EXPLORATORY STUDY OF BIRIGUDA VILLAGE

Learning Objectives

Rural Sensitization- To understand rural life and comprehend the people living in rural areas by being a part of their life, through their perspective

To learn to develop a complete village profile- in terms of social, political and economic conditions & how these interlink to create a dynamic ‘community’.

Sources of Data Collection

Sources

Semi-structured interview

Survey Questionn

aire

Non-government Institution

records

PRA

LOCATION

Located under Odiapentha gram panchayat in Laxmipur block

of Koraput district.54 kms from Koraput and 373 kms from Bhubaneshwar.

Koraput district in OdishaLaxmipur block in Koraput

district

HISTORY

Earlier only Biriguda village was present, now the village consists of 3 hamlets

Biriguda colony- established in 1976 when 45 residents of Biriguda village got houses built under the Integrated Housing Development Scheme

Pardiguda-around 150 years old

VILLAGE SOCIETY

VILLAGE DEMOGRAPHY

Area 253.75 acres

Population 1298

Households 327

Sex ratio 1093

BPL families 210(64%)

Soil type Rengta &patheria(75%)

Biriguda revenue village

Birigudavillage

Birigudacolony

Pardiguda

114 HH 107 HH 106 HH

40%

54%

6% 0%Age Group

0-18

19-60

>60

HEALTHCARE STATUS

Diarrhoea , skin disease and malaria are the common ailments

Reason- open defecation, poor hygiene, lack of cleanliness, lack of hygiene at drinking water places, drinking stream water

For treatment purposes, ANM is present at Biriguda colony and an ANM sub-centre at Biriguda village. 1 PHC is present where doctor is present.

Nearest hospital is at Laxmipur, which is 12 kms away from village

Mobile medical van comes once in 2-3 months without prior intimation

Female Health: The females work hard and are generally anemic. Cooking

in traditional chulhas (bujula) inside the house also affects women health.

EDUCATION STATUS

Of the total population in the village 329(25%) are of school going age.

1 Anganwadi, 2 Primary schools , 1 Upper primary school(till class VII) in Biriguda village. For higher education students have to go Laxmipur high school.

Literacy rate of 46%.

Most one can study in village is till Class VII

Major Problem: Lack of infrastructure, lack of transportation facilities

VILLAGE ECONOMY

Village economy

• It is a agro-based economy. Almost 80% are engaged in cultivation-majority as laborers.

• Avg. land holding size is 3-5 acres.

• As it sloppy land so they practice contour farming.

• Main cultivation at biriguda staple crops is like paddy, mandiya, soya, etc. while vegetables like brinjal ,tomato, potato, cabbage, beans, cauliflower and ladyfinger.

• Total Livestock holding family are 78 in which cows are 138,

pigs 82, sheep 4 , goat 114, poultry 1138.

• Market nearest to Biriguda is at Laxmipur, people visit to purchase daily use items and vegetables . Also a haat is conducted on every Saturday.

• Farmers are divided into BADA CHASI AND CHOTA CHASI on the basis of their food security. Bada chasi is 131 family have security of food for whole year while chota chasi is 116 family has security for 4-5 months in a year.

Village economy

• Forest produce are Mango, jackfruit, mahua, tamarind, harda. Peoplegenerally utilise source of fuel for cooking purpose from mango woods.Also NTFP program is about start in mid December.

• Services are available like shops but only 3 retail shops are present andsells only daily use commodity and employees only family member in italso there is auto rickshaw service from biriguda to laxmipur.

• Farmers use Agricultural inputs available in terms of fertilizer like DAP(Diammonium phosphate), UREA, Potash and manures but certainpopulation of people resist use of chemical fertilizer and generally preferorganic manure to minimize side effects of chemical fertilizers andpesticides. They have power tiller for ploughing of land. They also practicetraditional method of ploughing i.e. with bulls and plough. Seeds utilizedpresently are hybrid variety because of more production.

livelihood1. Human asset – mainly people are having agricultural skills, 3 family are

engaged in carpentry business and one family engaged in small hotel business while some engaged and skilled in animal grazing.

2. Social asset - There is marked gender discrimination in the field of political participation and property rights. However, in the fields of cultural activities and wage rates there is gender equality.

3. Natural asset – Generally red soil, black soil, stony and gravelly soil are found. Drinking water is spring water drawn to village by pipe lines. land types found are dangar, podu,bedi,pada.

