Role of Mass Media in Promotion of Environmental Awareness Along with Skill Development Among the Rural People of Shringverpur, Allahabad District, India
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International Conference on Chemical, Biological and Environment Sciences (ICCEBS'2011) Bangkok Dec., 2011 Role of mass media in promotion of environmental awareness along with skill development among the rural people of Shringverpur, Allahabad district, India Nimish Kapoor on farm technologies, methods and practices need to be Abstract—Rural development and poverty alleviation are closely imparted to the farmers at the right time. The potential of mass linked. Mass media are playing significant role in creating media for influencing knowledge gain, public attitude and environmental awareness and information about new agricultural behaviour has been well recognized through several research technologies among the rural people. In Shringverpur village of studies (5). Mass media (electronic and print media) are Soraon tehsil of Allahabad district, 66% of the rural people were uneducated and ratio of illiteracy was higher for female. Present playing very important role in creating environmental study was designed especially to assess the role of different awareness and dissemination of new agricultural technologies information channels in generation of environmental awareness and among the rural people (2). Different information tools like skill development among the rural people of Shringverpur village. radio, television and news paper are spreading awareness During study, approximately 40% of the respondents preferred related to climate change and environment protection among television programmes whereas 26% of the rural people showed their the rural people at the faster rate than personal contact. The interest in radio programmes. Hence, information channels can play a important role to bridge the gap between science and society. production and distribution of printed materials such as book, magazines, newspaper and brochure may help in transfer of Keywords— Environmental awareness, mass media, rural new informations and technologies whereas radio and development. television are the important tools for dissemination of quick information. It has been observed that the modern mass media I. INTRODUCTION are flourishing now-a-days in our country but these are not GRICULTURE is the mainstay of the Indian economy performing the expected role among the rural people due to A and approximately half of the Indian population still gets several reasons like higher illiteracy percentage, gender their livelihood directly from agriculture. Most of India's poor inequity, lack of electricity and new electronic media devices live in rural areas and are engaged in agriculture. Climate in rural and remote areas. Unfortunately, it has been observed change and food security have become burning issues in the that technologies are available at technology producing world. Continued deforestation is a major challenge for forests centers but not effectively transferred to the ultimate users. and livelihood and one of the major causes of environmental The present paper highlights the need and significance of the degradation in India can be attributed to rapid growth of mass media in creating environmental awareness and population, which is adversely affecting the natural resources dissemination of new technologies among the rural people. and environment (7). The projected population indicates that Therefore, emphasis should be laid upon the proper utilization India will be the first most populous country in the world and of information channels for dissemination of knowledge and China will be second in 2050 (4). If the world population information related to the environment and agricultural continues to multiply, the impact on environment will be technologies among the rural people for the development of devastating. The growing trends of population and consequent rural areas. demand for food, energy and housing have considerably altered land - use practices and severely degraded forest area II. MATERIALS AND METHODS as well as environment. These include pressure on land and The systematic survey was conducted in Shringverpur forests, loss of biodiversity, rising demand for energy, global village of Soraon tehsil, Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh, warming, climate change, water scarcity and pollution. India during November 2010 - June 2011 to assess the role of For agricultural development, knowledge and information mass media in dissemination of knowledge and awareness among the rural people about the environment related issues Nimish Kapoor is Scientist C Gender and Technology Communication and reach of modern agriculture technologies in the Division Vigyan Prasar Department of Science and Technology, Government Shringverpur village. of India Noida - 201 309, Uttar Pradesh, India E. mail : [email protected]. 264 International Conference on Chemical, Biological and Environment Sciences (ICCEBS'2011) Bangkok Dec., 2011 A. Interview with the local people 2 % of the respondents had University level education (Table - Shringverpur is located in Soraon tehsil of Allahabad II). district, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is 40 kms far from Allahabad Awareness of the rural people about environment district and situated in Allahabad - Lucknow highway. The protection through mass media entire study was based on the interview and group discussion During survey, it was found that television and radio were with the local people of Shringverpur, Allahabad district, the most preferred information tools in the Shringverpur Uttar Pradesh about their knowledge on environment, climate village of Soraon tehsil and utilized by 39.5% and 26 % of the change, conservation of natural resources and new farming respondents respectively whereas 10 % rural people preferred technologies. Interview and group discussion were made to meeting with the scientists and 17% people showed their test the effectiveness of the information channels (radio, interest in practical demonstration/ campaign by the scientists television, news paper and meetings) in knowledge and experts. Approximately 40 % of the rural people preferred dissemination among the rural people of the area. During the television programmes as it can be used by both literate and survey, two hundred rural people were selected as respondents illiterate persons. Superiority of television over the other from the Shringverpur village for study. Respondents communication channels might be due to the ease of learing comprising of 120 male and 80 female were randomly through the visual mass medium (3). It was also found that selected between the age - group of 28 - 55 years for the study rural people were interested in practical demonstrations, (Table - I). A brief group discussion and interview were made meetings and group discussions with scientists in comparison with the respondents in their local language prior to data to utilizing other modern tools of media. The data reveal that collection to get their consent and to explain them that their majority of the respondents of the study area had low level of cooperation is a valuable contribution. Role of information knowledge about the environment protection and conservation channels in generation of environmental awareness and skill of natural resources but they were aware about the adverse development among the rural people was also studied during effects of climate change on their agriculture and domestic the study. Questionnaire was used during the study for animals although knowledge level of women was higher in collection of the information from the respondents and results comparison to the men. Further, training and extension of the responses were summarized in form of percentage programmes need to be improved among the rural people of (Table - III). the study area to enhance their awareness and knowledge level regarding the conservation of natural resources and utilization III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION of safe and eco - friendly farming technologies. Training programmes should be supplemented with video, posters, The systematic survey of Shringverpur village of Soraon seminars and practical demonstrations by the experts. Literacy tehsil was conducted to assess the knowledge of the rural level of the study area should be increased as 66 % of the people about the climate change and conservation of natural respondents were uneducated and illiteracy ratio was higher resources and role of different information channels (radio, for female. Governmental and non - governmental television and news paper) in dissemination of environmental organizations can play a significant role for improvement in awareness and agricultural technologies among the rural the environmental awareness and knowledge level of the people of the area. During survey, two hundred rural people villagers. were selected as respondents from the Shringverpur village of Role of Vigyan Prasar in dissemination of environmental Soraon tehsil for the study. Respondents comprising of 120 awareness and technology communication male and 80 female were randomly selected between the age - Vigyan Prasar, a National Institute of Science and group of 28 - 55 years for study. A brief group discussion and Technology Communication under the Department of Science interview were made with the respondents in their local and Technology, Government of India has initiated several language for data collection. During the study, it was observed programmes on Gender and Technology Communication to that agriculture was the main occupation of the rural people of promote environmental and technology awareness among the Shringverpur village