Tribal Dependence on Fly Ash in Korba

Abstract

Introduction Fly ash, a by-product from power plants, is a powdery gray material that is stored in large ash dykes or ponds. This ash is used in making bricks and in cement factories. Fly ash is considered to be a major pollution problem as it is dispersed into the air and pollutes bodies of water. However, for the local tribal populations of Korba district, Chhattisgarh state, fly ash is becoming a source of livelihood. These forest-dwelling groups are leaving their traditional ways of life and are mingling more and more with the mainstream society of India. The goal of this study was to collect preliminary data on variation in tribal participation in work with fly ash to determine the feasibility of a full scale research project about livelihood transitions. Setting Korba is a moderately small city situated at the juncture of Hasdev and Ahiran rivers, at 22.20 N and 82.42 E and 304.8 meters above sea level in the heart of Chhattisgarh (Figure 1). The total population of Korba city is 520,174 (per the 1991 census). At present, the population is about 828,000. The population of Korba Municipal Corporation is about 385,000; 51.7 percent of the population of the district is from government-recognized tribal groups (i.e., Scheduled Tribes). At present, in comparison to average landholdings in India, there are 160,892 marginal farmers, 18,935 small farmers, 20,582 medium farmers and 760 rich farmers from all of the minority and majority groups working in this district. This district, which is in the Bilaspur division, has been declared a Tribal (Adivasi) District, and is home to the Korwa people. Even today, the original forest inhabitants of this place have retained their cultural traditions. The district is developing at a rapid pace-with a number of newly built industrial units and factories-because the area is abundant in electrical power. Korba is rich in mineral deposits, forest wealth and wild animals. The main forest products of this area are mahua (Madhuca longifolia), bija (Pterocarpus marsupium), sagon (Tectona grandis), sahaj (Terminalia tomentosa), murhi, tendu (Diospyro melanoxylon), kahua (Terminalia Arjuna), kalmih (Andrographis paniculata), mango (Mangifera indica), jamun (Eugenia jambolana), kari (Gloriosa superba), khamhar, dhaman (Grewiatina folia), chaar (Buchanania latifolia), and sarai (Shorea robusta), among others. The interior of Korba District, especially Podi-Uprora, Kenda, Kendai and Lapha ranges, are home for a number of carnivorous animals, including the tiger (Panthera tigris), jungle cat (Felis chaus), mongoose (Herpestes javanicus), striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), jackal (Canis aureus), and Indian bear (Melursus ursinus). The Abujhamaria and Pahari Korba tribes number 52,000 and live in sprawling thick forests spread over thousands of acres at distances between 260 km and 400 km from the state capital. Indian government officials who have come in contact with them say these groups do not get enough to eat, are not adequately clothed, and are far removed from mainstream society. In spite of being a small town amidst natural beauty, Korba has four coal-fired power plants that produce tons of fly ash as a byproduct. Fly ash is an inorganic mixture made up of silicon, calcium, manganese, arsenic, lead, glass particles, etc. The fly ash is dumped through large pipes from the power plants into open ash dykes or embankments that are situated on the outskirts of the city. The dykes are often ploughed to keep the upper surface even. Some ash is sent to factories for cement manufacture while other ash is destined for artisanal brick-making-a major pollutant in the area. This relatively new state of Chhattisgarh has 46 tribes, the largest number of any Indian state. According to the 2001 census, the total population of Korba district is 644,860 of which the total tribal population is 116,281-57.23 percent of the population of Korba (Chattisgarh Government Census 2001). …