Sustainable Environment and Agriculture: An Indian Perspective

Paper Industry and Rural Communities in Context of Sustainability - Evidences from Odisha

Dr. Minati Sahoo — 2023-08-11

An attempt has been made in the present study to examine the impact of paper industry on the rural community in context of sustainable development in Rayagada District of Odisha. A comparative approach i.e. with and without method has been adopted to know the impact due to industrialization. The study is based on the primary data which were collected by administering a structured surveyed schedule on the households of industrial and non-industrial villages during January to March 2018. It has been found that industrialization has positively as well as negatively affected the rural community. It provides an important source of livelihood to the people in industrial region as more than 60% of the workforce is engaged as industrial labors. It has also helped in improving the financial conditions of rural community apart from infrastructure development like providing transportation facilities, health and educational facilities. But all these benefits have been at the cost of environment. The region has witnessed a significant deterioration in the quality of environment. Thus, though industrialization boosts the development of rural community but deteriorates the environment thereby raising the issue of sustainability. Hence industrialization should be continued in the sustainable manner for the rural community and regional development.

Socio-Economic Condition of Affected and Resettled Households in Industrial Area: A Case Study of UAIL Project, Odisha

Dr. Prasant Kumar Behera — 2023-08-11

Industrialization has broadened the way of development by increasing per capita income, enlarging the scope of international trade, high level of investment and employment generation in India. Meanwhile, the Government of Odisha saw mining as one of the key industries that can help in alleviating poverty in the state. But these mining projects required large scale deforestation and acquisition of land for industrial purpose. The adverse effects of mineral processing industries are many. Therefore this study has made a systematic and sincere effort to assess and explore the socio-economic conditions of affected and resettled households due to the establishment of Utkal Alumina International (UAIL) in Rayagada district. Purposively 100 households are studied through a systematic primary investigation in affected Dimundi village and resettled R&R colony. The study found that the establishment of UAIL is hazardous to environment and affecting the socio-economic status of the households. Prioritising the educational standard, health and other social conditions could resolve the problem of substandard life of affected and resettled households along with shifting the residents to a secured place.

Land Ownership and Use of Land in Odisha: A Critical Review

Mr. Biswajit Bhoi — 2023-08-11

This research investigates the relation between land ownership, holding size, and land usage in selected districts of Odisha, India, with a particular emphasis on fallow land. The purpose of the research is to shed light on the variables that impact land usage in the area and to find possibilities for enhancing agricultural production and land management techniques. The findings of the research imply that ownership, holding size, and socioeconomic characteristics have a substantial impact in influencing land use patterns in the area, and that targeted policies and interventions have the potential to promote more efficient and sustainable land use. The purpose of this research is to investigate the patterns of land ownership, holding size, and usage in several districts of Odisha, India, with a particular emphasis on fallow land. The study will give a detailed overview of the existing situation of land resources in the chosen districts and provide important insight into the variables influencing land usage in the area. Moreover, the conclusions of this research will have significant implications for regional land use policy and planning."

Environmental and Socio-Economic Impact of Mining on the Local People: A Case Study of Panchpatmali Bauxite Mines Area, Odisha

Dr. Prasant Kumar Behera — 2023-08-11

This paper attempts to explain the impact of Panchpatmali bauxite mines, Koraput district, Odisha on the socio-economic and environmental conditions of the households living in its peripheral villages. This study is based on primary data. The relevant data has been elicited from 100 households from four peripheral villages namely Kapsiput, Kardiguda, Putraghati and Metingi through a well-structured schedule. To assess the socio-economic and environmental impact of mining, a household-level analysis of the various issues, namely housing and sanitation conditions, health and educational status, availability of agricultural land and livestock, household assets, annual income and expenditure, environmental problems, access to common property resources etc have been presented through various tables and figures where statistical methods like average and percentage were used. The findings of the study revealed that the villagers are facing many difficulties such as shortage of drinking water, low level of agricultural productivity due to decrease in soil quality, food insecurity, loss of land, lack of employment opportunities, proper drinking water, and access to free health, education and other basic facilities. From the environmental point of view, the entire surrounding area is increasingly being polluted day by day due to extensive bauxite mining. The mining polluted land, air and water are leading to the growth of environmental related diseases like malaria, jaundice, scabies, diarrhoea, asthma, respiratory problems etc among the local people. The study suggested that NALCO should provide compensation to the villagers for its negative externalities. The plant must conduct different welfare activities for the local residents of Panchpatmali mines in terms of employment opportunities, satisfactory wages for all kinds of works in the mines and company, transport services, free health and education facilities, supply of adequate and proper drinking water, skill training activities etc. To address the impact of mining, new technology has to be developed that uses fewer chemicals during extraction and processing of bauxite, forest coverage should be increased, and mining waste should be regulated and turned into a non-harmful form.

Evaluation of National Agricultural Policies in India Since Post Green Revolution Period

Dr. Minati Sahoo — 2023-08-11

Agricultural development is a precondition of our national prosperity. Hence an attempt has been made to examine the agricultural reforms in India post green revolution period in context of National Agricultural Policy 2000 & 2020. The study shows that when it comes to productivity, agriculture showed a positive increasing trend through years; but the yield per hector doesn’t show a satisfactory trend. In year 2000 the policy objective was to achieve 4% growth rate per year till 2020. The trend show how fluctuating the agricultural growth rate per year was. Again, price level backed by financial crisis, natural calamities showed an inflation in agricultural price level for consumers. Recently in three farm bill, the government didn’t mention about the MSP and that was the reason why it led to the biggest farmers protest of all time. The trend of MSP has been seen increasing than the last year. Still the demands of the farmers for abolishing the policy was ignored by the Government. So far as the comparison shows the product pricing has been in better situation.

