Multi-criteria multi-facility location in Niwai block, Rajasthan

Rural regions often suffer disproportionately when compared to urban areas in the access to basic healthcare and educational opportunities. The provision of these facilities to the populace has been identified as one of the means of stimulating development in a region. A problem-structuring method with multi-criteria decision analysis was used for the selection of different facilities based on the needs of the rural area under consideration. A facility location model was created and algorithms were developed in order to provide a solution for locating facilities in 45 villages of Niwai block in Tonk district, Rajasthan. Sixteen different facilities were chosen for consideration, each falling into one of five broad groups: healthcare, education, connectivity, agriculture and drinking water. Alternative scenarios for locating facilities were generated and explored, providing a base for the micro-level planning process at the block level in a district