Ever wondered? Which department has what control and relationship with each land use category? Let us have a look. This chapter is part of a series on Hierarchical Spatial Planning Framework

The presence of a complex governance system with multiple sectoral departments and the complex substructure of each indicates that different departments have different mandates functions and powers as far as land use and utilisation is concerned. Whereas some department may have powers and functions covering financial, planning, influencing land use outcomes, other departments may only be affected by decisions of other departments. Furthermore, the powers and functions vested with a department or the lack thereof, may or may not be restricted to a certain category of land use. Hence, it is important to evaluate the roles of various department’s vis. – a – vis. each category of land use.

Key Functions

Following is a list of key functions their explanation and examples that have been allotted to the department’s vis. – a – vis. each category of land use.

Acquisition

The department in charge of and has the powers to undertake land acquisition.

Example: Suppose an Industrial Area is to be developed, the department of Industries would identify land requirements, location, criteria etc. but the authority to acquire land would be in hands of Revenue Department. Hence, Revenue department would acquire land and allot it to department of Industries.

Dependency

The department is dependent on the said land use/resource for successful completion of its other activities.

Example: Suppose an Industrial Area is to be developed, the department of Industries would identify land requirements, location, criteria etc. if the industrial development is water intensive then, the department of industries is dependent on Water Resources Department for allocation of Water, and identification of location to draw water, and hence the department’s plans are dependent on waterbodies.

Develop

The department undertakes activities that grow/or cause to grow and become more mature, advanced and elaborate a project, activity, intervention etc. to promote/strengthen a land use/resource.

Example: Suppose the government has identified a particular region for promoting dairying as an economic proposition, the department of Animal Resources Development would undertake activities to ensure that fodder plantations/projects are developed and necessary fodder is available for consumption in the said region.

Disaster Management        

The department oversees planning and executing Disaster Risk Reduction Measures, Disaster Mitigation Measures, Disaster Management Post Disaster Rehabilitation and Resettlement.

Example: Suppose an Industrial Area is to be developed, the department of Industries would identify land requirements, location, criteria etc. but if the industrial area is present in a vulnerable/disaster prone zone, the possibility of Major Accident Hazard increases, this would need mitigation planning, risk reduction measures, disaster management plan etc. generally such measures, plans are prepared or approved by the State Disaster Management Authority (which in most cases is under revenue department).

Execute Schemes

The department oversees and has the powers to execute a National/State Government scheme/program that has the potential to impact a land use/resource.

Example: Suppose an area is identified for development as a Rurban cluster, then the department of Panchayati Raj or Rural Development, would undertake certain activities and implement certain plans under the Rurban scheme of Government of India. The implementation of the scheme would result in overall development in the area thereby leading to improvement of infrastructure, possibility of change in agricultural pattern with a shift to cash crops, or simply a change in land use from agriculture to settlements.

Impacted

The success or failure of plans, investments, and scheme implementation being undertaken by a department are affected due to decisions taken by some other department for a land use/resource.

Example: Suppose Energy Department has plans to promote, develop, invest in a thermal power plant in a coastal area, such a plan/investment would be directly impacted by the decision of environment and forest department if a part of the area/region as a whole is declared as eco-sensitive zone and environmental clearances are denied/conditionally granted.

Influence

The plans, investments, scheme implementation being undertaken by a department affects other departments in an area or a sector, possibly resulting in a change in land use/resource utilisation.

Example: Decision to develop/promote a port or a major logistics facility at a certain location by ports and logistics department would directly influence the decisions/plans of department of industries for locating and/or developing future industrial areas/regions/corridors.

Influenced

The plans, investments, decision making of a department are affected by change in land use/resource utilisation resulted in by decisions/plans/investments of other departments in an area or a sector.

Example: Suppose Tourism Department has plans to promote, develop, invest in a circuit with four-five different locations/towns in vicinity to each other, such a decision would be influenced by the decision of highways department to/not to develop a highway/good connectivity on the same or a different route.

Invest

The department is in-charge of and has the mandate to plan a budget, spend money, and finance a project or development of the land use/resources.

Example: Suppose an area is an existing rain-fed agriculture zone with no irrigation facilities; the water resources departments may decides to invest in developing a dam/barrage for irrigation purposes on request from the agricultural department that has decided to invest in changing the cropping pattern and soil health.

