Rural livelihoods in India are intricately linked to agriculture, natural resource utilisation, and the presence of supporting infrastructure systems. Notwithstanding continuous governmental investment in irrigation, rural roads, electrification, and agricultural development initiatives, numerous areas persistently encounter issues associated with environmental stress, livelihood vulnerability, and inequitable access to infrastructure. The Kolhapur District in western Maharashtra is an advanced agrarian area marked by intense irrigation, cooperative agricultural institutions, diversified planting patterns, and growing non-farm activity. Nonetheless, escalating strain on land and water resources, climate fluctuations, and infrastructural inefficiencies heighten apprehensions over the long-term viability of rural livelihoods. This study investigates the connections among rural livelihoods, resource utilisation, and developmental difficulties in Kolhapur District. This study evaluates livelihood structures, patterns of natural resource dependency, and limits in rural infrastructure using secondary data from the District Statistical Handbook, Census of India, government policy documents, and current scholarly literature. The findings indicate that although agriculture and related activities, especially sugarcane cultivation and dairy farming, offer livelihood security, overdependence on water-intensive crops, groundwater depletion, and uneven infrastructure development intensify environmental stress and livelihood vulnerability. Restricted diversification into non-agricultural occupations further undermines rural resilience. This paper contends that sustainable rural development in the Kolhapur District necessitates integrated strategies that amalgamate effective resource management, infrastructural enhancement, and livelihood diversification. Enhancing water-use efficiency, fostering climate-resilient agriculture, expanding rural market accessibility, and bolstering local institutional capacity are essential for achieving inclusive and environmentally sustainable rural development. This study enhances district-level policy discussions by emphasising the necessity of aligning infrastructure development with the sustainability of natural resources and the security of rural livelihoods.
Y. et al. (Fri,) studied this question.