives covered the burden of cost incurred. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses are used to understand the differential and determinants of OOPE.Results: The mean OOPE for antenatal care was US$26 at public health centres and US$64 at private health centres. The OOPE (antenatal and natal) per delivery was US$32 if delivery was conducted at home, US$78 at public facility and US$154 at private facility. The OOPE varied by the type of delivery, delivery with complications and place of ANC. The OOPE in public health centre was US$44 and US$145 for normal and complicated delivery, respectively. The share of JSY was 44 % of the total cost per delivery, 77 % in case of normal delivery and 23 % for complicated delivery. Results from the log linear model suggest that economic status, educational level and pregnancy complications are significant predictors of OOPE.Conclusions: Our results suggest that JSY has increased the coverage of institutional delivery and reduced financial stress to household and families but not sufficient for complicated delivery. Provisioning of providing sonography/other test and treating complicated cases in public health centres need to be strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Based on a study of how rural land brokers mediate the arrival of a Special Economic Zone in rural Rajasthan, this paper argues that theories of collective social capital cannot explain how networks, norms, and trust interact in a process of economic change. It then reconstructs Bourdieu’s distinct theory of individual social capital by showing how better-connected farmers are able to broker land and capture profits at the expense of fellow villagers, undermining trust, norms, and collective action. It argues that social capital is most plausibly seen as an aspect of social inequality that hinders inclusive development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) infections are among the most common and widespread infections in developing countries where sanitation facilities are inadequate. Aims: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of STH infections in prenatal mothers in two states in India. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Maharashtra and Rajasthan state of India. We randomly selected one municipal corporation and one rural block from a selected district in each state. Methods and Material: Out of 2400 contacted, 2206 pregnant women gave stool samples for microscopy for parasitological study. The response rate was 89.91%. Stool specimens were transported to an accredited lab and examined microscopically within 24 hrs. Results: Prevalence of STH was 8.34 (95%CI 7.22–9.57). The prevalence in rural and urban areas was 10.01% (95%CI 8.51–11.74) and 5.76% (95%CI 4.39–7.52), respectively. Ascaris lumbricoides (34.7%) were the most common, followed by Entamoeba histolytica (30.43%), and 20.1% were mixed infections. Higher age, walking barefoot, weight gain during pregnancy were significantly associated with STH (p < 0.05). The mean hemoglobin value in women with STH was significantly less (8.75 gm%; SD 4.04) compared to those without STH (10.23 gm%; SD 1.23) (p < 0.05), and average weight gain during pregnancy was significantly less among women with STH (3.80 kg; 4.11) compared to women without STH (8.45 kg; 2.83); (p = 0.000). Conclusion: The study provides valuable insights into the burden and intensity of STH in pregnant women that may support the policy recommendation for deworming during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the introduction of a scheme promoting institutional deliveries in India, dai-mas (traditional midwives) have not become obsolete, but remain integral to institutional caregiving in rural areas in ways that are not always recognized. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in rural Rajasthan, I discuss two institutional contexts in which dai-mas were encountered – traditional midwife training event and hospital births. By examining how dai-mas' authoritative knowledge is reconfigured within institutions, I suggest that the polysemic Hindi term jugaad – a phrase describing the kinds of improvisation required in resource-poor settings – captures different aspects of dai-mas' relationships with and within institutions and the state of maternal caregiving in rural India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A small vertebrate faunal assemblage of late Middle Eocene (Bartonian) age is described from the Bandah Formation, a shallow marine deposit in the Jaisalmer Basin of Rajasthan state, Western India. The Bandah assemblage comprises representatives of selachians (sharks, rays), crocodilians, turtles and archaeocete cetaceans (archaic whales). The mammalian component of this fauna, though represented by fragmentary specimens, allows identification of two archaeocete taxa for the first time from the Palaeogene of Rajasthan: an unnamed protocetid close to Babiacetus and an andrewsiphiine remingtonocetid (Kutchicetus sp.). Occurrence of Eocene cetaceans in the Jaisalmer Basin brings to light a new, potentially rich cetacean-yielding horizon in India, and has the potential to allow a better understanding of early whale evolution in the Indian subcontinent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major limitation of road injury research in low- and-middle income countries is the lack of consistent data across the settings, such as traffic counts, to measure traffic risk. This study presents a novel method in which traffic volume of heavy vehicles – trucks and buses – is estimated by identifying these vehicles from satellite imagery of Google Earth. For Rajasthan state in India, a total of ∼44,000 such vehicles were manually identified and geo-located on national highways (NHs), with no distinction made between trucks and buses. To estimate population living in proximity to NHs, defined as those living within 1 km buffer of NH, we geocoded ∼45,000 villages and ∼300 cities using Google Maps Geocoding Application Programming Interface (API). We fitted a spatio-temporal Bayesian regression model with the number of road deaths at the district level as the outcome variable. We found a strong Pearson correlation of 0.84 (p < 0.001) between Google Earth estimates of heavy vehicles and freight vehicle counts reported by a national-level study for different road sections. The regression results show that the volume of heavy vehicles and rural population in proximity to highways are positively associated with fatality risk in the districts. These effects have been estimated after controlling for other modes of travel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID pandemic and subsequent lockdown has disrupted food supplies across large parts of India, where even prior to the pandemic, food