Deconstructing the Impact of Government Interventions Among the Marginalized Populations Using GIS: A Study of Burgula Cluster, Telangana

The term ‘growth’ and ‘development’ are used interchangeably in the socio-economic discourse. However, it is high time that they are decoupled and understood in their own footings. This is prerogative as we march towards 2030 to achieve the 17 SDGs and raise the arc of development. In this chapter, the authors discuss the case of Burgula Cluster wherein it was seen that all major government interventions such as pucca roads, primary health centre (PHC), banks, Aanganwadi centre (AWC), etc. were constructed at Burgula itself and were quite out of reach from the tribal hamlets (Tandas) surrounding Burgula Panchayat. The authors mapped the assets created under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA and found a centre-periphery dichotomy quite evident. Open Data Kit (ODK) was used to collect first-hand data, which was corroborated by satellite imagery. The authors used advanced open-source technologies to create a Web-GIS application using GeoServer, Leaflet, and PostgreSQL software to construct an interactive dashboard, which enabled real-time monitoring of data regarding various development indicators. The authors attempt to highlight that the ‘development transition’ is only possible when there is an equal distribution of government interventions, irrespective of one’s socio-economic category and habitation. The chapter concludes with policy advocacy for reducing the rising inequalities and suggests how spatial depiction of plans helps in reducing spatial disparities.