Jou nal o Social Sciences Vol. VIII, no. 1 (2025), pp. 116 - 131
Fascicle Social Science ISSN 2587-3490
Topic Sociology eISSN 2587-3504
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
h ps://doi.o g/10.52326/jss.u m.2025.8(1).08
UDC 330.59:364.; 2(540)
BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS: UNVEILING THE EASE OF LIVING IN THE
HIMALAYAN STATE OF UTTARAKHAND IN INDIA
Piyoosh Rau ela 1*, ORCID: 0000-0001-7280-4655,
Meenakshi Bis 2, ORCID: 0000-0002-6066-0954,
Deepshikha Rawa Bha 3, ORCID: 0000-0002-8666-0346
1 Disas e Managemen Ini ia i es and Con e gence Socie y, Hyde abad, Telangana, India
2 School o Managemen , IMS Unison Uni e si y, Deh adun, U a akhand, India
3 Ad iso y Suppo G oup, Chie Minis e ’s O ice, Deh adun, U a akhand, India
* Co esponding au ho : Piyoosh Rau ela, au [email protected]
Recei ed: 02. 05. 2025
Accep ed: 03. 12. 2025
Abs ac . This pape challenges he con en ional equa ion o economic p ospe i y wi h
human well-being and explo es al e na i e pa ame e s o assessing he ease o li ing in he
Himalayan s a e o U a akhand in India. Recognizing he limi a ions o elying solely on
economic indica o s like GDP, he s udy examines access o basic ameni ies and public
se ices ac oss di e en dis ic s o he s a e. Con a y o he p e ailing na a i e o "lack o
acili ies" d i ing ou -mig a ion om he moun ainous dis ic s, he analysis e eals ha
hese egions may o e a compa able, i no supe io , quali y o li e in ce ain aspec s,
pa icula ly conce ning heal hca e and in an mo ali y a es. This inding unde sco es he
need o a mo e holis ic app oach o de elopmen ha p io i izes human well-being in i s
en i e y, encompassing access o heal hca e, educa ion, anspo a ion, and essen ial
in as uc u e. By examining well-being indica o s beyond economic me ics, his esea ch
aims o un eil a mo e nuanced unde s anding o he ease o li ing in U a akhand and in o m
policy decisions ha p omo e sus ainable de elopmen , educe ou -mig a ion p essu es, and
imp o e he quali y o li e o all esiden s, ul ima ely con ibu ing o a mo e balanced and
equi able socie y.
Keywo ds: Himalaya, U a akhand, Human well-being, Ease o li ing.
Rezuma . Aceas ă luc a e abo dează ecuația con ențională a p ospe i ății economice cu
bunăs a ea umană și explo ează pa ame ii al e na i i pen u e alua ea ușu inței de a ăi în
s a ul Himalayan U a akhand din India. Recunoscând limi ă ile de a se baza exclusi pe
indica o i economici p ecum PIB-ul, s udiul examinează accesul la acili ăți de bază și se icii
publice în di e i e dis ic e ale s a ului. Sp e deosebi e de na ațiunea p edominan ă desp e
„lipsa acili ățilo ” ca e p o oacă emig a ea din aioanele mun oase, analiza a a ă că aces e
egiuni po o e i o cali a e a ieții compa abilă, dacă nu supe ioa ă, în anumi e aspec e, în
special în ceea ce p i eș e asis ența medicală și a ele mo ali ății in an ile. Aceas ă
cons a a e subliniază necesi a ea unei abo dă i mai holis ice a dez ol ă ii, ca e să aco de
p io i a e bunăs ă ii umane în în egime, cup inzând accesul la asis ență medicală, educație,
P. Rau ela, M. Bis , D.R. Bha 117
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
anspo și in as uc u ă esențială. P in examina ea indica o ilo de bunăs a e dincolo de
me icile economice, aceas ă ce ce a e își p opune să dez ăluie o înțelege e mai nuanța ă a
ușu inței de a ăi în U a akhand și să in o meze deciziile poli ice ca e p omo ează
dez ol a ea du abilă, educ p esiunile de mig ație și îmbună ățesc cali a ea ieții pen u oți
ezidenții, con ibuind în cele din u mă la o socie a e mai echilib a ă și mai echi abilă.
