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With groundwater undrinkable and the river contaminated, residents of Odisha’s Kanas block say unsafe water has cost lives, livelihoods and dignity.

Puri, Odisha: Almost a year to the week after a diarrhoea outbreak linked to contaminated water hit Kanas block, jaundice has come knocking at the community’s doors, once again tied to the consumption of water from the Daya river.

One person from Nuadokanda village died and nine others were hospitalised at the Puri District Hospital and SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. The deceased, Bimbadhar Behera, was in his 40s. The remaining patients have since been discharged. Authorities have advised residents to avoid using river water and to drink boiled supply water.

For residents, the outbreak is a grim repetition of the past. Medical teams from the public health department have visited affected villages to assess sanitation conditions and water sources. Samples from the Daya river, tube wells, ponds and wells have been sent for laboratory testing to determine the cause of the outbreak. Potable water is being supplied through tankers.

The reporter talking to the villagers of Gadishagoda (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

For Babrubahan Sethi (32), who lost his mother during last year’s outbreak, the latest cases have brought back painful memories. Just days earlier, on January 5, the Odisha Human Rights Commission ruled in favour of Sethi and other petitioners who lost family members during the 2025 outbreak. Six people had died and hundreds had fallen ill after consuming polluted river water at the time.

“For generations, we depended on the Daya for drinking, cooking, bathing and washing,” Sethi said, speaking from the backyard of his thatched house with the river flowing behind him. His voice carried anger and fatigue as he showed medical records from the treatment of his mother, Gurei Sethi (52).

Sethi, who grew up on the river’s banks, said he has witnessed a steady decline in water quality over the years. “We knew it was unsafe, but the groundwater here is contaminated with iron and tastes salty. We had no choice but to boil and consume river water,” he said, adding that villagers had repeatedly complained to block-level officials but received no response.

When Gurei Sethi fell ill, she was taken first to a nearby community health centre and later to the Puri district hospital. She was eventually referred to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, where she died. After her death, Sethi filed a petition against the Puri district collector and senior health officials, alleging negligence and holding them responsible for her death.

Houses of Gadishagoda village (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

A polluted lifeline

The Daya river, a distributary of the Kuakhai and part of the Mahanadi basin, originates near Bhubaneswar and flows through Pipili, Delang and Kanas blocks of Puri district before draining into Chilika lake. Historically significant, its banks are believed to be the site of the Kalinga War, whose devastation led Emperor Ashoka to embrace Buddhism. Today, the river is witnessing a different kind of devastation.

A comprehensive study, Pollution Dynamics and the Post-Pandemic Trajectory of the Daya River (2000-2025), describes the river’s condition as a case of environmental injustice, with urban waste disproportionately affecting downstream rural communities.

Social activist Kishan Patnaik showing the place where Gangua nullah joins with Daya river in Kanti village (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

Data from the Odisha State Pollution Control Board show alarming levels of biochemical oxygen demand, depleted dissolved oxygen, and excessive total and faecal coliform counts, as well as faecal streptococcus, in the Daya and several other rivers in the state. Monitoring points in Kanas and surrounding areas recorded contamination far exceeding permissible limits.

Another study on water pollution in Bhubaneswar attributes the contamination to untreated domestic and industrial discharge from pollution-intensive industrial clusters. Since the early 2000s, population growth and industrial expansion have sharply increased the volume of untreated effluents entering the river, rendering it unfit for human use. Levels of chemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand and E coli were found to be beyond permissible limits.

At Kanti village, where the Gangua nullah merges with the Daya, the water has turned black and emits a strong odour. Residents no longer spend their evenings on the riverbank and warned this reporter not to even touch the water due to the risk of infection.

Further downstream, fisherfolk say the pollution has devastated livelihoods. In Jagulaipadar and Nuadokanda villages, residents report frequent fish deaths and a declining catch.

“Wastewater entering the river makes it impossible for fish to survive,” said Sura Behera (48) of Jagulaipadar. Despite strong market demand, fisherfolk are unable to earn a living. “Catching crabs, shrimps and fish in Chilika has become difficult for various reasons. The contaminated river water is adding to our woes,” he said, adding that over the past five years many from the community have migrated to Kerala and Bengaluru for work.

