CHAPTER 4 SOCIO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF PUNE DISTRICT 4.1. Research area 'Location' Analysis 4.2. 'Language' of research area 4.3. 'History' of Research areas 4.4. Pune District - On a 'research view' 4.5. 'Geography' of Pune 4.6. MIDC 4.7. The 'forests' of research area 4.8. The 'T.C.M.S.' at Ghodegaon 4.9. Other 'Crops' in research areas 4.10. 'Population' of research area 4.11. Connectivity of'Commutations' 4.12. 'Power supply' in research area 4.13. 'Irrigation' and research area 4.14. The 'alternative incomes' to population 4.15. 'Festivals' and research areas 4.16. 'NGOs' and World Vision 4.17 Social structure of research area 4.17: 1 The caste classification 4.17: 2 The Clothing 4.18 Village culture in research area 4.19 Life style of research area 4.19:1 The Women 4.19:2 The Youth 4.20 The Underlaying Culture 4.21 Media Consumption and research area 4.21:1 Newspaper 4.21: 2 Radio 4.21: 3 Televisions 4.21: 4 Mobile 4.22 Purchasing Method and research area 140 4.22: 1 Brand Consumption 4.22: 2 Agro - inputs Consumption 4.22: 3 Clothes Consumption 4.23 The Houses of research area 4.24 Pune census 2011 4.25 Bhimashankar one of the best reserve forest in research area 4.25: 1 Wildlife Sanctuary 4.25: 2 Natural Vegetation 4.25: 3 Fauna Species 4.26 Basic on 'Hirda' 4.27 Bhimashankar-The Sacred Forest(12 th to 14 thDec '08) 4.28 Shekru 4.29 Flora 4.30 'Hirda' Flora 4.31 Fauna 141 4.1 Research Area Location Analysis - The geographical analysis of the research area selected is Ambegaon, Junnar, Khed and Maval tehsils of the Pune district in the state of Maharashtra in India. The state of Maharashtra is located on the west coast of India, Maharashtra is the third largest state by area and the second largest state by population. With a population of 96,752,247 inhabitants, Maharashtra is the second most populous state in India. Maharashtra covers an area of 307,731 square kilometers which is about 9.84% of the total geographical area of India. The capital of the state, Mumbai is the financial capital of the country and the largest city in the nation. With the highest per capita income, the state contributes to about 15% of the country's industrial output and 13.2% of the GDP (2005-06). 4.2 Language of research areas - Marathi is the official language, also the most widely spoken language. Marathi is spoken by 90% of the population in the research area. The other languages spoken are Hindi, and some other Non- Scheduled Languages. 4.3 History of Research areas - The Marathas rose to power under the leadership of Shivaji in the 17th century. They fought against the Mughals, who were ruling a large part of India. The Maratha Empire expanded to cover most parts of northern India and sxirvived for almost a century. The empire ended after the third Anglo-Maratha war and most of Maharashtra was made a part of the Bombay state. After independence, the state of Maharashtra was formed on May 1, 1960. The great king Shivaji Maharaj was bom in Juimar tehsil at Shivaneri.The Lord God Bhimashankar one of the 12 Jyotirlingas is sitated at a boundary of Ambegaon and Khed talukas. 142 4.4 Pune District - On a research view - The city of Pune is known as the 'Queen of Deccan' due to its scenic beauty and rich natural resources. Pune is known across the world due to its educational institutions. The district is an important military base. It is the most industrialized district in western Maharashtra and is an important IT hub in India. Pune exemplifies an indigenous Marathi culture and ethos, in which education, arts and crafts, and theatres are given due prominence. Pune is the cultural capital of Maharashtra. 4.5 Geography of Pune - The district of Pune is located between 17 degrees 54' and 10degrees24' north latitude and 73 degrees! 9' and 75 degrees 10' east longitude. It has an area of 15.642 square kilometers. The Pune district is bound by Ahmadnagar district on north-east, Solapur district on the south-east, Satara district on south, Raigad district on the west and Thane district on the north-west. Pune is the second largest district in the state and covers 5.10 % of the total geographical area of the state. Pune district forms a part of the tropical monsoon land and therefore shows a significant seasonal variation in temperature as well as rainfall conditions. The district is geographically divided into Ghat, Sub Moimtain, and Plain and scarcity zone. Ambegaon, Jutmar, Khed and Maval are a tehsil in the subdivision of Pune. It has a part of its land in the plain zone and the other in the scarcity zone. Ambegaon, Jurmar, Khed and Maval technically the tehsil headquarters, most of the main administrative offices are shifted to Ghodegaon, Jurmar, Rajagurunagar, and Maval. Currently all important government offices are based on these locations. Ghodegaon is located in the Ambegoan tehsil.Junnar is located in the Jurmar tehsil.Rajagurunagar is located in Khed tehsil. Maval is located in Maval tehsil.These are the largest villages in the respectivetehsil.The T.C.M.S. is located at Jurmar and which includesAmbegaon, Khed and, Maved. 