Cu in e cheie: Himalaya, U a akhand, bunăs a e umană, ușu ință de a ăi.
1. In oduc ion
G ow h and de elopmen a e o en conside ed synonymous wi h human well-being,
leading o he acclaim o ma e ialis ic achie emen s as con ibu o s o human sa is ac ion
and happiness. Consequen ly, assessmen s o human well-being o en p io i ize economic
da a, wi h decisions equen ly based on GDP o he size o he economy.
Howe e , his app oach may no accu a ely e lec he o e all quali y o li e o well-
being o he popula ion. This pape challenges he no ion ha economic p ospe i y alone
equa es o human well-being and explo es al e na i e pa ame e s o assessing he ease o
li ing o well-being o he masses in he Himalayan s a e o U a akhand in India ha sha es
in e na ional bounda y wi h China o he no h and Nepal o he eas (Figu e 1).
Figu e 1. Loca ion map o U a akhand depic ing dis ic bounda ies.
Excep o Udhamsingh Naga and Ha idwa all o he dis ic s o U a akhand ha e
moun ainous opog aphy. The s a e aces high a es o ou -mig a ion, pa icula ly om i s
moun ainous dis ic s. This exodus is a cause o conce n, as many on ie illages along he
118 Beyond he moun ains: un eiling he ease o li ing in he Himalayan s a e o U a akhand in India
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
Sino-Indian bo de a e becoming aca ed and his end is e idenced by he nega i e
popula ion g ow h a e obse ed in Almo a and Pau i Ga hwal dis ic s [1]. While his ou -
mig a ion is o en a ibu ed o a lack o employmen oppo uni ies and limi ed access o
public se ices, pa icula ly in heal hca e and educa ion, his simpli ica ion o e looks he
complexi ies o he issue [2].
This pape a gues ha he pe cep ion o he plains as mo e p ospe ous, uelled by
economic indica o s and he allu e o mode n ameni ies, signi ican ly con ibu es o his
mig a ion. Howe e , a close look a he well-being indica o s in he moun ainous dis ic s
e eals a di e en pic u e. Fo ins ance, despi e he challenging e ain, he hilly dis ic s o
Rud ap ayag, Pi ho aga h, and Almo a ha e lowe in an mo ali y a es compa ed o he
mo e de eloped Ha idwa dis ic [3]. This sugges s ha ac o s beyond economic p ospe i y
and access o specialized heal hca e con ibu e o human well-being in hese egions [4].
By examining da a on access o basic ameni ies and public se ices, his s udy aims o
un eil he ue pic u e o human well-being in he dis ic s o U a akhand and coun e he
na a i e o "lack o acili ies" ha o e shadows he egion's quali y o li e. This analysis
conside s a ious ac o s, including access o heal hca e, educa ion, anspo , elec ici y, and
wa e and sani a ion, o p o ide a comp ehensi e assessmen o he ease o li ing in each
dis ic . Ul ima ely, his esea ch aims o con ibu e o a mo e nuanced unde s anding o
human well-being in U a akhand and in o m policy decisions ha p omo e sus ainable
de elopmen and imp o e he quali y o li e o all esiden s.
2. Me hodology and Da a Cons ain s
This s udy assesses he 'Ease o Li ing' ac oss he dis ic s o U a akhand by analyzing
access o undamen al public se ices and ameni ies. Recognizing ha human well-being
anscends pu ely economic measu es, his pape adop s a mul i-dimensional app oach,
ocusing on i e c i ical componen s: heal hca e, educa ion, anspo in as uc u e,
elec ici y a ailabili y, and wa e & sani a ion acili ies. These pa ame e s we e selec ed as
essen ial indica o s e lec ing he basic quali y o li e accessible o he gene al popula ion
wi hin each dis ic .