Agricultural Credit in India: An Economic Assessment with Special Reference to Post Reform Period

Biswajit Bhoi — 2023-08-11

This study is an attempt to examine the trend and pattern of agricultural credit in India with special focus on post reform phase. Though it has titled as special reference to post reform phase but the analysis part has considered pre reform phase for clear cut and better understanding. Not only the study has taken this part but also some major problems that our agricultural credit is facing and policies of government related to Agricultural credit has analysed in this paper. In the initial phase of agricultural system farmers were completely dependent on money lenders, landlords and other informal sources to survive their cultivating system. At the time of inception of planning (1951) more than 90% people took the help of these non- institutional sources. As a result, they were completely exploited by their lender groups in form of exorbitant rate of interest charge, providing free services to their credit owners and sudden sell of their agricultural product at lower price. With the development of society, new mottos, new thinking, and new government provision, a transformation of farmers has been seen from the financial point of view. Now people are attracting towards the institutional credit structure. As per AIDIS 2013 report nearer to 56% people are dependent on banking institutional sources of credit for their financial need. SCBS and Cooperative banks are playing an emerging role for agricultural credit funding. In context of direct as well as indirect credit SCBs and Cooperative credit is the best credit provider in time of post reform phase respectively. On the basis of time though a huge gap between short- and long-term credits is being seen still it is the concentrated area of discussion in this paper. Government has mainly focussed on southern region of our country. On the basis of state Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are the largest agricultural credit captured area. Because of lack of profile issues poor farmers are the neglecting part of the agricultural credit share. In the report of 2002-03 of EPWRF it has mentioned rich farmers are getting 238.3 % finance from SCBs while 211.3% for poor farmers. Credit inadequacy, deficient amount of sanctions, prevalence of middle man system etc. are the major constraints for the improvement of agricultural credit. Our government is taking attention on these issues and launching many policies and schemes related to agricultural credit to improve the status of farmers and ultimately condition of agriculture in our country.

An Analysis of Performance and Challenges of Agricultural Sector in India

Dr. Prasant Kumar Behera — 2023-08-11

Over the decades in spite of significant increase in agricultural output, India is facing challenges related to food security with growing population. Enhancing the agricultural productivity while conserving and sustaining the natural resources is another problem of Indian agriculture. Considering the ongoing problems, this study focuses to examine the performance of Indian agriculture and to find out challenges in the way of achieving sustainable development in agriculture. This study is based on secondary data collected mainly from the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India and the assessment years ranges from 2000-01 to 2020-21. The study found that the growth rates of agricultural products is not increasing significantly which is caused by either decline in yield rate or decline in area under cultivation or low cropping intensity. Moreover, study also reveals that the huge amount consumption of pesticides and fertilizers leads to environmental degradation which ultimately affects the sustainability of the agriculture. The study suggests that the government should give direct subsidies and grants towards adoption of sustainable technologies, establish appropriate standards and regulations for chemical inputs, and provide appropriate training and awareness programmes to farmers and consumers on sustainable agricultural practices and organic products.

Handloom Industry in Odisha- A Case Analysis of Khordha District

Dr. Minati Sahoo — 2023-08-11

Handloom weaving is one of the labour intensive sector in India. To develop this sector, Government has implemented several schemes for the weavers. Thus, it is assumed that these policies might have benefitted the weaver substantially and must have addressed their problems in handloom productions. But this needs to be analysed at micro-level, hence an attempt has been made in the present study to analysis the various problems faced by the handloom weavers in Khordha district of Odisha. The study found that handloom weavers are mainly facing the problems in procurement of required raw materials like yarn, dyes and chemicals at the right time and in appropriate quantities, poor governmental support, lack of credit availability, non-availability of market, lack of training and skill development programme, deprived of benefits from the different governmental scheme. Both the central and state governments have formulated certain specific schemes to support handloom weavers but it fails in meeting their real needs and requirements. Due to these problems and challenges, many weavers are trying to shift from weaving to some other occupation and thus putting the handloom weaving on the verge of extinction. Hence, policy measures implemented by Government should be enforced for the development of the handloom weaver community.

Covid-19 & Diversification in Agriculture Inodisha

Artatrana Sahu — 2023-08-11

Disease outbreak and global pandemics have been the greatest threat for the sustainability of human existence. In the current context the world is facing yet another pandemic as corona virus disease of 2019. Realizing the gravity of situation, every country has undertaken social steps to fight against the pandemic. All these comb at against the pandemic has vastly affected the major economic sector such as Agriculture .Agriculture serves as the most important economic sector endorsing food security and human development. So, it is important to takes some steps for improving the productivity of agricultural sector for which the supply chain not disturb. Byte help of diversification in agriculture we should increase our agricultural productivity, the structure and nature of cropping pattern and maintain the supply side of the economy for which we can easily attain the growth path and come out from this pandemic. The study has revealed most of the district in Odisha is experiencing a lateral movement towards crop specialization and crop diversification is seen only in tribal dominated technological less developed districts. The study has observed a reduction in inequality during the studied period and has concluded that districts in Odisha are converging as far as agricultural productivity in Odisha and has suggested some policy measures for increasing agricultural productivity in the state.