photo

The Hyderabad Water Supply and Sanitation Project, financed by the World Bank, included a major resettlement component for a reservoir that had already been completed prior to the Bank's loan. The scheme has had many aspects that bear emulation in other resettlement projects, including close Bank supervision of infrastructure through direct financing of the resettlement component, collaboration with Non Government Organizations (NGOs) for participatory rural appraisal & consultation, and some innovative economic rehabilitation schemes. Because the reservoir was for drinking water, outside fishing contractors with diesel engine boats were barred from the reservoir, and local fishermen were aided in obtaining fishing licenses, in acquisition of requisite equipment, in marketing and by regular fingerling seeding of the reservoir. As pictured here, fishing is a family enterprise, with wives and husbands sharing the responsibility. Tod Ragsdale participated in supervision missions, while in India for a year at the World Bank's New Delhi office establishing a resettlement capability with the local staff. In Washington, DC, he developed training materials based on the project, as a best practices case study and continued followup supervision.