The analysis elies exclusi ely on publicly a ailable da a sou ced om go e nmen al
eco ds pe aining o ci ic ameni ies and in as uc u e wi hin U a akhand [1,5]. To enable
meaning ul compa ison and analysis ac oss dis ic s wi h a ying cha ac e is ics, he aw da a
o he selec ed indica o s was sys ema ically no malized. This p ocess s anda dizes he da a,
allowing o a compa a i e assessmen o ela i e access o hese essen ial se ices.
I is c ucial o acknowledge he inhe en limi a ions associa ed wi h he da a u ilized in
his s udy. P ima ily, he a ailable da ase s p edominan ly e lec esou ces and se ices
p o ided by s a e- un en i ies. Consequen ly, he signi ican con ibu ion o p i a e sec o
se ice p o ide s, pa icula ly p e alen in he mo e densely popula ed and economically
ac i e plain dis ic s (such as Ha idwa , Deh adun, and Udhamsingh Naga ), may no be ully
cap u ed in his assessmen . The highe popula ion densi y and g ea e economic incen i es
in hese a eas o en a ac subs an ial p i a e in es men in sec o s like heal hca e and
educa ion, po en ially c ea ing a dispa i y be ween he da a e lec ing public p o isions and
he ac ual li ed expe ience o esiden s who u ilize p i a e se ices. This cons ain migh
in luence he compa a i e 'Ease o Li ing' index, pa icula ly when con as ing plain dis ic s
wi h he moun ainous egions whe e p i a e sec o p esence is ypically less p onounced.
P. Rau ela, M. Bis , D.R. Bha 119
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
Fu he mo e, his s udy did no in ol e p ima y da a collec ion h ough ield su eys o
alida e he seconda y da a o ga he nuanced, quali a i e insigh s in o he li ed eali ies
ac oss di e en dis ic s. The assessmen is he e o e based on he a ailable quan i a i e
indica o s wi hin he public domain.
Despi e hese cons ain s, his pape se es an impo an pu pose. By sys ema ically
analyzing and compa ing exis ing da a on access o basic ameni ies, i aims o p o ide a
p elimina y bu aluable pe spec i e on he ela i e ease o li ing ac oss U a akhand's
di e se dis ic s. The indings a e in ended o s imula e c i ical discussion, in o m policy
dialogue, and encou age u he , mo e de ailed esea ch in o he mul i ace ed na u e o
human well-being wi hin he s a e, pa icula ly add essing he dynamics in luencing
mig a ion pa e ns and egional de elopmen dispa i ies.
3. Economic P ospe i y in U a akhand
While assessing he economic p ospe i y o U a akhand's dis ic s, i 's c ucial o
acknowledge ha adi ional me ics like G oss Domes ic P oduc (GDP) and pe capi a
income can p o ide a limi ed pe spec i e. These indica o s, while aluable, p ima ily ocus
on economic ou pu and may no ully cap u e he dis ibu ion o weal h o he o e all well-
being o he popula ion. In his analysis, he a ailable dis ic -wise da a ela ing o G oss
Domes ic P oduc (GDP) and pe capi a income [5] a e no malized by di iding each alue by
he maximum alue o scale all alues be ween 0 and 1 o allow o compa ison ac oss
dis ic s and hen in eg a ed and a e aged o p o ide a compa a i e o e iew o he
economic s a us o he dis ic s.
Table 1
Compa a i e o e iew o economic de elopmen o he dis ic s o U a akhand in India
Sl. No. Dis ic No malised GDP
(A)
No malised pe
Capi a Income
(B)
Economic
P ospe i y
Sco e
(A+B)/2
Rank
1. U a kashi 0.05 0.30 0.17 11
2.
Chamoli
0.07
0.35
0.21
5
3.
Teh i Ga hwal
0.10
0.28
0.19
8
4.
Deh adun
0.59
0.65
0.62
3
5.
Pau i Ga hwal
0.11
0.30
0.21
6
6.
Rud ap ayag
0.03
0.26
0.15
13
7.
Pi ho aga h
0.08
0.33
0.21
7
8.
