1. ABSTRACT
Sustainable Solutions – Socio-economic survey of villages in the Ratnagiri district affected by
economic development.
The development paradigm works on the basis of maximizing
economic gain whilst treating nature and natural resources as ‘freely available’ capital. These
natural resources are therefore not accounted for as finite, diminishable capital. This means that
the consumption of natural resources is not factored into the economics of traditional
development paradigms. This fundamental flaw in the structure of modern development has lead
to massive changes in our environment and natural resources, leading to loss of wealth and
prosperity in the long run. It is now recognized fact that the mode of rapid economic
development is no longer the way to achieve long term economic and social benefit. Natural
resources need to be protected and nurtured in order to have the desired improvement in quality
of life. The paradigm that shifts the focus of development away from economic gain and towards
a holistic improvement of health as well as human lifestyle is thus come to be known as
sustainable development.
The study aims at studying the unsustainable practices in and around the villages near Dabhol
power plant and proposing sustainable development solutions which are based on the principles
of participatory techniques.
The current economic development paradigm seen on the Dabhol estuary which is a part of the
Konkan coast has lead to unsustainability in the livelihoods of the local communities, dependent

2. on the natural resources. The region is ecologically fragile and has been degraded to a great
extent. Its diverse landscape elements like the forest ecosystem and mangroves have being
degraded overtime which has lead to a shift of the local communities from traditional
occupations to waged labor.
The study has been carried out in three villages of Ratnagiri district near Dabhol estuary namely
Anjanvel (Katalwadi) which is a farming village and Veldur and Dhopave which are the fishing
villages. Participatory methods like transect walks, resource use maps (prepared using ArcGIS
version 9.1) and household surveys have been used for this purpose.
The assessment for sustainability has been to conceptualize an eco-development strategy for the
villages which will enhance their livelihoods by alternate income generation opportunities.
Quality of life assessment showed unsustainable conditions. Reversing this trend towards
sustainable solutions has been the focus of this strategy. Proposed strategies for eco development
are based on community participation and governance through capacity building in developing,
planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation with a collaborative effort through
government schemes. The formation of eco development committees (EDCs) and other local
PPP strategies at the village level have been put forward. Site specific sustainable development
models for agricultural and fishing villages have been proposed based on the strategy of eco
development.
Keywords: Sustainable development, quality of life, participatory appraisal techniques, eco
development, Konkan.