220
their belongings is a necessity, the inhabitants are mostly reluctant to spend much
on them. 80% of the respondents from Gitaldaha and 59% in Jibantala prefer maintaining their houses only once in every 3 years, respectively. Currently 44% of the
households in Ghoramara are prone to damage from environmental hazards, and
relocation or rebuilding is necessary every year. The situation is almost same for the
houses on the lower grounds of Gitaldaha towards the Singimari floodplain. Another
major problem affecting the re-settlers is outbreak of water- and insect-borne diseases, snake bites and skin diseases. On the average, about 80% of the respondents
have complained of these problems – at least once after relocation – mostly occurring during the monsoons. In Gitaldaha the nearest healthcare centre is located at
about 5 kms away, while hospitals are situated more than 10 km away without
proper accessibility, and therefore most of the patients are left at the mercy of nature
and are treated, rather ill-treated, by local quacks. Healthcare is more accessible in
Jibantala than they had previously in Ghoramara which has brought in some psychological security. In the face of a calamity or emergency in almost both the cases,
aid and alms are often too late to arrive due to their remoteness and inaccessibility
even in the resettled locations.
Apart from habitation and health, quality of life also depends on the level of
awareness and livelihood opportunities. Most of the households surveyed received
education only in their local primary schools, with only a few students, clearing
their matriculation examination. 65% in Dakshin Kharija village and around 81% in
Ghoramara, Bakimnagar and Kamalpur villages are officially literates as per census
in 2011. Family income is the main hindrance for dropouts from the displaced families. Another deterrent is the unavailability of better educational facilities, as most
of the school buildings too are affected by erosion and shifted sites several times.
86% of respondents from Jibantala and 93% from Gitaldaha have responded to the
absence of education facilities near their place of residence. Scope for adult education too is extremely poor. A few vocational training workshops were organized by
the local governments earlier, but very few had been able to join in these programmes. Most of the young girls (48%) are married off before the age of 15 in
Gitaldaha. Confronted with acute poverty, most young boys are school dropouts
early in their lives and have to work as day labourers in other states or even other
country. The re-settlers have all lost their prior (traditional) occupations which was
majorly fishing and agriculture. Loss of cultivable lands, lack of irrigation and sea
water ingression rendering the soil infertile are the major causes inferred from
focused group discussions. The diversity in occupation too is far less in these remote
rural areas. Hence, presently of the total working population, 59% in Jibantala and
62% in Gitaldaha are engaged in daily wage labour or apprenticeship to small-time
businesses where there is a capacity of earning anything between INR 150 and 800
per day according to the job type. About 65% of the families in Jibantala and 77%
in Gitaldaha claim to earn less than INR 5000 a month. The low income in turn
affects food, health, housing, education and other livelihood options and possibilities. Increasing family sizes too have affected their per capita availability of
resources, lowering the quality of life. No social security benefits such as old-age
pension, medical support or free education was ever offered to these people who had
A. Haldar et al.
their belongings is a necessity, the inhabitants are mostly reluctant to spend much
on them. 80% of the respondents from Gitaldaha and 59% in Jibantala prefer maintaining their houses only once in every 3 years, respectively. Currently 44% of the
households in Ghoramara are prone to damage from environmental hazards, and
relocation or rebuilding is necessary every year. The situation is almost same for the
houses on the lower grounds of Gitaldaha towards the Singimari floodplain. Another
major problem affecting the re-settlers is outbreak of water- and insect-borne diseases, snake bites and skin diseases. On the average, about 80% of the respondents
have complained of these problems – at least once after relocation – mostly occurring during the monsoons. In Gitaldaha the nearest healthcare centre is located at
about 5 kms away, while hospitals are situated more than 10 km away without
proper accessibility, and therefore most of the patients are left at the mercy of nature
and are treated, rather ill-treated, by local quacks. Healthcare is more accessible in
Jibantala than they had previously in Ghoramara which has brought in some psychological security. In the face of a calamity or emergency in almost both the cases,
aid and alms are often too late to arrive due to their remoteness and inaccessibility
even in the resettled locations.
Apart from habitation and health, quality of life also depends on the level of
awareness and livelihood opportunities. Most of the households surveyed received
education only in their local primary schools, with only a few students, clearing
their matriculation examination. 65% in Dakshin Kharija village and around 81% in
Ghoramara, Bakimnagar and Kamalpur villages are officially literates as per census
in 2011. Family income is the main hindrance for dropouts from the displaced families. Another deterrent is the unavailability of better educational facilities, as most
of the school buildings too are affected by erosion and shifted sites several times.
86% of respondents from Jibantala and 93% from Gitaldaha have responded to the
absence of education facilities near their place of residence. Scope for adult education too is extremely poor. A few vocational training workshops were organized by
the local governments earlier, but very few had been able to join in these programmes. Most of the young girls (48%) are married off before the age of 15 in
Gitaldaha. Confronted with acute poverty, most young boys are school dropouts
early in their lives and have to work as day labourers in other states or even other
country. The re-settlers have all lost their prior (traditional) occupations which was
majorly fishing and agriculture. Loss of cultivable lands, lack of irrigation and sea
water ingression rendering the soil infertile are the major causes inferred from
focused group discussions. The diversity in occupation too is far less in these remote
rural areas. Hence, presently of the total working population, 59% in Jibantala and
62% in Gitaldaha are engaged in daily wage labour or apprenticeship to small-time
businesses where there is a capacity of earning anything between INR 150 and 800
per day according to the job type. About 65% of the families in Jibantala and 77%
in Gitaldaha claim to earn less than INR 5000 a month. The low income in turn
affects food, health, housing, education and other livelihood options and possibilities. Increasing family sizes too have affected their per capita availability of
resources, lowering the quality of life. No social security benefits such as old-age
pension, medical support or free education was ever offered to these people who had
A. Haldar et al.