Almo a
0.10
0.28
0.19
9
9.
Naini al
0.27
0.53
0.40
4
10. Bageshwa 0.04 0.27 0.15 12
11.
Champawa
0.04
0.32
0.18
10
12.
Ha idwa
1.00
1.00
1.00
1
13.
Udhamsingh
Naga
0.67
0.74
0.71
2
As expec ed, he plain dis ic s, pa icula ly Ha idwa , Udhamsingh Naga , and
Deh adun, eme ge as economically mo e p ospe ous (Table 1). This is la gely a ibu ed o
hei ad an ageous geog aphical loca ion and be e connec i i y, which acili a e indus ial
ac i i ies, comme cialized ag icul u e, and he e icien mo emen o manpowe and goods.
Howe e , elying solely on GDP and pe capi a income can be misleading. These me ics may
120 Beyond he moun ains: un eiling he ease o li ing in he Himalayan s a e o U a akhand in India
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
no accu a ely e lec he well-being o he masses, as hese can be skewed by he p esence
o a ew a luen indi iduals o o ganiza ions. Fu he mo e, he concen a ion o indus ial
ac i i ies in he plain dis ic s, acili a ed by ail and ai connec i i y, con ibu es o hei
highe GDP. The comme cialized ag icul u e in hese dis ic s, suppo ed by well-de eloped
i iga ion and o he ela ed acili ies, also plays a signi ican ole in hei economic p ospe i y.
Howe e , his economic ac i i y may no necessa ily ansla e o equi able dis ibu ion o
weal h o imp o ed well-being o all esiden s.
The e o e, while acknowledging he economic ad an ages o he plain dis ic s, i is
c ucial o conside o he ac o s ha con ibu e o human well-being, such as access o
essen ial se ices, in as uc u e, and a heal hy en i onmen . A mo e holis ic app oach o
de elopmen , one ha goes beyond economic indica o s, is necessa y o ensu e he well-
being o all esiden s o U a akhand, ega dless o hei geog aphic loca ion o economic
s a us.
4. Human Well-being: Beyond Economic Indica o s
This pape is based on he basic p emise ha economic da a does no p ojec he eal
pic u e ela ing o human well-being [4] and is an a emp o asce ain and compa e da a
ela ed o human well-being o ease o li ing o he dis ic s o U a akhand.
De ailed s udies do exis on he subjec ela ing o he analysis and assessmen o
human well-being [4]. These a e, howe e , ounded on de ailed su eys and da a collec ion
pe aining o a ious aspec s ela ing o well-being. This can be challenging in a eas wi h
limi ed esou ces o whe e da a collec ion is no p io i ized.
This s udy assesses human well-being in U a akhand om he pe spec i e o access o
i e basic ameni ies: wa e , elec ici y, educa ion, heal hca e, and anspo . While
comp ehensi e da a on all aspec s o well-being is no a ailable, his app oach p o ides a
aluable o e iew and encou ages u he in es iga ion in o hese c ucial a eas. The da a
used o his analysis is sou ced om he Di ec o a e o S a is ics and Economic S udies,
Go e nmen o U a akhand [5].
4.1 Access o Heal hca e
Heal h is a undamen al human igh and a c i ical componen o well-being [6].
Howe e , access o heal hca e, pa icula ly specialized se ices, is o en ci ed as a eason o
ou -mig a ion om moun ainous dis ic s o U a akhand. This is unde s andable, as
specialized heal hca e acili ies end o concen a e in u ban cen e s wi h la ge popula ions
and be e in as uc u e, making hese economically challenging o ope a e in spa sely
popula ed moun ainous egions.
Howe e , i is c ucial o ecognize ha access o heal hca e is a mul i ace ed issue, and
he concen a ion o specialized acili ies in u ban a eas doesn' necessa ily gua an ee be e
heal hca e access o all. Fac o s such as he dis ibu ion o heal hca e acili ies, a ailabili y
o quali ied medical p o essionals, a o dabili y o se ices, and p oximi y o heal hca e
p o ide s all play a signi ican ole in de e mining access.
