The major objective of this health and development project, says Ms Chohan, is to mitigate urbanisation associated health problems. The plan is aimed at creating awareness and improving health conditions through a cadre of health and development workers. These community level workers will be holding meetings through household visits, street shows, audio-visual shows, etc, to educate the population at large.

Ms Chohan adds that the increased industrialisation in GNIDA has caused the number of migratory workers to rise and there is a definite need for a basic health programme. The programme has just been launched in 19 villages and plans are to take it to other villages, too. Besides, an initiative has been taken to start a computer course at Habibpur village at a highly subsidised fee of Rs 300 a month, adds Ms Chohan. The International Computer Institute is offering 88 registered seats. The eligibility for admission is 10+2. The preference in admission will be given to displaced population. The students passing out from the institute will be eligible for jobs in call centres or can start their careers as programme assistants and computer operators. The attempt is to make the local population more employable with these computer programmes. Basically the level of education is not really up to the mark and the youth need to be technically updated. This would help them get jobs faster with industries opening up inthe area.

The idea is to bring about an integrated development in its villages so that these are brought into the mainstream and grow alongside the hi-tech industrial units, adds Ms Chohan.

Besides, the project would include both preventive and curative health care, improved sanitation, income generation activities, etc. It will focus on providing basic healthcare services, development of a cadre of grass-root level workers through training, who in turn will educate the community. The grass-root level workers will impart health education, control infectious diseases, provide health services to mother and child, and primary curative and referral service. The project will also inculcate healthy habits in schoolchildren by organising awareness programmes in schools and conducting regular health check-ups. Income-generation activities will be initiated by promotion of self-help groups and vocational training. An effort will be made to motivate the community at large so that public participation is meaningful. This will be achieved by organising public groups like village health committees and mahila mandals, she adds.

GNIDA has also taken initiatives to empower the local people, especially the women through education and promotion of agro-based businesses. Some of the examples are the Habibpur computer centre, mahila dairy scheme, the durrie-making project, etc.