insecurity and malnutrition were widely prevalent. Tribal populations in southern Rajasthan, India, live in extreme scarcity, rely mainly on outward migration for sustenance, and have been significantly affected by the pandemic. In this study, we assess the availability of foodstuffs at the household level and community experiences about satiety and hunger during lockdown.Methodology: We conducted a rapid assessment of food security in rural southern Rajasthan, India, using a structured questionnaire. Trained interviewers conducted telephonic interviews using KoBoToolbox, an open-source tool. A total of 211 respondents including community volunteers, family members of tuberculosis patients and malnourished children, pregnant women, and influential members in the villages participated in the study.Results: A cereal was reported to be present by 97% of the respondents, two-thirds had pulses, and nearly half had milk. The amount of cereals available was adequate for about 5 months and that of pulses, oil/ ghee, and sugar for about 1 to 2 weeks. Two-thirds of the respondents reported that food in their households was sometimes not sufficient for the amount they wanted to eat, and 97% of these mentioned not having money to buy food as the reason for not having sufficient food.Conclusion: This study highlights widespread food insecurity among tribal communities in southern Rajasthan, and the scenario is likely to be similar in other tribal migration dependent areas of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive study on health convergence based on beta (β), sigma (σ) and club convergence is attempted here across 26 Indian states over time using NFHS (1–4) data. We formulate an overall health index (OHI) from three sub-health dimensions like child, reproductive and general health based on selected health indicators. The results show that the states are improving in respect of OHI; there exist absolute β convergence in respect of OHI and its sub-dimensions; however, we find σ divergent in respect of OHI and its sub-health dimension indices except child heath index. The club convergence based on kernel density provides a clear picture about stratification, polarization and uni-modal distributions of states in respect of OHI; over time states are converging to a steady state at higher value of OHI, but in the long-run there exists 'low level health trap' among five major states like UP, MP, Rajasthan, Bihar and Assam. Except Rajasthan, all the four major states remain at the lower level in respect of sub-health dimensions too. These five major states roughly account for 50% of India's population, and more than 50% of India's future demographic dividend will emerge from these major states. Therefore, in order to reap the benefits of demographic return, a major investment in human capital is urgently needed. Such 'low level health trap' justifies the 'big push' theory to health. This analysis can be applied at the sub-state level for policy intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used data from a cluster-randomized trial in rural Rajasthan, India to evaluate the impact of providing access to a community-based daycare program on women's economic outcomes two years later. The sample included 2858 mothers with age-eligible children. Providing access to daycare led 43% of households to utilize them. The intervention reduced time on childcare by 16.0 minutes/day (95%CI=-10.6, 42.5) and increased the probabilities that women were paid in cash and spent time during the prior day on paid work by 2.3 (95%CI=0.0, 4.5) and 2.6 (95%CI=0.9, 4.4) percentage points. Other indicators of labor force participation and income were unaffected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Intimate partner violence (IPV) encompasses physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, as well as controlling behavior. Most research focuses on physical and sexual abuse, and other aspects of IPV are rarely investigated. We estimated the effect of these neglected aspects of IPV on women's mental distress.Methods: We used data from 3010 women living in rural tribal communities in Rajasthan, India. Women completed baseline interviews and were re-interviewed approximately 1.5 years later. We measured IPV with questions adopted from the Demographic and Health Survey's Domestic Violence Module, which asked seven questions about physical abuse, three questions about psychological abuse, and five questions about partner controlling behavior. Mental distress was measured with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (score range 0-12). We used Poisson regression models to estimate the relation between changes in IPV and mental distress, accounting for time-fixed characteristics of individuals using individual fixed effects.Results: Women reported an average of 2.1 distress symptoms during baseline interviews. In models that controlled for time-varying confounding (e.g., wealth, other types of abuse), experiencing psychological abuse was associated with an increase of 0.65 distress symptoms (95% CI 0.32, 0.98), and experiencing controlling behavior was associated with an increase of 0.31 distress symptoms (95% CI 0.18, 0.44). However, experiencing physical abuse was not associated with an increase in distress symptoms (mean difference = - 0.15, 95% CI - 0.45, 0.15).Conclusions: Psychological abuse and controlling behavior may be important drivers of the relation between IPV and women's mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ghosts are omnipresent in rural Rajasthan. I recount five ghostly incidents to consider the possibility of ghosts within anthropological fieldwork and voice. Haunting space and time, ghosts also seem to be haunted by desire, power, literature, and bodies. Looking closely to the multiple hauntings of and on ghosts, I examine the ways such multiplex spooks acquire or usurp voice. By taking seriously the possibility of ghosts within or occupying the everyday of claims making, I engage the ways ghosts might point anthropology toward a more anxious relationship with utterance and an ethics of voice that allows for a haunted subject. Recognizing the multiplex nature of ghosts renders them irreducible to windows onto psyche, memory, or social forms and instead leads to a more dynamic perspective on the subject which cannot be unitary or wholly reflexive in a world with ghosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hydrogeology Journal is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Arid regions of Rajasthan in India are characterized by harsh environments, fragile ecosystems, and limited water resources and arable lands. Desertification is one of the major land-degradation problems in these regions. Recent changes in the regional climatic regime and the low