This s udy, cons ained by he lack o de ailed da a on medical s a and acili y
speci ics, o asce ain heal hca e access ac oss U a akhand's dis ic s used he a ailable da a
pe aining o (i) he numbe o allopa hic hospi als and PHCs which p o ides a gene al
measu e o he a ailabili y o heal hca e acili ies in each dis ic , (ii) he bed a ailabili y in
allopa hic hospi als and PHCs which indica es he capaci y o he heal hca e sys em o
accommoda e pa ien s equi ing hospi aliza ion and (iii) he numbe o PHCs which e lec s
P. Rau ela, M. Bis , D.R. Bha 121
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
he a ailabili y o p ima y heal hca e se ices ha a e c ucial o p e en i e ca e and ea ly
in e en ion [5].
To c ea e a compa able index, hese pa ame e s we e no malized o each dis ic by
di iding by he highes alue, esul ing in a ange be ween 0 and 1. The h ee no malized
alues we e hen a e aged o c ea e he ‘Access o Heal hca e Index’ (Table 2).
Table 2
Asses o heal hca e s a is ics o a ious dis ic s o U a akhand
Sl.
No. Dis ic
No malised
Allopa hic
Hospi als and
PHCs (A)
No malised
Bed
A ailabili y in
Allopa hic
Hospi als and
PHCs (B)
No malised
PHC
Numbe s (C)
Access o
Heal hca e
Index
(A+B+C/3)
Rank
1.
U a kashi
0.30
0.38
0.23
0.31
10
2.
Chamoli
0.50
0.43
0.64
0.52
6
3. Teh i
Ga hwal
0.30 0.31 0.05 0.22 13
4.
Deh adun
0.20
0.29
0.18
0.22
12
5.
Pau i
Ga hwal
0.61
0.72
0.27
0.53
4
6. Rud ap ayag 0.93 0.34 1.00 0.75 1
7.
Pi ho aga h
0.46
0.43
0.22
0.37
9
8.
Almo a
0.39
0.46
0.27
0.37
8
9.
Naini al
1.00
0.55
0.33
0.63
2
10. Bageshwa 0.38 0.47 0.37 0.41 7
11. Champawa 0.27 0.35 0.07 0.23 11
12.
Ha idwa
0.61
1.00
0.09
0.57
3
13.
Udhamsingh
Naga
0.67
0.79
0.12
0.53
5
Naini al dis ic had he highes numbe o allopa hic hospi als and PHCs. Ha idwa led
in bed a ailabili y while Rud ap ayag had he highes numbe o PHCs. Su p isingly,
Deh adun, gene ally conside ed he mos de eloped dis ic and capi al o he s a e, anked
low in he Access o Heal hca e Index. This sugges s ha ac o s beyond he shee numbe
o hospi als and beds in luence heal hca e access.
This is a ibu ed o une en dis ibu ion o acili ies; concen a ion o heal hca e
acili ies in Deh adun ci y, lea ing u al a eas wi h limi ed access. I is wo h adding ha he
cos o heal hca e se ices in Deh adun is p ohibi i e o la ge p opo ion o esiden s. Fu he
esea ch is needed o in es iga e hese ac o s and iden i y s a egies o imp o e heal hca e
access in Deh adun and o he dis ic s wi h lowe ankings. This could in ol e (i)
decen alizing heal hca e acili ies by es ablishing mo e heal hca e cen e s in u al a eas o
low anking dis ic s, (ii) incen i izing medical p o essionals so as o a ac and e ain
quali ied heal hca e wo ke s in unde se ed a eas, (iii) imp o ing a o dabili y by
implemen ing policies o make heal hca e se ices mo e a o dable, (i ) enhancing
anspo a ion in as uc u e and imp o ing oad connec i i y and public anspo a ion o
acili a e access o heal hca e acili ies. By add essing hese issues, U a akhand can ensu e
equi able access o heal hca e o all i s esiden s, ega dless o hei loca ion o economic
s a us.
