Impact of Stone Querries Under Santal Pargana Division of Jharkhand
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IMPACT OF STONE QUERRIES UNDER SANTAL PARGANA DIVISION OF JHARKHAND Dr.Niraj Kumar, SATHEE, Godda, Jharkhand-814133 KEY WORDS- Santal Pargana, SPT Act, stone quarries, land alienation, deforestation, Non timber forest produce, Crushers, degenearion, child labour, harassment, Laborers About the Organization SATHEE is operating in a major stone-quarrying district of the Santhal Pargana region of Jharkhand state where Santal and Paharia tribes are residing along the hills. The region is known for its stone quarries and attracts a large numbers of outside contractors and laborers. The local villagers are engaged as wage workers in the quarries sites with their women and children. Since 2005, SATHEE has been working in these areas strongly with the support of Water Aid India on water, sanitation and hygiene and it has targeted the Primitive Paharia tribal race , the most excluded and degenerating community of Santal pargana, which have been facing all types problems , manly created and created by the nature . SATHEE through his team members working on the issue of land rights, rights to food and lively hood, right to water and sanitation and ensuring transparency among the local governance since last 8-9 years. Implementation of organic farming processes and other are the basic form of actions of SATHEE in which soil and water conservation measures have been attended to revitalize the ecology and environment.Organisation also emphasizing on the action through people’s organization to address their burning needs. In this connection Citizens initiative has been given priority to change the scenario of Santal Pargana. The above study is an effort through which we have tried to show the major impacts of these stone quarries of the area on different segments survival including the water and sanitation. In this study work cursory validation of the stone quarry impact is taken under consideration so that the peoples centered advocacy may be initiated to rehabilitate the extreme poor status of availability and quality of water in the areas of Santal Pargana which have been causing hazards among the different sections of society tolling deaths specially among the children and other vulnerable sections through violating the local acts and provisions meant to protect the natural resource in the area. 1 Chapter I. INTRODUCTION II. Brief about Stone Quarry work in Santhal Pargana region of Jharkhand III. About the Study and Study Areas IV. About the study Findings & Reflection IV.1 Locations of the Stone Quarries of the Study Areas IV.2. Impact over water sources in surrounding villages of the stone quarries location IV.3 Impact of Stone Quarry work in agriculture… IV.4 Impact over NTFP Extraction… IV.5 Impact in Livestock Rearing Activity IV.6 Impact over Health Status IV.7 Impacts on Forest Resources IV.8. Impact over Education IV.9 Social Problems IV.10 Status of Labour IV.11 WATER QUALITY OF STONE QUARRY SITES V. Reflection of the Study VI. Key Recommendations of the Study 2 I. INTRODUCTION Experiences collected from the various part of India that the two important contributors of recent development i.e. stone quarry and mining of minor and major minerals for the building developmental infrastructures and energy production have been causing numbers of negative impact on environment and those people living in and around the areas where these activities are going on. The direct impact of this phenomenon are the degradation of land, declination of irreversible vegetation covers, for a and faunal biodiversity creating air and noise pollution, reduction of quality and quantity of surface and ground water, multiple displacement, health impact on the local population due to ingestion of dust and contaminated water such as stomach trouble, respiratory related problems, lung infection, fluorosis, silicosis and other prominent organ disorders etc. The indirect impact of the stone quarry and mining has the broad social implication and women and children are the worst suffer. Women are frequently sexually harassed at the sites infected with STI and HIV. Where as most of the children are working as the child labour at the site also suffering from the various ailments. The local mineral transport causing local road damage, dust deposition on agricultural land and creating the apathy among the local people towards farming resulting into the livelihood reduce from the local agricultural fields. It has been also experienced that land acquisition resulting in to the relocation of persons or loss of land related assets or access to services, alienation endangers morbidity or distress at sites also frequently occurs in the area. So far as water and sanitation is concern the generation of all types of solid and liquid wastes, increased dust, poor hygiene maintenance are all creating alarming situation before the working community. The failure to recover their previous conditions in respect to vegetation coverage, agricultural land or /and land protection by fencing creating unwanted encroachment by out sliders especially in the areas where indigenous population are residing. The above scenario also exists at several places under the state of Jharkhand especially in the Santal Pargana region. 