“Since 2007, people here have been falling sick after drinking river water, suffering from fever, stomach pain, diarrhoea and skin diseases,” said Braja Mohapatra (64) of Kanti village. “We were fully dependent on the river, but we have stopped using it completely.” Piped water connections and tube wells now meet local water needs.

This option, however, is not available in Kanas. Human rights activist Kishan Patnaik said nearly three lakh people across three blocks depend on the Daya. “In Delang, people have alternate sources. But in Kanas, most tube well water is contaminated with iron and tastes salty, making it unusable for drinking and cooking,” he said. “People are forced to depend on the polluted river.”

The state government has repeatedly promised the completion of a long-pending piped water project. Madhusudan Jena, the sarpanch of Gadishagoda, remains hopeful. “Every summer, when the water level of the Daya drops, we are forced to meet demand through tankers,” he said. After last year’s outbreak, nearly 15,000 litres of water were supplied daily to Nuagaon village, and tanker supply continues.

The mega piped water project, initiated in 2018, is expected to be completed in 2026. Once operational, Jena said, it is expected to provide clean drinking water to villages along the river.

The polluted river affecting downstream rural communities (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

Deaths, disease and discrimination

In Gadishagoda village of Kanas block, Sarathi Pradhan (75) allegedly died after consuming water from the Daya river. His nephew, Upendra Pradhan (64), said this was the first diarrhoea-related death in the village and was followed by two more.

“After my uncle’s death, we filed a petition with the Odisha Human Rights Commission and a complaint at the local police station,” Upendra said. Following the outbreak, the district administration issued a notice declaring the river water unfit for drinking and briefly supplied water through tankers.

The tanker supply was later withdrawn, with officials stating it was no longer required. Even when tankers were deployed, access was unequal. “Scheduled caste families were made to stand at the end of the queue,” said Mamata Sethi, wife of Babrubahan Sethi. “Many times, the tanker would be empty before our turn.”

A woman showing her palms that develop allergy due to contaminated water (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

“We still boil and strain river water to drink,” Mamata Sethi said. “To protect our seven-year-old son, we sent him to live with his maternal uncle and enrolled him in a school there. When he visits, we buy bottled water.” Babrubahan Sethi, a daily-wage labourer in Bhubaneswar, spends Rs 30-Rs 50 a day on drinking water and is yet to repay a Rs 50,000 loan taken for his mother’s treatment.

Women in Kanas bear the daily burden of making contaminated water usable. “We spend hours boiling water every day,” said Subarna Dalei (43), showing rashes on her hands. “Since my marriage, I have never tasted clean water.” When relatives visit, she asks them to bring water from home. “During festivals, it becomes two or three jars.”

Her neighbour, Sabita Dalei (38), said guests often bring their own drinking water because of the smell and taste. “We offer soft drinks instead,” she said. “Sometimes we drink torani to quench our thirst.”

Sabita pointed to a dry pipeline near her home, meant to supply water once the mega piped water project is completed. “But we don’t dare to hope,” she said.

The contamination has also affected livelihoods. “We used to grow vegetables in our backyard during the rabi season. It helped with household consumption and some income,” said Pradhan. “Now the river water has become poisonous, and the land lies unused.”

A fisherman checking his fishing net before going for fishing (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

Legal battle and limited relief

Former Satyabadi MLA Ramaranjan Baliarsingh, who filed the first petition with the Odisha Human Rights Commission on the issue, said the case was unusual in both scale and outcome.

“This is one of the rare instances where multiple petitions were filed and senior officials were summoned,” he said. “In Odisha’s legal history, this is the first time that 12 petitions were filed in a single river contamination case, and three department secretaries, a district collector and the secretary of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board physically appeared before the Commission.”

“Our demands were simple,” Baliarsingh said. “Clean the river, supply potable water until that happens, and compensate the families of the deceased.”