122 Beyond he moun ains: un eiling he ease o li ing in he Himalayan s a e o U a akhand in India
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
4.2 Access o Educa ion
U a akhand boas s a ich educa ional he i age da ing back o he B i ish Raj, wi h
Deh adun, Mussoo ie, and Naini al enowned o hos ing wo ld-class ins i u ions [7].
Howe e , e alua ing educa ional access equi es a mul i ace ed app oach, conside ing no
jus he p esence o p es igious schools bu also ac o s like eache quali y, s uden - eache
a ios, academic pe o mance, in as uc u e, and o e all lea ning en i onmen .
Due o limi a ions in da a a ailabili y, his s udy ocused on ou key pa ame e s sou ced
om he Di ec o a e o S a is ics and Economic S udies [5] o assess access o educa ion
based on (i) Junio Basic Schools pe lakh popula ion, (ii) Senio Basic Schools pe lakh
popula ion, (iii) Highe Seconda y Schools pe lakh popula ion and (i ) he li e acy a e which
p o ides an o e all indica o o he popula ion's educa ional a ainmen .
To c ea e a balanced ‘Access o Educa ion Index’, hese pa ame e s we e no malized
by di iding by he highes alue o con ine he ange be ween 0 and 1, and weigh ed o
e lec hei ela i e impo ance. Access o p ima y educa ion and li e acy a e we e gi en
highe weigh age o 1.5 and 2.0, espec i ely acknowledging hei c ucial ole in o e all
educa ional de elopmen . The o he wo pa ame e s we e assigned weigh ages o 1.25 and
1.0, espec i ely (Table 3).
Table 3
Asses o Educa ion s a is ics o he s a e o U a akhand
Sl.
No. Dis ic
No malised
Junio
Basic
Schools pe
Lakh
Popula ion;
A
(Weigh age
= 1.5)
No malised
Senio
Basic
Schools pe
Lakh
Popula ion;
B
(Weigh age
= 1.25)
No malised
Highe
Seconda y
Schools pe
Lakh
Popula ion;
C
(Weigh age
= 1)
No malised
Li e acy
Ra e; D
(Weigh age
= 2)
Access o
Educa ion
Index
(1.5A+
1.25B+
C+2D)/4
Rank
1.
U a kashi
0.83
0.99
0.77
0.90
1.26
6
2.
Chamoli
0.92
0.98
0.99
0.98
1.39
2
3.
Teh i
Ga hwal
0.94
0.99
0.89
0.91
1.34
3
4.
Deh adun
0.28
0.56
0.52
1.00
0.91
11
5.
Pau i
Ga hwal
0.91
0.92
0.70
0.97
1.29
4
6.
Rud ap ayag
1.00
1.00
1.00
0.97
1.42
1
7.
Pi ho aga h
0.86
0.70
0.89
0.98
1.25
7
8. Almo a 0.91 0.68 0.88 0.96 1.25 8
9. Naini al 0.58 0.43 0.52 1.00 0.98 10
10.
Bageshwa
0.93
0.81
0.79
0.95
1.27
5
11.
Champawa
0.79
0.68
0.89
0.95
1.20
9
12.
Ha idwa
0.23
0.60
0.30
0.87
0.78
13
13. Udhamsingh
Naga
0.29 0.53 0.47 0.87 0.82 12
Rud ap ayag dis ic demons a ed he highes a ailabili y o schools a all le els;
Junio Basic, Senio Basic, and Highe Seconda y pe lakh popula ion while Deh adun
dis ic had he highes li e acy a e.
