LINKAGE PATTERN IN RURAL ROAD PLANNING SAHARANPUR DISTRICT - A CASE STUDY

Abstract

Rural roads have been identified as the essential infrae-trusture for the overall .olio-eeonomio development of rural areas. Several orordinated road development programmes were made in the country to achieve a fixed density of road. net work. But they had several deficiencies such as improper consideration of interde-pendency of various settlements and improper integration and coherence between overall road development and rural road develop-ment etc. In the present study an attempt has been wade to develop an integrated road network for rural areas by intekrated area plan-ning approach. In the integrated area plwning technique all the settlements lying in study area were classified into different categories on the baeie of socio economic level of development. Concept of demographic force of interaction has been applied to quantify settlement interactions. It has been suggested to identi-fy need orkented linkage pattern on the basis of intensity of settlement interaction. A number of other_ hypothesis have also been devised to get alternative linkage, patterns. To make the eompdri-sion of alternative linkage patterns thus evolved, a number of network parameters have been discussed which can be used for eva-luation of alternative linkage patterns. Concepts developed have been applied to a case study of district Saharanpur. Linkage patterns developed by this approach shall be more purposeful and of higher functional utility than any rule rf thumb approach.