Orissa
Orissa is one of the eastern
states of
India. The region, earlier known as the
kingdom of
Kalinga was scene of the bloody war fought by king
Asoka the Great of
Magadha.
The capital of Orissa is Bhubaneswar. The city of
Puri is nearby on the coast of the
Bay of Bengal. Puri is a famous holy city and site of the annual festival of Lord Jagannath.
It is situated on the eastern coast and is among the poorest States of India. It has a
population of 32 million with a very high percentage of scheduled tribes and scheduled castes, approximately 40% of the total population. The rate of growth in
Orissa has been abysmally poor in comparison with the national average, for instance; in the
1990s Orissa's rate of growth was 4.3% in comparison to the national average of 6.7%. The agricultural sector accounts for 32% of the GSDP and 62% of the total employment, there is a stagnation in per capita income in the past two decades. Around 17.5 million people live below the poverty line.
Poverty is significantly worse in the western and southern districts of the state. The literacy rate is 50% and the rate of literacy is even worse in case of Adivasis (Tribals) and
Dalits.
About 87% of the
population live in the
villages and one third of the
rural population does not own any land other than homesteads. The small marginal farmers who constitute around 80% control only 47% of the land. Medium and large farmers who constitute 5% control 24% of the land.
The Adivasis who constitute 24% and they belong to 62 different ethnic communities. Their entire livelihood system evolves around the
forest ecosystem. Over the years collection of forest produce,
hunting and persuasion of other traditional ways of living have become increasingly difficult, influencing socio-cultural life. The vagaries of modernisation such as
mining and industrial activities, construction of
dams, roads,
railways have not only caused environmental hazards but have displaced the Adivasi communities. The loss of access to
forest produce and the lack of bargaining power in
marketing what ever commodities,
forest produce they have, for fair prices has left the Adivasi communities virtually
bankrupt.
The
Dalits who comprise 16% of the total
population are subjected, to live a life of deprivation and ignominy. For historical reasons, most of the
Dalits are landless and depend on various low service/occupations, petty business and crafts for their livelihood. They are among the worst hit
communities as a result of ecological degradation. They are deprived of their right to live a dignified life by the vagaries of centuries old social system, wherein the rights and status is determined by the
caste they are born into.
The infant
mortality rate of 97 remains highest in
India. In terms of infrastructure
Orissa is impoverished in terms of
railways,
telecommunication,
literacy and
irrigation coverage. Only 20% of the road network are paved and more than half the
population does not have access to bus facilities within two kilometers of their homes. In rural areas more than 65% of the
population have no access to safe drinking water and around 96% do not have
sanitation facilities over 82% of families do not have
electricity and over 87% live in temporary houses.
To add to the aforesaid, Orissa faces frequent natural diasters such as
cyclones,
floods, and droughts as a combination of both natural and man-made causes.
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