Referring to the long-pending mega piped water project for Kanas, Baliarsingh said that once operational, it is expected to benefit 153 revenue villages across Kanas, Brahmagiri and Satyabadi blocks. “But the reality is that it may take another two to three years to complete,” he said. “Although Rs 176 crore has been allocated for a wastewater treatment plant, land acquisition and preparation of the detailed project report are yet to be completed. We want the court to fix responsibility on the concerned officials and ensure the work is carried out on a war footing.”

The OHRC eventually ruled in favour of the petitioners, directing the state government to set up a wastewater treatment plant near the Gangua canal, expedite the stalled piped water project, and compensate affected families. Family members of all seven deceased were present when the order was pronounced, along with Baliarsingh and human rights activist Baghambar Patnaik, who assisted in filing the petitions.

The commission recommended compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to four families and Rs 2 lakh each to three others. However, the compensation is yet to be disbursed.

Bhramarabar Sahu (70) of Nuagaon village, who lost his wife Sachala Sahu (60), had tears in his eyes during the hearing. Back home, however, another crisis was already beginning to unfold.

Cover photo - Villagers of Gadishagoda are bathing in the Daya river (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

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Come cyclone or flood, the residents of this coastal village would pack their bags and shift to camps. That is all set to change within a decade due to the mangrove conservation efforts of village women under the banner of Paryavaran Sanrakshan Abhiyan Trust

Puri, Odisha: Nalini Kandi (45) now understands the\nimportance of the mangrove forest that protects her village Jhadling\nfrom cyclonic storms and floods. Recalling the days preceding the landfall of\nCyclone Fani of 2019, she narrated, “The IMD [Indian Meteorological\nDepartment] issued a warning that Cyclone Fani would landfall near our village.\nWe panicked, but packed basic and essential items, including\nimportant documents, certificates, money, ornaments and medicines, in an\naluminum trunk and clothes in a bundle and headed to a government school.”

When the men of the village returned the next day, they found that the\nseverity of the cyclone was less than expected in Jhadling and a few other adjacent\nvillages. The cyclonic storm had made landfall at Balukhanda, 49 km from Jhadling.\n“We were told that the 1.5 km dense mangrove forest saved us from the severity\nof the storm,” Nalini said.

Mangroves are salt tolerant trees and shrubs typically found in\nestuarine and intertidal regions. They grow in areas where freshwater and saltwater meet and where soil is marshy.

These women are doing thengapalli voluntarily to protect their forest (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

“Since childhood, we have been experiencing cyclonic storms, of which Super\nCyclone of 1999, Phailin of 2013 and Fani of 2019 were the most devastating. When the administration issues a warning, we would rush to the school to protect ourselves. When we return, the village would\nmostly be submerged. Our agriculture fields would be devastated. We would stay in that waist-deep water for seven to 10 days until it fully recedes,” said Mamina\nKandi (39). In short, life comes to a standstill for the inhabitants of nearly 80\nvillages, including Jhadling, in Astaranga block during cyclonic storms and its\naftermath.

The villagers are also involved in cleaning the estuary area for mass nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

The villagers have not considered protecting mangroves to act\nas a shield against cyclonic storms until Soumya Ranjan Biswal, a marine turtle\nand mangrove conservationist from Astaranga block, sensitised them on the issue.\n“Though Odisha Paryavaran Sanrakshan Abhiyan Trust have been working on Olive\nRidley sea turtle conservation project for more than a decade, we realised that if we\ncan protect mangrove forest surrounding Jhadling panchayat, it would benefit\nthe vulnerable community of this coastal village. We also thought of involving women\nto lead the conservation initiative,” said Biswal, the founder of the\ntrust.

Google earth map of plantation site, they have done plantation in 1.7 acres area (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

“While conserving Olive Ridleys at the Devi river mouth, I found that mangrove\nforests surrounding Astaranga block have been destroyed in many places. So, I\nalong with a few youth of my native Gundalba, a neighbouring village of Jhadling, started creating nursery beds for the plantation of mangrove\nsaplings. We used to go early in the morning and return late in the evening. One\nday in 2023, I saw five women collecting firewood from the mangroves. I tried to\nconvince them about the importance of mangrove forest and how it would be destroyed\nif they continuously collected wood.”