3 JHARKHAND is 26th state of India. It has been curved out from present Bihar state in the year 2000. After long struggle of people it has been formed. This was supposed to be formed just after independence of India, while state restructuring was going on just immediately after British left India. But it was neglected for the benefit of other four non-tribal dominated states such as Orissa, Bihar, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. Because of which it remains one of the most backward state of India. Time was there when tribal mostly dominated this area; but now time is coming that tribal in the area are going to be minority and in the process of losing their existence and identity. In the journey 60 years of independence like most of the tribes, here also they are in the same scenario. Most of them have loosed their dignity of life; only a few, rich among the tribes have some dignity but at all not the same what other Citizens of India are getting. This state is rich in natural resources, human resources, but still it is one of the poorest states in India. Santhal Pargana Division comprised of 6 districts namely Godda, Pakur, Dumka, Deoghar, Sahebganj and Jamtara situated in the northern portion of Jharkhand state. This division is also recognized as the remotest fraction of the state due to least communication with tough territory. Rajmahal hill range is recognized as the backbone of this division where all the deprived tribal community such as Santhal and Paharia (PTG) residing on the hilltop, slope and foots since a long time surviving amidst of several types of man made and natural calamities. Besides the Vth schedule, special tenancy act was framed known as Santhal Pargana land tenancy act. First of all this act was framed in 1872 as SPT regulation act and in second time after review the conditions of tribes, SP supplementary act was framed in 1949. This act is clearly prohibiting the illegal capturing by the oppressors and illegal transfer of land to the any group of people. To respect and to strengthen the community ownership over resources and its governance, enough rights ensured to the community leaders as mentioned in section 20 (I)(II)(III) and record of rights of the acts. Lastly in 1996, these powers are also confirmed by the constitution of India through passed an act known as Panchayat Extension to Schedule Area (PESA’1996). 4 But after overlapping of antagonistic govt. orders, provisions as well as intrusion of certain external forces in the name of coal mining and other development projects, the earlier acts, constitutional provisions and laws are being violated by the local beaureocrats and policy makers are still continue. The local beaurocrat governance not only buried the community role and its entitlement but restricted their real development, which have ultimately pushing these communities towards extreme marginalization, scarcity and away from the mainstream development Provisions and entitlement, which have been envisaged in Tribal sub plan, MESO, MADA and tribal welfare programme have siphoned by the peripheral middlemen and local corrupt and arbitrary governance structure. In the later years, in 1990s, several other programmes for the welfare of this area specially and other community development initiatives not percolated to these tribal community, but satisfy beaurocrat directly or indirectly. The Climatic condition The climate of Santal Pargana divided in to the undulating table land and hill regions is of moderately extreme type. The area becomes cold in winter and sufficient hot in the summer. Along the alluvial tract on the bank of the Ganga, the heat is moist and more oppressive. The table land in the southern portion of the district and in the rolling and hilly tract is swept by the dry hot winds during the summer and fairly cold during winter. Now summer begins from the mid of March. The months like May and June are very hot, temperature rises up to 44-46 degree C. Onset of rain started ranging between May last week to June first week. The maximum rainfall noted in the area in the month of July and some times in the month of September. The average rainfall ranged between 1100-1400mm in a year. The lowest temperature recorded in the area is ranging between 11- 06 degree C. FLORA AND FAUNA The division has been known for its thick and extensive forest area with diverse animal and plant species. Large scale destruction initiated during mid nineties created massive loss of biodiversity due to establishing the stone crushers and initiation of coal mining .The most common trees of the area are Jack fruit, Mahua, Semal, inferior quality of sal, simal, Dhak etc.