143 It is surrounded by many important landmarks, one of the being the lUCAA telescope at Girawali at Ambegaon. This is a two meter long telescope that was installed in Girawali at an altitude of 1000 meters above the sea level. There is an observatory and a guest house for the scientiststo work. The others are the Dhimba dam, which is built on the Ghod River. It is called "HUTATMA BABU GENU JALASHAY," the Chaskaman dam at Rajagurunagar on Bhima River, and the Yedagaon dam at Jurmar on Mirma River. 4.6 MIDC - There are 'MIDC complexes on this stretch, with companies like Bajaj, BMW, Mercedes and L'Oreal having their manufacturing units on this road. From Manchar, a small state highway in the direction of Bhimashankar, a popular tourist spot leads us to Ghodegaon.The new "Khed sity" MIDC is established in Khed tehsil. 4.7 The forests of research area - District forests are protected by the government and one can see the panthers walking freely in and around the forests .The evergreen forests are seen in the research area of the four tehsils. 4.8 The T.C.M.S. at Ghodegaon - Ghodegaon in Ambegaon tehsil of Pune district is siteated villeage fourteen kilometers, west of Manchar on the Nashik-Pune highway. Ghodegaon is on the road to the jyotirlinga of Bhimashankar and Shivneri, the birthplace of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The route passes over hills and dales lined with fields and more fields, the shetkari homelands of Maharashtra, growing cereal crops; as this is not the sugar belt. Manchar, the spot to get down for Ghodegaon from Pune, presents itself as yet an Indian small town, made prosperous by the busy Nashik-Pune highway, with its dhabas and medical shops. 144 A natural roller-coaster ride is offered to the rider, though the state PWD has tried to mitigate by providing a decently able motor road, and even the infamous S.T. buses co-operate. Ghodegaon is the real headquarters of the tehsil,, though it is named after the smaller Ambegaon.Here is located the T.C.M.S. (Tribal Co­ operative Marketing Society), working imder the 'Hirda' Cultivation.This society purchases Hirda Fruit of the Goverrmiental prices.The society provides a very large income to persons who collect the 'Hirda'.This society include the working areas of Ambegaon, Khed and also Junnar tehsils and production areas of'Hirda' Fruit. Ghodegaon comprises two parts, the old village bazaarpeth and a newer part on the Bhimashankar road. The two are connected by The Bridge, a major landmark of the town sparming a nondescript nullah overgrown with weeds. The newer part contains the A.P.M.C. market yard, so it is called the duyyam bazaarpeth the second market district.The T.C.M.S. is located in this area. Bhimashankar also dominates the economy, as a nimiber of rest-houses and eateries of several classes dot the place and the marigolds are always there. 4.9 Other Crops in the research area - Farmers sometimes grow vegetables like tomatoes near their houses whereas the farms growing staple crops being large are located away from houses. Sometimes the farmers manage a third crop if the water supply sufFices.The lower lands grow sugarcane, groimdnuts, potato and tomato on a rotational basis. The higher altitude farms in the hilly areas grow rice, wheat (gahu), jowar and bajra. 4.10 Population of the research area - The research area has a mixed population which is distributed across different age brackets. The teenagers mostly go to Mumbai and Pune to pursue higher education after schooling in their villages. The average income of a villager is around Rs 1000 - 1500 per month. The majority of the villagers are 145 Marathas. However, there are other castes like Mali, Matanga, Bondh and Adivasi (Schedule tribes and Schedule cast) At the obvious level, people do not lay too much importance on the castes, but the caste does play a significant role at the subconscious level. The villages in research has a Hindu majority, including Adivasis with a small population of Muslims living in a separate area as the Muslims claim to be happy 'living as one' with the other villagers.