Women working in the nursery beds (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

The good thing was that he managed to convince them, so they stopped collecting firewood from mangroves. In 2023, Biswal launched the Women for Mangroves Initiative to reverse the damage unknowingly\ncaused to the larger mangrove ecosystem. The village women were initially reluctant\nto join, but he took them to his training centre in Astaranga, where he offered environmental training to schoolchildren and villagers, and elaborated on the importance of mangrove forests and\nhow it works as a shield against cyclonic storms and floods.

Women are on their way to plant mangrove saplings (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

“After attending the training, we were ready to join the initiative,”\nsaid Nayana Kandi (49), now a member of the Women for Mangroves Initiative.\nInitially, five women joined the group and after finishing\nhousehold chores every morning, they would go to the mangrove forest for conservation\nwork.

“As this work is not easy as it sounds, we approached a few men in our\nvillage to join us,” said Ranjulata Kandi (45), adding, “They ferry us in the\nboat and when we go inside the dense forest, they guide us. Sometimes\nthere is fear of attacks from wild animals and snakes.”

The mangrove conservation project that started informally has grown with\ntime. The number of participating women has\nincreased to 25. Seven fishermen are also involved in the effort. In a span of two years, over 22,000\nmangrove saplings have been planted. The participants collect seeds from the riverbank when water recedes during low tide and preserve them\nfor germination. Subsequently, they sow the germinated seeds in fenced\nnursery beds. Men help them in this work.

The women are paid Rs 250 per day for the four-hour-long conservation effort they take up on three to four days of a week, mostly during low tide. Paryavaran Sanrakshan Abhiyan Trust pays them with the funding support from Billion Trees, an initiative run by Subroto Chatterjee, Jagrut Odisha, a social welfare organisation based in Cuttack, Govind Tripathy Smruti Parishad, philanthropists and individual well wishers. It has not received any government support yet.

Women members have indigenous knowledge in seed selection. They know which\nseed will grow in which type of soil. “We know that indigenous species rai,\nsinduka, kaliachua, bandari and keruan\ngrow well in marshy fields. Now we take more interest in understanding what\nother varieties are available in our mangrove forests and where it will grow\nwell,” Nalini explains.

Kendrapada district, known for Bhitarkanika National Park,\nhas the highest mangrove forest cover in Odisha. The India State of Forest Report 2023 reveals that the state has a mangrove cover of 259.06 sq km, of which Kendrapada has the\nhighest cover of 212.69 sq km (81%), followed by Bhadrak (32.39 sq km), Jagatsinghpur (8.42 sq km), Balasore (4.82 sq km) and Puri (0.74 sq km).

In 2024, when Cyclone Dana was predicted to landfall near Bhitarkanika\nNational Park and Dhamra Port, people feared that it\nwould destroy their villages. But, the dense mangrove cover of Kendrapada\nhelped minimise the impact.

Bikash Ranjan Dash, Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife), Odisha State\nForest Department, told 101Reporters that mangrove forests act as a shield against cyclonic storms, but some people have constructed illegal gheris [encroachments] for prawn fishing in Kendrapada. “The department is taking action against these encroachments and has launched plantation drives with local support. It will provide livelihood options, especially to women.\"

Before they launched conservation efforts, the women of Jhadling used to\ncatch crabs from the mangroves and sell them to local traders. Each woman used\nto collect 18 to 20 crabs in three to four days, which would bring in Rs 300\nto 500. They also collected firewood for cooking from\nthe mangroves.

“Our husbands work in agricultural fields and sometimes go to nearby\ntowns to work as labourers. To financially support our families, we used to catch crabs… The\nwork was sometimes dangerous. Chances of getting a crab bite was high if one was a little careless… No other work was available in our village, so we continued with it until the conservation project created new opportunities for us,” said Sulochana\nKandi (49).

“We are not catching crabs anymore, rather we are devoting\nour time to conservation work,” beams Nalini. The wages they receive are sufficient to support the family financially. They source firewood from the neighbourhood, instead of depending on the mangrove forests for it.

