1Professor, Dept. of Geography, Faculty of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP, 221 005, India, E-mail: ravisingh.geog@gmail.com
2Assistant Professor, Dept. of General and Applied Geography, School of Applied Sciences, Dr. Harisingh Gour University, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, 470 003, E-mail: satheeshchothodi@gmail.com
Online published on 4 January, 2017.
Shelter, is one of the basic necessities considered crucial for the human life, which provides him protection especially against extreme conditions and sense of security. According to 2011 census, nearly 70 per cent of the Indians reside in rural areas. Making sustainable dwellings available for the poor is a difficult task. The present paper attempts to understand distribution, nature of rural housing qualities, and governmental initiatives to address the shortage of houses in rural areas. The analysis attempted is based on secondary data and the explanations are supported by inputs from field work. The findings of the study suggest that due to poverty and late public response in terms of investment to create housing infrastructure rural housing remains a grave concern. Numbers of housing projects are implemented after 1985 which gave some relief to the rural poor; but, the problem of coordination among different governmental agencies and departments, use of low quality construction materials etc. have made the conditions worst. In most of the areas Panchayati Raj Institutions are not actively working towards ensuring benefits to the deserving among the target groups for whom the public schemes are originally meant.
