India 2018

Water Resources 537
services contributed in their own small way in the economic development by
earning valuable foreign exchange. Gradually other consultancy organisations
established themselves and finally earned name and fame on the strength of
the Indian human resources and innovative technology. Allocation of funds for
water resources development projects in real terms got reduced from the middle
of the seventies due to financial, social and inter-state issues, diminishing returns
as compared to planned returns, etc. The on-going projects slowed down, the
planned projects could not take off as per projected schedules and essential
maintenance of the completed projects declined to bare minimum levels and at
times, deferred also. At this stage international financial institutions stepped
forward to provide monetary aid in the form of loan assistance for modernisation
of existing canal systems, rehabilitation of irrigation and drainage works already
deteriorating for want of maintenance, command area development and large
scale financial assistance for the construction of new major and medium water
resources development projects. The projects to be financed by the international
agencies were required to be appraised at the evaluation and planning stage
and also monitored during the execution stages. Further, the loan assistance
was not limited to water resources sector alone and gradually this was extended
to all sectors related to infrastructure development like roads, ports and
harbours, water supply, sanitation, etc. The demand for consultancy services
grew at a very fast pace and there was rapid multiplication of the consultancy
organisations/ individual consultants.
Main fields of specialization of the company cover irrigation and drainage,
flood control and land reclamation, river management, dams, reservoir
engineering and barrages, integrated agriculture development, watershed
management, hydropower and thermal power generation, power transmission
and distribution, rural electrification, ground water exploration, minor irrigation,
water supply and sanitation (rural and urban), environmental engineering
including environmental impact assessment and environmental audit, ports and
harbours and inland waterways, roads and bridges; rain water harvesting; ghats
development; survey and investigations, system studies and information
technology, city development plans, financial management systems, quality
control and construction supervision, roads and bridges. The company provides
concept to commissioning services for developmental projects in India and
abroad.