A glimpse of the mangrove forest (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

“We engage in plantation work to protect the villages\nalong the coastal areas of Astaranga from cyclonic storms in future. Our children will not have to run when there is a cyclone warning,” hoped Mamina.

When asked about the support from the forest department, Biswal said, “They\nappreciate and encourage our mangroves initiative.” No official from Puri Forest Division agreed to speak on the women's efforts in Jhadling, maintaining that only the principal chief conservator of forests or any other senior officer from Bhubaneswar office should speak.

The outcome of this conservation work is likely to be visible in another 10 years, as mangrove plants take three to five years to grow.

Cover Photo - The members of mangrove initiative (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

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The ropes made from siali bark have been the community’s only occupation\nand identity, but it is no longer the case due to the restrictions imposed on\nentering the biosphere reserve’s core area

Mayurbhanj, Odisha: Bishram Mankirdia (32) and a few other men from Dengam Mankirdia Sahi village in Khunta block of Mayurbhanj were returning home from Similipal reserve\nforest recently when a forest guard stopped them on their way.

They had ventured into the forest to collect tree bark (fibre) of siali (Bauhinia vahlii), but the guard was not convinced. “He alleged that\nwe lit a fire inside the forest. Despite our denials, he repeated that we torched the place in the\nname of collecting tree bark,” said Bishram.

Bishram Mankirdia of Dengam Mankirdia Sahi village in Khunta block (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

Sairam Mankirdia (35) added that they are sometimes accused of killing animals, too.\n“For generations, we have been making ropes from siali bark and selling them at haat\n[a local market]. This is our livelihood. We have not learnt any other skill,”\nhe explained.

One of the 13 particularly\nvulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) in Odisha, Mankirdias are mostly scattered in and around Similipal in Mayurbhanj district. Their livelihood,\nculture, tradition and identity are dependent on the forest. However, they were\nbarred from entering the forest after UNESCO included it in its list of World Network of Biosphere Reserves in May 2009.

Much before that, Similipal became a tiger reserve in 1973, wildlife sanctuary in 1979, national\npark in 1980 and a biosphere\nreserve in 1994. These time-to-time declarations uprooted Mankirdias from\ntheir forest habitat and traditional livelihood. Dengam residents still manage\nto enter the forest as they have settled in the reserve’s periphery, after being sent out of the core area. However, those living around 40 km away in hill block-171 rehabilitation colony at Uthani Sahi of\nKaptipada block find it difficult to do so.

“Villagers stopped collecting siali bark due to the constant harassment and threats from forest staff,” said Sura\nMankirdia (33) of hill\nblock colony,\nadding that they have now replaced siali\nbark with plastic ropes.

Engaged in making ropes using plastic\nthreads, Raibari Mankirdia (72) of hill block colony said, “These [plastic threads]\nare available in bulk at the haat. We\ncollect them, make ropes and sell them again at the weekly haat. The demand for our ropes is less as other plastic ropes are\nalso available there.”

Paglu Mankirdia (34) echoed her when\nhe said that profit was less. “When we were using siali bark, there was no investment.\nThe demand was also good. As we have to buy plastic threads now, we get very\nlittle in hand.” He mentioned that youth have shifted to farm or construction labour, or were migrating. Paglu himself drives a farm tractor for his livelihood.

Kuni Mankirdia (29) has been facing difficulties in running the household as her husband has migrated for work. \"It takes two to three days to make plastic ropes, but when we take it to the market, people ask for siali ropes. If I am unable to sell ropes in the market, I have to borrow rice from other villagers with a promise to return it soon.”

A woman in Dengam village showing how to make ropes and other household things from siali barks (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

Spell it right

Mankirdias are a\nsemi-nomadic section of the Birhor tribe. \"They are called Mankirdias because they are skilled at catching mankads [monkeys] using nets made from siali creepers. They eat monkey flesh and sell the skin to local skin traders,\" Prof Nirmal Chandra Dash, Department of Population Studies, Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, told 101Reporters. However, a large section of anthropologists, sociologists and development practitioners strongly oppose identifying them as monkey catchers.

