Local Self Governance & Decentralized Economy Local Self Governance & Decentralized Economy South Bastar (Dantewada), Chhattisgarh South Bastar (Dantewada), Chhattisgarh

Dantewada-1Dantewada-1  The Dantewada, Chhattisgarh, about 400 Kms from Raipur, about 100 Kms from Jagdalpur, it is also known as south Bastar District. This district is very rich in forest area and forest productions.

Dantewada-2  In head quarter of Dantewada, rare to get petrol pump, government bus station, railway station for passengers (a very small station is only for Iron collection to NMDC, National Minerals Development Corporation) etc public facilities.

Dantewada-3  The area of Dantewada District is about- 18, sq km  Total forest area is about sq km about sq km

Dantewada-4  Total population is about- 7,19,487  Male population is about- 3,56,926  Female population is about- 3,62559  Tribal Population is about- 5,64,931  Male population is about- 2,77,670  Female population is about- 2,87,261  Total population is about- 7,19,487  Male population is about- 3,56,926  Female population is about- 3,62559  Tribal Population is about- 5,64,931  Male population is about- 2,77,670  Female population is about- 2,87,261

Dantewada-5  Total urban population is about- 52,012  Male population is about- 27,314  Female population is about- 24,698  Total rural population is about- 6,67,475  Male population is about- 3,29,614  Female population is about- 3,37,861

Dantewada-6  Total Literate population is about- 1,76,944  Male literacy is about- 1,15,626  Female literacy is about- 61,318  Total households is about- 1,46,190  Rural households is about- 1,34,062  Urban households is about- 12,128

Dantewada-7  In this district there are world known iron ore mines in Bailadeela and Kuwakonta. Konta is hottest area. Tin ore in Kantekalyan.  This is the largest district in area of Chhattisgarh. The population density of the district is about 41 people per sq km.

Dantewada-8  Major forest productions are- Bamboo, Tendupatta, Kullugod, Harra, Salbeej, Imlee, Mahuwa, Charotabeej, Shahad, Tikhur, Awala, and important herbals etc.

Dantewada-9  Total members are in Forest Committees about- 5,920  Members are in VAN SURAKSHA SAMITIs about- 3,007  Members are in VAN GRAM SAMITIs about- 2,913

Dantewada-10  Forest department is saying that department gives 15% of the income to particular committee and some committees have more than 2 Lakh Rs in their accounts. Department arranges training programme for herbal productions. Committees are 6 years old. The secretaries of these committees are from forest department.

Dantewada-11  Total area given to Forest Committees is about- 22,836,761 Hectare  Total area of VAN SURAKSHA SAMITI is about- 13,203,390 Hectare  Total area of VAN GRAM SAMITI is about- 9,633,371 Hectare

Dantewada-12  The forest department has very good policies in paper. However, these policies have no relations with recycling and reproducing forest productions.  These local forest Committees can not use money from their account, because secretaries of these committees are from forest department.

Dantewada-13  About 90 % population in rural areas are collecting forest productions ie- MAHUWA, IMLI, TORA as major collections and SALBEEJ, HARAD, BAHERA, AWLA, SHAHAD, GOND, CHAURETA, CHIRAUNJI etc as major forest collections.

Dantewada-14  The organized marketers can get costly forest productions as IMLI (12 Rs/ Kg), CHIRAUNJI (300 Rs/ Kg) by exchanging man-made salt (1 Rs/ Kg).  Local tribes do not know the market cost of these forest products. They have no facilities to go market for their small and unorganized collections.  They are unorganized collectors. They collect for their day-to-day livelihood.

Dantewada-15  There are similar status of collectors in various villages. All family members of age more than 6 to 7 years collect these things for their livelihood.  They work hard in collection in season, each member do labour more than 15 hours daily only for their minimum livelihood.

Dantewada-16  Early morning at 3 or 4 am, they go to trees for protection and from 7 or 8 am (because trees start to drop products at this time), they collect continuously 8 to 10 hours. They take MAAD-PEZ in their lunch (MAAD-PEZ; boiled rice water). In the peak-season, a family can collect 20 to 30 Kg wet MAHUWA per day, it becomes half of the weight in dry stage.  A family can produce kg dry MAHUWA per day after more than 10 hours labour in peak-season.

Dantewada-17  Local marketers purchase these collections 3-6 Rs/ Kg.  A family can collect 3 to 6 Kg per day TORA in season in daytime; then they break each TORA to get seed. After this, in dry stage, weight becomes half of collection time. Marketers purchase dry TORA 3-6 Rs/ Kg. TORA is used in medicines, vegetable oils, soaps etc.  Out of seasons of collections, tribe works as labour in agricultural fields and they get 20 Rs or 2-3 Kg rice per day after 8-10 hours hard work.