P. Rau ela, M. Bis , D.R. Bha 123
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
In e es ingly, despi e ha ing enowned schools, Naini al and Deh adun dis ic s
anked ela i ely low in he o e all Access o Educa ion Index wi h 10 h and 11 h place,
espec i ely. This unexpec ed ou come is a ibu ed o se e al ac o s ha esul in less
numbe o s a e un schools in hese dis ic s and hus ha ing nega i e impac on dis ic s’
pe o mance. The ac o s associa ed wi h s a e un schools include: (i) High concen a ion o
p i a e schools in hese dis ic s, (ii) Public pe cep ion o lowe quali y in s a e- un schools
migh lead o lowe en olmen , (iii) Fac o s like low en olmen a ios, high d opou a es, poo
academic esul s, and inadequa e s a ing o acili ies, and (i ) Social s a us linked wi h
p i a e schools in luences pa en s o op o p i a e educa ion, e en i s a e- un schools a e
accessible.
Despi e hese complexi ies, he da a sugges s ha access o educa ion in hilly dis ic s
is be e han commonly pe cei ed. This con adic s he no ion ha lack o educa ional
oppo uni ies is a p ima y d i e o ou -mig a ion. Fu he esea ch is howe e needed o
in es iga e he quali y o educa ion in bo h s a e- un and p i a e schools and unde s and he
ac o s in luencing pa en al choices.
4.3 Access o T anspo
Access o anspo is undamen al o de elopmen and signi ican ly in luences he
quali y o li e. I connec s people o essen ial se ices, ma ke s, educa ion, and heal hca e,
os e ing economic g ow h and social inclusion. While he plains o U a akhand bene i om
ail and ai connec i i y, his s udy ocuses on oad in as uc u e, ecognizing i s c i ical ole
in connec ing moun ainous egions [8].
To assess he ‘T anspo Access Index’, his s udy u ilized wo key pa ame e s; (i)
Me alled Road leng h (km) pe 1000 km2 a ea ha measu es he densi y o oad ne wo ks
ac oss dis ic s, and (ii) Me alled oad leng h (km) pe lakh popula ion which measu es oad
a ailabili y ela i e o popula ion densi y [5]. The la e ecognises ha moun ainous dis ic s
o en ha e la ge uninhabi ed o o es ed a eas.
Table 4
Asses o anspo s a is ics o a ious dis ic s o U a akhand
Sl.
No. Dis ic
No malised
Me alled Road
Leng h (km) pe
1000 km2 A ea; A
(Weigh age = 1)
No malised Me alled
Road Leng h (km) pe
Lakh Popula ion; B
(Weigh age = 2)
T anspo
Access Index
(A+2B)/2
Rank
1.
Chamoli
0.09
0.42
4.64
8
2.
Almo a
0.24
1.00
11.12
1
3.
Teh i Ga hwal
0.62
0.63
7.28
3
4.
Champawa
0.98
0.26
3.35
11
5.
Bageshwa
0.48
0.49
5.58
6
6. Pau i Ga hwal 0.57 0.29 3.52 10
7.
Naini al
0.12
0.34
3.78
9
8.
U a kashi
0.79
0.85
9.74
2
9. Pi ho aga h 0.60 0.44 5.09 7
10.
Rud ap ayag
0.29
0.55
6.21
5
11.
Deh adun
0.48
0.54
6.21
4
12.
Ha idwa
0.93
0.11
1.63
13
13. Udhamsingh
Naga
1.00 0.17 2.34 12
124 Beyond he moun ains: un eiling he ease o li ing in he Himalayan s a e o U a akhand in India
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
These pa ame e s we e no malized by di iding by he highes alue o con ine he ange
be ween 0 and 1, and he la e pa ame e was assigned a highe weigh age o 2 compa ed
o he o me (1). This adjus men ensu es a ai e compa ison by accoun ing o he a ying
popula ion densi ies and e ain challenges in di e en dis ic s (Table 4).
Udhamsingh Naga had he highes me alled oad leng h pe 1000 km2 a ea while
Almo a led in me alled oad leng h pe lakh popula ion. The in eg a ed ‘T anspo Access
Index’, conside ing bo h pa ame e s and hei weigh ages, placed Almo a a he op, ollowed
by U a kashi and Teh i while Ha idwa and Udhamsingh Naga anked a he bo om.