Sweta Mishra, a tribal expert at the research wing of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and\nTraining Institute, said, “The community used to live inside Similipal\nforest. Earlier, especially during\nBritish rule, their expertise was used to catch monkeys.”

As per the 2011 Census, Mankirdia population in Odisha is 2,849. Sandeep Patnaik, who did a detailed\nresearch on Mankirdia tribes of Mayurbhanj, explained, “While doing\nthis research, one question revolved around whether these communities should be\nleft to preserve their traditional life or integrated into the mainstream. At\npresent, Mankirdias find themselves at the crossroads. They have lost access\nto their original way of life and are finding it extremely difficult to adopt to the mainstream.”

The younger generation has faced difficulties due to their surname. Sarat Mankadia (18)\nof Dengam had applied for a tribe certificate for school admission. His surname\ndid not match with the\nones in the statewise list of Scheduled Tribes published by the Government of India. Mankidi, Mankirdia and Mankria are part of this list, but not Mankadia.

When Mankirdias settled in villages, they were provided with voter IDs, in some of which officials misspelled their surname as Mankadia. As these tribals are not literate, they could not understand its implications. \"Later, when they applied for ration cards, tribe certificates and other government schemes, their applications were denied on the ground of surnames not matching with the spelling given in the ST list. Consequently, many Mankirdia households could not access government schemes as they had no Aadhaar, ration card or caste\ncertificate,” said Sukanti Patra, who assisted in the research.

Many parents told 101Reporters that they faced difficulties in enrolling their\nchildren in an ashram school\n(residential tribal hostel) at Oupada, 53 km from Dengam, because of the caste\ncertificate issue. Subham Mankadia (17) had dreamt of becoming a police officer, but is aimless now as he could not get college admission due to the absence of a caste certificate.

But there is something to cheer about. “Recently, the Scheduled Tribes list of Odisha was amended to include synonyms and sub-sections of\ndifferent tribal communities. This will enable them to get their caste\ncertificates soon,” Mishra said.

(Above) Women of rehabilitation colony (below) Khudei Mankadia studying in a nearby college, hopes to get a job (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

Shifting occupation

Most of the Mankirdia families have\nadapted to farming due to the non-availability of siali bark. They do not possess agricultural lands, so some have become sharecroppers. The monkey-catching occupation is not in\ndemand anymore, and the youth are not interested either. They are migrating to\nAndhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in distress. However, some of\nthem who have returned said that the payment was meagre. Noting that it is\ndifficult to live in a city, one of them said that he had to sell his mobile\nphone to find money to return home.

“There is a complete absence of work\nopportunities near their village or panchayat. The state government should find\nways to provide the tribe with the option to cultivate. Besides facilitating sharecropping,\nthe government should enable their access to formal credit and crop insurance,”\nsaid Patnaik.

The Hill Kharia and Mankirdia Development Agency set up by the Odisha government is functional in Karanjia\nand Jashipur blocks of Mayurbhanj. Since its inception, it covers only Kendumundi\nand Durdura villages, whereas Mankirdias have settled in eight different\nvillages.

When asked about this, Roopa Roshan\nSahoo, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department,\ntold 101Reporters, “The department\nwill look into it. If needed, we will extend the work to other habitations\nthrough our agency.”

The writer while interacting with the Mankirdia villagers (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

Denial of habitat rights

Habitat as defined under Section 2(h)\nof The Scheduled\nTribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act,\n2006, includes the area comprising the customary habitat and such other\nhabitats in reserve forests and protected forests of primitive tribal groups\nand pre-agricultural communities and other forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes.

“In the Forest Rights Act and The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, it is clearly mentioned that the vulnerable PVTGs need access to forest for their livelihood, even though the forest is declared as a sanctuary or national park. The district Collector's should ensure that they can exercise their rights,” independent researcher and FRA expert Tushar Dash told 101Reporters.

Though the district level committee approved Mankirdia’s habitat right in 2016, the forest department\ndenied land to them by linking it to their safety. At that time, JD Pati, the then\ndeputy director of Similipal Tiger Reserve, told the media that there are\nelephants and tigers in the core area. “These people risk their lives by going\ninto the forest just to collect some honey and siali bark. How can I allow them,” he had asked.