Maintain

The department undertakes activities that enable or cause to continue the present condition/situation, at the same level or rate by keeping the said land use/resource in good condition by checking, repairing, servicing, rebuilding, conserving, preserving it regularly.

Example: Suppose a region is being promoted for economic development with a focus on industries, settlement expansion, irrigated agriculture and tourism. All these developmental activities would have certain impact on the freshwater sources as available in the region, the department of water resources would then be in-charge of undertaking all activities that cause to continue the present status of the water resources (river/lake/underground water etc.) so as to ensure that the water level, quality, availability is the same or not reduced to non-replenish-able levels resulting in degradation.

Maintain Statistics

The department is in charge of and has the mandate to put in place a system that feeds in, maintains, analyses a structured set of data that is easily accessible in various ways preferably on a computer for a particular land use/resource.

Example: Each department maintains statistics/database of relevant details that are useful for decision making, planning, investment as well as day to day functioning. However, such details are maintained as a silo, the information captured in them may/may not be usable or useful by other departments that are impacted. It would therefore become important for one department to ensure that the statistics maintained by all other departments are in convergence with each other.

Monitor and Approve Interventions

The department is in charge of and has the mandate to observe and check the progress or quality over a period of time by maintaining a systematic review and to officially agree to accept as satisfactory any interventions, plans, investment and influence there off by any other department with reference to a particular land use/resource.

Example: Suppose the industries department is developing an industrial corridor, the area/region under the same would have components of all other land uses, there would be numerous schemes under (for e.g. Smart Cities, AMRUT, PMSGY, PMSKY, Rurban, Watershed development, etc.) it would become important to ensure that the developments being undertaken by industries department and those by all other departments are in sync with each other, hence the Planning and Convergence Department would be in charge of observing and checking the progress of all schemes and development proposals.

Negative Influence

The plans, investments, scheme implementation being undertaken by a department affects other departments in an area or a sector, resulting in a change in current situation or scenario of land use/resource utilisation in a bad or unwelcome quality.

Example: The decision of Housing and Urban Development departments to allow expansion of an urban area, or industries department to development a new industrial area, or the agricultural department to promote use of fertilisers and pesticides in a certain region may result in drying up, pollution and/or eutrophication in a lake and/or wetland in vicinity.

Plan

The department is in charge of and has the mandate to conceptualise and prepare a detailed proposal for doing or achieving an intention or decision about what should be done to enable or cause itself or other departments to develop and/or maintain the said land use/resource in good condition.

Example: For e.g. Department of Mines oversees planning of the mining licencing, rate of mining, end of life use of the mines, identifying potential mines etc. for ensuring sustainable utilisation of the limited resources.

Promote

The department oversees and has the mandate to support and/or actively encourage all stakeholders to enable or cause itself or other departments to develop and/or maintain the said land use/resource in good condition.

Example: Suppose Tourism Department has plans to develop and invest in a circuit with four-five different locations/towns in vicinity to each other, then the tourism department would actively promote the said circuit so as to attract investments from private sector and encourage community participation in developing hotels, resorts, home stays, tours and guides, clean cities etc. and make the circuits attractive to tourists.

Provide Technical Support

The department is in charge of and has the mandate to undertake adequate preparations so as to make available for use technical support and/or assistance for collaborating with other departments to develop and/or maintain the said land use/resource in good condition.  

Example: Suppose the Department of Science and Technology has developed and maintains a GIS Platform that helps decision making. It utilises statistical as well as spatial database with spatial-temporal analysis along with satellite images and remote sensing. Such analytical support is being used by various departments like forests, agriculture, rural development, urban development etc. for the purpose of better planning, governance and maintenance of land use.

Some functions of almost all departments in a government are expected to be linked to a varied number of land uses. However, a few select departments will exert a greater control and/or influence on a land use as compared to other. These departments would essentially be the primary actors and veto players as far as that land use is concerned.

A matrix for each land use and primary actor / veto player (select departments) for the cases of Odisha and Tamil Nadu can be found here and here respectively.

Furthermore, in case you are interested, a more detailed matrix for each department and land use for the cases of Odisha and Tamil Nadu can be found here and here respectively. 

Whoa… We have come a long way. We have spent close to 15 months to come so far. It is now time to bring the stakeholder / actor departments together. How do we do it? Click here to read on.