POPULATION, RESOURCE AND DEVELOPMENT IN TRIBAL DOMINATED DISTRICT OF MAYURBHANJ

Dr. Biswajita Mohanty Teacher, O.G.P.C. High School, Cuttack. ...................................................................................................................... Manuscript Info Abstract ......................... ........................................................................ Manuscript History Received: 25 November 2019 Final Accepted: 27 December 2019 Published: January 2020

Demographic study is a pre-requisite for the developmental plan on the basis of population and population characteristics of any area. The data on population by age and sex is vital for demographers, health administrators etc. for planning and evaluation of various developmental and health program. Due to mal-distribution, diverse ways of living, high growth rate, subsistence level of economic activities and poor mental development, the economic growth is affected. It is very important for a backward district like Mayurbhanj with high tribal concentration. Here 2.51 million people reside in 3727 villages and four census towns spread over 10,418 sq.k.ms. of area (census of India 2011).The total area of Mayurbhanj comprises 6.51percent of the state and it accommodates 6.00 per cent of the state"s total population. So sustainable development programs should be initiated at war footing measures for the growth and development of this tribal district.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….... Introduction:-
The race of being developing from underdeveloped and developed from developing is a continuous event of mankind since its inception. Population has a very vital impact on this. In a developing country like India where both rural and urban development is a part of the process of industrialization as well as growth in agricultural sector, the spatial dynamics of population is an important field of study. The socio-cultural and economic development of a region is to a great extent dependent on the size, growth rate and composition of its population. The pressure on resources of a region also plays a significant role. Optimum utilization of resources with constraints to safeguard the interest of the future generation is the most challenging task before human beings. The resources like land, labor and capital plays a very important role in the development of a region. Out of these, land gets exhausted with the growth of population where as labor and capital recourses flourish with it. But a combination of these three speed up the industrial growth of a region which in turn brings development as well as crisis in the field of environment, energy, food etc. For which a balanced approach is required which will lead to sustainable development of the region. Mayurbhanj, the most tribal district of Odisha is also not untouched from this problem. Through high birth rate and high death rate the population of the district grows in a faster pace. This puts tremendous pressure on the rich natural resources present in this district. The much awaited development in Mayurbhanj should not be at the cost of this non renewable resources rather sustainable development program for the tribal taking into account the population dynamics of the region should be initiated.

Population pattern of Mayurbhanj:
Population density is a simple concept of relating population size to the land area with a view to assessing crudely the pressure of population upon the resources of the area.Density of population impacts the environment and ultimately the quality of life of the people. Increasing pressure of population has already impacted the way people live and howthey are governed.
Reducing the load on the natural resources & infrastructure especially inthe urban areas would remain a huge challenge for administrators and policy makers.The negative effects of population density include less farmlands for farmers &consumers, more congestion and more environmental pollution.
One of the most important aspects of the population of Mayurbhanj is its uneven distribution.A comparative study of the population density of Mayurbhanj,Odisha and India in the last three decades has been given below. Though the population density of Mayurbhanj does not seem to be high as compared to the state and the nation, yet taking into consideration its physiographic features the density can be claimed at an alarming level. The density distribution in Mayurbhanj is not uniform as it can be seen that due to difficult terrain the density of central region is very less i.e.116 where as in the eastern region it stands at 421, which also puts non uniform pressure on the resource of the district.
Whatever the reasons may be the high sex ratio in the tribal dominated district and low work force participation of the females contributes much to the per capita income of the district as well as its nose diving economy. From Table-2 it can be easily interpreted how females dominates the demography of Mayurbhanj. From the 2011 census it is seen that the female work force participation rate in Mayurbhanj is quite low, they are engaged mainly as marginal workers in different fields which doesn"t help the economy to boost in a larger way. With only 40 percent female workers out of which only 25 percent are working as main workers and the remaining as marginal workers, the contribution of the females in the economy of the region is negligible. Non workers in the district also a major concern in the field of economy as 51 percent of the total populations are non workers. 45 percent males are non-worker in the district.
The precarious literacy rate and the slow pace of growth in it during the last three decades has compelled a majority of population of this district to stick to the primary sector of occupation.
About 63 percent main workers and 74 percent marginal workers are engaged in primary sector of occupation which establishes the poor participation of people in service sector. The poor literacy rate is responsible for overdependence on primary activities thereby increasing pressure on the resources of the district.

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The comparison of literacy rate over the last three decades among the district, state and nation is given in Table-4  Due to the above discussed facts the resources in Mayurbhanj are depleting day by day. Forest, which is the backbone of the economy of Mayurbhanj, is disappearing in a large scale. The overdependence on forest products is nullifying the effect of many a forestation program initiated by the administration. In spite of continuous effort the per capita forest cover in the district has come down to 0.13hactor in 2015 from 0.22 hector in 1991.Dense forest cover area is decreasing due to infrastructure development which might cause problem for the future generation. technology of the products should be at the focus of the government. 3. A good number of veterinary institutions, animal breeding centres should be initiated to encourage livestock, dairy and poultry farming which in turn generate wealth and employment in the district. 4. Literacy among people in general and S.C., S.T. and women in particular must be emphasized. 5. Employment generation scheme for the educated should be implemented to check brain drain. 6. Government and non-government organizations are to be involved to carry out better health care programmes and health care campaigns. 7. The God gifted Similipal massif must be exploited for tourism development. 8. Maximum utilization of forest products by local people is to be encouraged but sufficient care must be taken so that there should be no overuse of forest which may lead to deforestation.

Conclusion:-
Taking into consideration the growth rate of population, social groups, literacy as well as economy of this district it can be well assumed that there should be optimum utilization of the resources of this resource rich district. But much more emphasis must be laid on sustainable development as we have to store these resources for our future generation for their survival.