Community Response towards Common Property Resources Management: A Case of Thamaraikulam Village of Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Common Property Resources (CPRs) have become a topic of scholarly research and attention, only after publication of an article entitled “The Tragedy of the Commons” by Garrett Hardin (1968). It is well established fact that CPRs and its allied products play vital role in promoting sustainable rural development and thus there is a need to understand the perception of local people in management of CPRs (Olo Mola, 1993). In this context, the Theory of Collective Action, also known as Theory of Public Goods, can provide the basis for understanding the conditions under which the users of CPRs will act and react on the utilization CPRs and the major problems confronted in using the CPRs. Traditional economic theories recognize and focus only two types of property viz public and individual. But there is third dimension of property as CPRs, which have been traditionally recognized by the rural society. They CPRs are playing a crucial role in people’s survival and particularly in community development of “Rural India” - real India according to our future of Nation Mahatma Gandhiji. In rural environment of India, both ecological and socio economic sustainability is largely determined by the status of CPRs and rights. In this context (Jodha 1995) and (Singh 1994) are rightly pointed out that CPRs are owned in common by identifiable group of people, regulated by social convention and legally enforceable rules. Further, CPRs are resources accessible to the whole community of a village to which no individual has exclusive property rights. In short CPRs is subject to individual use, but not to individual position. Cross root evidences show that CPRs have made significant contribution to rural mass and they are: providing physical products, generating income, promoting social culture gains, bringing environmental/ecological benefits. With this background, the researchers have made an attempt to study “People’s perception on CPRs management in Thamaraikulam Village of Dindigul District”, by carving out the following objectives such as (i) to study the socio economic conditions of the sample users of CPRs in the study area; (ii) to examine the extend in which the CPRs are used and managed by the sample households; (iii) to identify the major problems in using and many the CPRs; and (iv) to suggest ways and means for effective utilization of CPRs for betterment of village community. The researchable issues and questing raised are: What are the CPRs available to the village community? How these resources are being utilized and managed for the well being of the community as a whole and individual in particular? What are the constraints found by the community for sustainability of CPRs usage? This micro level research provides feasible, viable possible and sustainable solution to these issues and questions.