How Roads Change Lives: People's Experiences in Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

This thesis explores the transformative impact of developing four-lane infrastructure and how this road infrastructure is affecting the lives of individuals and communities residing in Himachal Pradesh, India. By focusing on their distinct experiences, perception or interpretation and narratives of local residents, four lane development in their area. In order to achieve this objective, the combination of various interviews with Govt officials and on site ethnographic observation methods were used to understand the views of both sides. At official level the thoughts were exchanged with Regional Officers of NHAI, Block Development officers, Junior Engineers, Govt Contractors, Forest Department of Himachal Pradesh and village heads of some villages in shimla as well as in kangra. And at ground level interviews of local residents, people who have suffered with the migration who got the compensations as well as who didn’t. Apart from the introduction, this thesis comprises four chapters in which the second chapter presents the literature review of books and research articles which were followed throughout the project and the third chapter represents the state perspectives of Development and legal consideration. Whereas, the fourth chapter discloses the narratives of the local community and their experiences with displacement in the form of case studies. And the fifth chapter discusses the conclusions drawn from the research.