These indings unde sco e he c i ical impo ance o oad connec i i y in moun ainous
egions. In hese dis ic s, well-main ained oad ne wo ks a e essen ial o : (i) Access o
essen ial se ices as oads ensu e imely access o heal hca e, educa ion, and o he i al
se ices, (ii) Economic oppo uni ies as oads acili a e mo emen o goods and people,
p omo ing ade and economic ac i i ies, and (iii) Social inclusion as oads connec emo e
communi ies o he wide egion, os e ing social cohesion and educing isola ion.
In es ing in oad in as uc u e in moun ainous dis ic s is c ucial o p omo ing
equi able de elopmen and enhancing he o e all quali y o li e o esiden s. This includes
no only cons uc ing new oads bu also main aining exis ing ones o ensu e all-wea he
accessibili y and sa e a el condi ions.
4.4 Access o Elec ici y
Access o elec ici y is a undamen al indica o o de elopmen and signi ican ly
impac s he quali y o li e o indi iduals and communi ies. I powe s homes, businesses, and
essen ial se ices, enabling economic ac i i y, educa ional oppo uni ies, and imp o ed
heal hca e [9, 10].
In his s udy, elec i ica ion da a, speci ically he pe cen age o amilies ha ing
elec ici y [5], was used o assess he ‘Elec ici y A ailabili y Index’ ac oss he dis ic s o
U a akhand (Table 5).
The analysis e ealed ha Ha idwa dis ic has he highes elec ici y a ailabili y,
ollowed by Almo a and U a kashi. This is no ewo hy, as Ha idwa is a ela i ely de eloped
dis ic wi h a signi ican u ban popula ion, while Almo a and U a kashi a e p edominan ly
u al and moun ainous.
Su p isingly, Deh adun and Naini al, despi e conside ed ela i ely de eloped dis ic s,
ail behind in he index. This sugges s po en ial dispa i ies in elec ici y access ac oss
dis ic s, which a e a ibu ed o a ious ac o s, which include (i) In as uc u e limi a ions:
The moun ainous e ain o some dis ic s, such as Rud ap ayag and Naini al, poses
challenges o ex ending he elec ici y g id and ensu ing eliable supply, pa icula ly o
emo e a eas, (ii) Economic ac o s: The cos o elec ici y in as uc u e and connec ion ees
is o en a ba ie o access o some households, pa icula ly in dis ic s wi h lowe pe capi a
income, and (iii) Popula ion densi y: Spa sely popula ed dis ic s ace challenges in achie ing
economies o scale o elec ici y in as uc u e de elopmen , po en ially leading o highe
cos s and limi ed access.
Fu he in es iga ion is needed o unde s and he speci ic ac o s con ibu ing o hese
dispa i ies and o iden i y a ge ed in e en ions o imp o e elec ici y access o all esiden s
o U a akhand.
Ensu ing equi able access o elec ici y is c ucial o p omo ing inclusi e de elopmen
and enhancing he o e all well-being o he s a e's popula ion. P oposed in e en ions o
P. Rau ela, M. Bis , D.R. Bha 131
Jou nal o Social Sciences Ma ch, 2025, Vol. 8
16. NITI Aayog, Sus ainable ou ism in he Indian Himalayan egion 2018. Repo o Wo king G oup II, NITI
Aayog, Go e nmen o India. A ailable online: h ps://lib a y.ni i.go .in/cgi-bin/koha/opac- e ie e-
ile.pl?id=590800ca82413427e3ba16 1447e9a54 (accessed on 19 Oc obe 2024).
Ci a ion: Rau ela, P.; Bis , M.; Bha , D.R. Beyond he moun ains: un eiling he ease o li ing in he Himalayan
s a e o U a akhand in India. Jou nal o Social Sciences 2025, 8 (1), pp. 116-131.
h ps://doi.o g/10.52326/jss.u m.2025.8(1).08.
Publishe ’s No e: JSS s ays neu al wi h ega d o ju isdic ional claims in published maps and
ins i u ional a ilia ions.
Copy igh :© 2025 by he au ho s. Submi ed o possible open access publica ion unde he e ms
and condi ions o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion (CC BY) license
(h ps://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/).
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