availability of water in this northwestern state of India, pose the threat of desertification in the agriculturally productive part of the state. This study aims to delineate the environmentally sensitive areas to desertification in the districts of Jhunjhunun and Sikar in Rajasthan, India. It uses geospatial data from various sources, and combines them to calculate an environmental sensitivity index ( ESI), which will allow the quantification of the area's vulnerability to desertification. The study uses the analytical hierarchical process ( AHP) to assign respective weights to individual factors for each index calculation. Land-cover maps and socio-economic data have been used to understand their relationship with ESI. Results showed that 13 percent and 45 percent of the study area are under highly sensitive and moderately sensitive zones, respectively. Mapping and monitoring of environmentally sensitive areas in such arid regions are critical to sustainable use and planning of natural resources namely water and land-cover and are helpful in determining priority actions and their successful implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, globalized flows of biomedical discourse like evidence-based delivery practices (EBDs) and new technologies are reshaping the field of reproductive health care. As iterations of evidence-based medicine shift, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) increasingly act as distributive agents for biomedical projects that equate modernized health care spaces and provider-care techniques with a marked improvement in the safety of birth outcomes. In this article, I examine how particular local iterations of EBDs are distributed to skilled birth attendants (SBAs) who have become sites for globalized projects aimed at reshaping their professional designation. I draw on data collected through in-depth ethnographic interviews with SBAs practicing in health centers around southern Rajasthan to explore the dynamics and tensions surrounding the professionalization of midwives and the increasing promotion of EBDs in institutional labor rooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field study evaluated the performance of direct well recharge structures (DWRS) in order to harvest and filter farm runoff and its discharge into open dug wells to augment groundwater recharge. This was undertaken between 2016 and 2018 using a total of 11 wells in the Dharta watershed, situated in a semi-arid hardrock region of Udaipur district, Rajasthan, India. The depth to water level in each DWRS well was monitored weekly for 1 to 3 years before and after the DWRS was established, and water samples were taken for water quality analysis (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, fluoride, and Escherichia coli) before and during the monsoon period. For each DWRS well, two control wells in close proximity were also monitored and sampled. Five of the DWRS established in 2018 also had flow meters installed in order to measure discharge from the filter to the well. The volume of water recharged through DWRS into individual wells during the 2018 monsoon ranged from 2 to 176 m3 per well. Although the mean rise in water levels over the monsoon was higher in DWRS wells than in nearby control wells, the difference was not significant. Values of pH, EC, TDS, and F decreased in DWRS and control wells as each monsoon progressed, whereas the turbidity of wells with DWRS increased slightly. There was no significant difference between DWRS and control wells for pH, EC/TDS, turbidity, or fluoride. The presence of E. coli in DWRS wells was higher than in control wells, however, E. coli exceeded drinking water guidelines in all sampled wells. On the basis of this study, it is recommended that rural runoff should not be admitted to wells that are used for, or close to, wells used for drinking water supplies, even though salinity and fluoride concentrations may be reduced. For this study, none of the 11 DWRS wells produced sufficient additional recharge to potentially increase dry season irrigation supplies to justify expenditure on DWRS. This even applies to the DWRS well adjacent to a small ephemeral stream that had a significantly larger catchment area than those drawing on farmers' fields alone. An important and unexpected finding of this study was that no sampled open dug well met drinking water standards. This has led to a shift in local priorities to implement well-head water quality protection measures for wells used for drinking water supplies. It is recommended that parapet walls be built around the perimeter of such dug wells, as well as having covers be installed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rural farmers in western Rajasthan State are uneducated and most of the applications of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are demonstrated and run in the English Language. The majority of these rural farmers who are illiterates with a very low level of understanding of the English Language find it difficult to take advantage of the availability of ICT to facilitate their access to information for their farm businesses. This study examined the role of ICT in enhancing the farmers' access to production and marketing information in western Rajasthan State in India. Primary data was collected from 133 farmers consisting of 71 ICT users and 62 Non-ICT users through questionnaire administration. The results of the Analysis of Variance test regarding the farmers' access to different types of production and marketing information revealed that the user type (i.e., ICT versus Non-ICT user) significantly explains the differences in farmers' access to the different types of marketing and production information. These results are consistent with the empirical results of the student's t-test that farmers' access to different types of production and marketing information from ICT sources is significantly higher than from Non-ICT sources. Consistently, the empirical results of the multiple regressions revealed that the percentage of production and marketing information obtained from ICT sources had positive significant influence on the farmers' access to marketing and production information; and that the percentage of marketing and production information obtained from Non-ICT sources had negative significant influence on the farmers' access to marketing and production information. These results suggest that ICT sources of marketing and production information play a crucial role in the farmers' access to this information for their business operations. The implication is that proper education and training of farmers (especially the female farmers) about the utilization of ICT sources to accelerate access to information is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]