4. Physical asset – village has hand pump but people don’t consume its water because of dirt's. Lack of secure sanitation facility. Electricity is available for approx 18 hours hours but sometimes power outrage extend for even 7-10 days. check dams are also present for irrigation of feildsand well developed and paved cc roads are present.

livelihood

5. Personnel asset – people lack motivation and ambition especially of ST community.

They practice rituals and worship god named “maa tarini” and “phool devi”

6. Organisational asset – CYSD and 13 SHG’s.

Wage labor

Trading and business

Agriculture

Vulnerability

19%

58%

11%

12%

Women HH

Landless

Old Men HH

Handicap

A large number of families are landless, espicially in Biriguda colony where only 45 HHs out of total 106 HHs have “patta” land or legal documents for their land

Land acquisition by Aditya Birla group

Landless

• Labourer• Sharecropper • Skill based work

like masonry, carpentry, driving, etc.

• Seasonal migration • Diversification • Goat rearing

Women HH

• Labourer• Small

business like selling bangles, dry fish,etc

• Goat rearing • Pension/

compensation

Old Man HH

• Pension • Give their land

on sharecropping

• Goat rearing

Coping strategies of the vulnerable

Sources of Credit

40, 83%

8, 17%

Banks

SHGs

Main sources of credit are still informal sources like relatives and friends They turn to formal sources only when they have no other wayNo moneylenders in the villageLoans from SHGs are slowly increasingNot enough SHGs for men

Formal sources of credit

PWD road runs through heart of the village. Roads under the PradhanMantri Gram Sadak Yojana is being built to connect the hamlets to the main road running through the heart of the village.

Vehicular connectivity is a major problem.

Out of the three hamlets of the village Pardiguda has not yet been electrified in spite of the provision of Rajiv Gandhi Gramin VidyutikaranYojana.

Distance & terrain prove major hindrance to power supply.

Alternate source of lighting is solar power & kerosene.

Many houses have been built with IAY funds.

Most of the families have pucca houses with asbestos roofs except that of the sarpanch who has concrete roof.

24Hrs water supply is there in two of the three hamlets but the Pardigudahamlet is devoid of any water supply.

VDC building and Multipurpose SHG hall is also present there.

Village Infrastructure

Village Institutions

Village Development Community centre.

Public Distribution Shop is available but at a distant place about 2.5km away from the village.

ANM building.

Primary School.

Anganwadi.

Village Committee: Responsible for managing common activities in the village like dispute settlement, cultural functions, maintaining records, etc.

Women Saving Groups: SHGs

Gram Sabha

Panchayat: Responsible for bringing facilities to the weaker section and development works. But it is not dispensing its duties properly and the labourers are not getting their right wages and details of the work done.

Block development Office

Integrated Tribal Development Authority (ITDA)

Odhisa Tribal Employment & Livelihood Program (OTELP)

• High political participation- high voter turn out.

• High awareness about individual & collective rights. Gram sabhas

held as stipulated. Development plans evolved after thorough

deliberation in Gram Sabhas.

• Village Panchayat serves as fountainhead of rational-legal authority

and is very proactive in disbursing duties.

• The Gram Sabha meetings are held twice a year one in the month of

February and another in the month of August.

• More than 85-90% attendance in the GS and GP meetings indicates

the high awareness among the village people.

• Gram Panchayat meetings are held twice in a month once on the 2nd

day and one on the 16th day of the month.

Village Polity

Village Polity

• Though the Sarpanch is the formal head of the village

but the decision is taken according to the general

consensus of the village people.

• The allocation of BPL/APL families and disbursement of

govt. funds are done without any discrepancy.

• Women members are equally active and participative in

the GP and GS meetings.

PRA- Biriguda Colony

Reflections

• Though the villagers had to face daily hardships in their livelihoods but yet they are quite content with their present status.

• They live in harmony despite of caste differences among them.

• The village economy is mainly depended on agriculture and NTFP collection from the forest.

• Substantial improvement can be done in agriculture. Traditional methods of agriculture are still used.

• Due to the current economic deprivation the Health condition of the village is not that well and good, and people suffering from very minor diseases often die. Alcoholism is a serious issue and needs to be checked if the village is to progress.

• Sanitation facilities need to be developed as open defecation is a cause for many problems

• Alternate sources of livelihood particularly NTFP and goat rearing needs to encouraged more

• Revival of defunct SHGs