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When I was in Balangir in 1998 for a participatory poverty profiling study, I witnessed widespread poverty, distress migration, crisis of water for livelihoods and self-sustenance. Balangir is part of undivided Koraput and is one of the poorest districts in Odisha, despite having rainfall, landholding size, per capita food grain production and availability more than state average.
When I visited Balangir this year after two and half decades, I could see some improvement in infrastructure like roads, government buildings and so on, but the condition of people was largely the same, with reduced rainfall (1,229 / 1,500 mm), less than a quarter area under irrigation, reduced agricultural incomes, distress migration and 90 per cent of the population living below poverty levels. Balangir still remains one of the backward districts in India.
There has been migration from every village I visited in Titlagarh, a municipality in the district. The farmlands were negligible and produce scant. Because of decreased work availability, people were forced to migrate. Migration is the highest in Balangir and Nuapada in Odisha.
Climate change-induced migration has become a pressing issue in Balangir. The rising temperatures, increased frequency of droughts, inadequate and erratic rainfall and lack of water harvesting structures have led to drought-like situations many times, further forcing people to migrate to other areas in search of work.
The government has taken measures for safe migration in the state. State Nodal Officers have been posted in three destination states (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana) for rescue of migrant labourers. Information, education and communication materials have also been developed and disseminated among local residents.
In addition to poverty, untouchability / caste-based social discrimination prevail in many villages, which is one of the major factors for Dalits to leave their native village and migrate to other states for work. Even today, they are not allowed to take up non-farm activities like selling vegetables, paddy processing or set up betel shops, grocery shops, hotels, among other facilities due to discrimination.
Around 70 per cent of the migrating population consists of Dalits and tribals, while the remaining 30 per cent are OBCs. There has been no notable change in these statistics over time.
Like two decades ago, migrants are taken to the destination work-sites by sardars (labour contractor) by giving an advance amount of Rs 50,000 (earlier Rs 20,000) per pathuria (a unit consisting of three persons). District Labour Officer shared there are 200 licensed labour contractors in the district.
Also the numbers of migrant children are decreasing. Children used to migrate with family to support in brick making and taking care of their siblings. Now, more of them are staying back with other family members. But, this figure is not same in all villages and families. There are the cases where children are still migrating with their family members.
The timely payment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MGNREGA; which could have been an alternative source of earning) is another challenge. People who are working as MGNREGA labourers often do not have a labour card so that other benefits like insurance can be accessed. The cards are not updated so one cannot know how many days they have worked. Wage payment delays continues in MGNREGS programmes.
Getting a labour card involves an arduous process of three months to complete all the formalities, including an employment certificate from the block development officer that they have working as a MGNREGA worker for at least a year.
Other benefits like pension, including Subhadra Yojana, takes a lot of online work, which the villagers cannot do by themselves. In addition to this, their bank passbook needs to be operational and mobile numbers must be updated to get the benefits.
An elderly woman in a Titlagarh village said it would have been better to continue the practice of giving pension in cash at their doorstep. This would have saved them from a lot of trouble. The same is true of pensions for persons with disabilities, widows and so on. This has been a long-standing demand.
Now, migrant construction workers are eligible to get the benefits under the Building and Other Construction Workers Act, including health insurance, maternity benefits, educational assistance for their children, and financial assistance for various needs. Further, they are being included on e-Shram portal.
The Workers Facilitation Centres, run by ActionAid with support from Azim Premji Foundation, have been doing good work on this front but many such centres are required to assist people in online work to access the entitlements which become crucial during lean seasons.
Twenty-five years later, the district's drinking water problems persist. Even at the start of the summer season people were seen complaining about water availability for drinking and their daily use. Only a handful of tubewells were working well in the villages that provided drinking water.
In one of schools I visited in Titlagarh, the tubewell ran dry and the students had to leave school early. Women continue to bear the burden of carrying water and providing for their families.
Middlemen continue to reap profits from purchasing non-timber forest produce (NTFP) at a lower prices from the villagers and selling them at mandis (market) at a much higher price. The NTFPs provide a crucial additional income for the families in the lean seasons.
One wonders why can’t women producers’ groups market the NTFPs directly instead of going through agents? There is no minimum support price (MSP) for NTFP products. This is also a long standing demand of the people here.
For selling of minor forest produce, the government has fixed an MSP. In 2024, the Odisha government had launched the LABHA (‘Laghu Bana Jatya Drabya Kraya’) Yojana to support forest dwellers ensure MSP for minor forest produces. But, unfortunately, people are unaware of this provision and sell their produce at low rates.
There needs to be some alternative livelihood programmes in the poverty belt at Balangir, since agriculture is fast becoming uneconomical. We can go for alternative livelihoods like mushroom cultivation, marketing of broom sticks, NTFP products and so on. The Krishi Vigyan Kendras can train villagers on these activities.
Encouraging sustainable agricultural methods such as organic farming, the revival and promotion of traditional seed varieties, climate-resilient crops, and water conservation is essential. Furthermore, establishing community seed banks and grain banks, along with fostering market connections in partnership with government departments and similar organisations, can be beneficial.
Renovation and revival of traditional water harvesting structures, construction of new water harvesting structures can be some of the measures to be dealt with water issues.
The formation and promotion of women’s collectives can be encouraged for selling of organic agricultural produces and minor forest produce. Promoting activities such as processing and packaging can enhance the income potential of minor forest products, organic goods, and millets by establishing millet processing mills or units, oil processing units, and more. Promotion of value-added products through women-led market linkages will be facilitated with local markets and digital marketing.
Women’s / farmers’ collectives can be provided with agricultural input support for organic farming of vegetables, millets and mixed farming (cereals, pulses, oil seeds, roots, tubers and vegetables that can be sold in local market).
Integrated farming system can be promoted, wherein crop, livestock, goat rearing, fish farming, poultry, mushroom and vegetables can be promoted. This can help bring the migrant, small, marginal, landless families from the most marginalised communities into the fold.
Lopamudra Behera, programme officer, ActionAid Association also contributed to the story. Debabrat Patra is an associate director with ActionAid Association.
Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth or ActionAid Association.