about 22 % households have safe drinking water facilities within their premises. In
many pockets, water quality is a serious issue. In some areas such as Nuapada, the
content of fluoride in the ground water is higher than the recommended safe level.
Frequent breakdown in tube wells and rural piped water supply units is another
problem. Rural people in many parts still do not appreciate the value of safe
drinking water. Sanitation habits of people in many districts are also poor. As per
the 2011 Census estimates, only 22 % of total households in Orissa had access to
basic sanitation facilities like toilets within the premises. Out of the remaining 78 %
households, 1.4 % households use public latrines while the rest defecate in the
open. As a result, the incidence of diarrhoea in interior Odisha is generally high and
it is a major source of infant and other deaths. Several other pockets of southern and
western Odisha are also socially and economically depressed. These regions are
also frequently visited by natural calamities including severe drought sand floods.
Persistence of heavy incidence of poverty in these regions is a cause of concern.
The longer term problem related to malnutrition and poverty is referred to as
chronic food insecurity, which is largely due to, continued lack of access to productive assets and employment. Agriculture plays an important role in tackling the
problem of chronic food insecurity by providing livelihood to the poor.
The transitory or short term food insecurity is associated with instability in food
production or food prices. Among other things agricultural households tend to cope
with these uncertainties through crop diversification. However, for marginal land
holders the scope for diversification is limited. Though the implementation of the
special plan has brought several benefits to this region, as per the Tendulkar
Committee methodology, rural poverty in this region came down by 21.0 percentage
points from 73.4 % in 2004–2005 to 52.4 % in 2009–2010. Enrolment rate in primary
schools in KBK districts has gone up to 103.81 % in 2010–2011 from 75.89 % in
1996–1997. Similarly, the enrolment rate in upper primary schools has risen from
56.39 % in 1996–1997 to 99.09 % in 2010–2011. The dropout rate in primary schools
in KBK districts has been reduced to 2.3 in 2010–2011 and female literacy rate has
increased to 45.49 % in 2011, while the overall literacy rate has increased to 57.17 %
in 2011. Cotton is a major commercial crop in KBK districts in the khariff season.
The state’s coastal areas are relatively better off, but the hinterland which also
inhabits vast ST population in hilly and forest terrain, is quite backward. The
majority of total ST population is concentrated in the western districts of Odisha.
1
Traditional agricultural system, indigenous knowledge were neglected, demeaned,
discarded at last for establishment of capital-based agriculture. First green revolution has played an important role to achieve their aim. Now farmer is completely
dependent on market for seeds, fertilizers, pesticides coupled with dependent on
government and non-government institutions for begging loan. More importance on
paddy and wheat destroyed our food basket with different varieties of food and
self-sufficiency of food. There is acute shortage of Millets like Desi Mandia, Bazra,
Kudo, Koshla, Suan, Guruji, Kangu, Zuar, Gangei. varieties of dal like mung, biri,
1
India Human Development Report (2011), Oxford press, NewDelhi, p. 73.
Climate Change and Natural Capital …
269
many pockets, water quality is a serious issue. In some areas such as Nuapada, the
content of fluoride in the ground water is higher than the recommended safe level.
Frequent breakdown in tube wells and rural piped water supply units is another
problem. Rural people in many parts still do not appreciate the value of safe
drinking water. Sanitation habits of people in many districts are also poor. As per
the 2011 Census estimates, only 22 % of total households in Orissa had access to
basic sanitation facilities like toilets within the premises. Out of the remaining 78 %
households, 1.4 % households use public latrines while the rest defecate in the
open. As a result, the incidence of diarrhoea in interior Odisha is generally high and
it is a major source of infant and other deaths. Several other pockets of southern and
western Odisha are also socially and economically depressed. These regions are
also frequently visited by natural calamities including severe drought sand floods.
Persistence of heavy incidence of poverty in these regions is a cause of concern.
The longer term problem related to malnutrition and poverty is referred to as
chronic food insecurity, which is largely due to, continued lack of access to productive assets and employment. Agriculture plays an important role in tackling the
problem of chronic food insecurity by providing livelihood to the poor.
The transitory or short term food insecurity is associated with instability in food
production or food prices. Among other things agricultural households tend to cope
with these uncertainties through crop diversification. However, for marginal land
holders the scope for diversification is limited. Though the implementation of the
special plan has brought several benefits to this region, as per the Tendulkar
Committee methodology, rural poverty in this region came down by 21.0 percentage
points from 73.4 % in 2004–2005 to 52.4 % in 2009–2010. Enrolment rate in primary
schools in KBK districts has gone up to 103.81 % in 2010–2011 from 75.89 % in
1996–1997. Similarly, the enrolment rate in upper primary schools has risen from
56.39 % in 1996–1997 to 99.09 % in 2010–2011. The dropout rate in primary schools
in KBK districts has been reduced to 2.3 in 2010–2011 and female literacy rate has
increased to 45.49 % in 2011, while the overall literacy rate has increased to 57.17 %
in 2011. Cotton is a major commercial crop in KBK districts in the khariff season.
The state’s coastal areas are relatively better off, but the hinterland which also
inhabits vast ST population in hilly and forest terrain, is quite backward. The
majority of total ST population is concentrated in the western districts of Odisha.
1
Traditional agricultural system, indigenous knowledge were neglected, demeaned,
discarded at last for establishment of capital-based agriculture. First green revolution has played an important role to achieve their aim. Now farmer is completely
dependent on market for seeds, fertilizers, pesticides coupled with dependent on
government and non-government institutions for begging loan. More importance on
paddy and wheat destroyed our food basket with different varieties of food and
self-sufficiency of food. There is acute shortage of Millets like Desi Mandia, Bazra,
Kudo, Koshla, Suan, Guruji, Kangu, Zuar, Gangei. varieties of dal like mung, biri,
1
India Human Development Report (2011), Oxford press, NewDelhi, p. 73.
Climate Change and Natural Capital …
269