“Our future hangs in the balance. Siali bark is available in the core area,\nbut we are barred from entering. The forest department accuses us of destroying\nelephant fodder. The reality is that elephants do not eat siali bark. They use it to brighten their tusk,” said Manu Mankirdia\n(33) of Dengam.

On this, Sahoo said the\nhabitat rights issue of Mankirdias involves several stakeholders. “To\nrestore their traditional livelihood, the department will soon hold a\nmulti-sector consultation and will try to find a way for the tribe to access\nthe core area of Similipal.”

Four women from Dengam and hill block colony, whom Sukanti Patra had trained to make bags and other decorative items using siali bark, said that\nrestrictions in accessing the forest have prevented them from making best use\nof the training. Patra, who upskills tribal women through her NGO Jana Mangala Mahila Samiti, said, “There is a\nhuge demand for environment-friendly products among urban customers.” Besides bags, slings, nets and small baskets can also be made using the bark.

Asked about the restrictions imposed, Similipal\nTiger Project Director Prakash Chand Gogineni told 101Reporters\nthat false allegations were being made against the field staff. “The department\nhas never created barriers or stopped Mankirdias from entering, unless they are\ninvolved in a poaching-like incident.”

“Show me any case where we have booked Mankirdias\nfor collecting siali bark. It is\navailable in plenty in the buffer area of Similipal… There is no need to enter\nthe core area… Tribals regularly collect non-timber\nproduce from the forest,” he added.

However, siali rope makers felt that bark available in core areas was softer and of better quality because of atmospheric moisture.

Edited by Rekha Pulinnoli

Cover Photo - Raibari Mankirdia making a siali rope (Photo - Rakhi Ghosh, 101Reporters)

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The lack of caste certificates has made it difficult for the nomadic tribe to avail government schemes and apply for jobs or stipends, leaving them to stagnate on the margins of society.

Puri/Bhubaneshwar: “Amara jati pramana nathibaru ame sarakari sahayataru banchita heuchu (We are deprived of government entitlements because we do not have a caste certificate),” said Meena Das (34) before a gathering of academicians, researchers, and journalists in Odisha’s capital, Bhubaneswar, in late September.

Das belongs to Sabakhia Kela, one among 13 listed Kela communities found in Pipili, Brahmagiri and Sadar blocks of Odisha’s Puri district. They have lived for generations as a nomadic tribe. Some members of the community are still snake charmers, while others perform stunts for money and food. Many of them play instruments like the Tingi Khadu as they go door-to-door, collecting alms.

Murali Shikari (41) from the Mundapota Kela community said, “The male members of the community bury their heads under the earth and hold their breath while the women beat the drums to attract the public so that they can collect alms. We have also been performing a typical dance form — the ghoda nacha. That was our livelihood.”

The Kela tribes have been subject to continuous neglect and social stigma. All because the community has never been entitled to the all-important caste certificates that can open the doors to various kinds of government support, claimed Meena Das.

A district official on the condition of anonymity told 101Reporters that it is difficult to issue certificates to the Kela community as they do not have past records or any information about their origins in Odisha.

“One of the key problems in placing these communities on India’s developmental map is the unavailability of authentic and relevant data. It is not available as no caste-wise census was undertaken between 1931 and 2011,” said Sandip Patnaik, a researcher studying the socio-economic conditions of Kela communities.

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Murali Shikari, accompanied by his wife Rupa Shikari, demonstrates a traditional stunt of the Kela community, where the men bury their heads in the ground and hold their breath for several minutes as their wives seek food and money from the public (Picture credit - Rakhi Ghosh)

Patnaik added that most of these communities are nomadic and their numbers are not likely to be enumerated in the Census data. “A number of states have not prepared the list of de-notified or nomadic communities,” he said, adding, “the lack of official records has made them invisible in the development process. Many of them are still struggling to get a caste certificate so that they can avail government benefits.”

In search of home

The study revealed that Kela communities have limited access to land, housing and sanitation, forcing them to live in neglect.

Murali Shikari said that the government has not been able to provide proper housing for his family either through the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or the Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana meant for the poor. “We are living in a marshy place and are vulnerable to diseases,” he said.

Lata Shikari (65), a widow living in Pipili block, has been waiting for 40 years to build a house through government support. She has attended most of the rallies conducted by the ruling party in Bhubaneswar with the hope that her demand will be fulfilled. She has not succeeded so far.

In the past, Meena Das said, the members of the Kela community would eat anything they could find — from dead birds to snakes. But now, things have changed as many look forward to a dignified life.

“Now, we either work as seasonal labourers or farm labourers and sharecroppers,” she said, adding that the people of her community would be able to live a better life if they had a home.

No jobs, no school

The lack of caste certificates, for example, has left the Kela community unable to access job cards that are given under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

This was particularly tough when job prospects were further dented by the coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide lockdown imposed by the government in March 2020. “The meagre income we used to get as labourers stopped. We had to depend on the five kilograms of rice that we got from the public distribution system. It was insufficient,” Meena Das said.

Lakhia Shikari (44) of the Beherasahi in Pipili block, who belongs to Mundapota Kela community, said that the pandemic forced them to once again take up their traditional occupation.

“The sudden lockdown announcement crushed our livelihood. We lived hand-to-mouth. When there were no work opportunities due to the pandemic, we fell back to our traditional occupation — begging for alms,” she said.

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Meena Das says the community aspires for better lives now and caste certificates are essential to help towards this; (right) Muna Das rues that a caste certificate would have helped him complete his studies as the high fees forced him to drop out last year (Picture credit - Rakhi Ghosh)

Muna Das (21), from Ghusuria Kela community, had to quit college during the pandemic and work at a farm to provide for his family. He was unable to procure a stipend when he was completing his degree as he had no caste certificate. He had to pay regular fees like his counterparts from the general category, ultimately making it difficult for him to continue his studies.

“I approached government officials and even the district collector to request a caste certificate, but to no avail,” he said.

Muna Das’ dreams of becoming a teacher were shattered due to the lack of caste certificates. “We are so invisible in the eyes of the government that even after so many years of independence we are deprived of a caste certificate. Now, the pandemic has broken all our hopes,” he rued.

Murali Shikari's children studied for free till Class 8 in a government-run school. However, to put them through high school, he will now have to pay fees. “Due to lack of caste certificates, our children are unable to get a stipend to continue studies. Many children drop out from schools as their parents fail to pay school fees,” he said.

Stigma that follows them everywhere

The stigma attached to the Kela communities has followed them even in dire situations, highlighting rampant discriminatory practices. They were not spared even during natural calamities.

When Cyclone Fani killed 74 people in Odisha in April 2019 and caused damages worth Rs 1200 crore, several shelters were built to temporarily rehabilitate those who were displaced. Here, the members of the Kela communities were allegedly subjected to casteist behaviour by people of the upper caste.

“In the multi-purpose cyclone shelter, the upper castes had already occupied the space and they didn’t allow us to enter,” said Meena Das. “Thus, we returned and took shelter in a school verandah. Here, the upper caste people did not allow us to use the washroom. We were forced to urinate at a faraway place even when it was raining heavily,” she said.

Even in their day to day lives, the women of Kela community have had to face discriminatory remarks, like while foraging for date leaves that they use to stitch mats or make brooms.

Rupa Shikari from the Mundapota Kela community said, “People either deny or demand money for the leaves. How will we pay the amount? Moreover, the availability of plastic mats and brooms have made it difficult to sell our traditional skills,” she said, adding that they were now working as construction labourers to make ends meet.

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Tribals and forest-dwelling communities in Odisha seek collective rights over Community Forest Resources to provide them with food and livelihood security while also reviving conservation efforts.

Nayagarh: In January 2020, a few villagers in Mitukuli village in Odisha’s Nayagarh, were patrolling the forests — a practise popularly known as thengapalli — when they found nearly 225 well-grown trees cut down by the forest department. Infuriated at the sight, they put forth the issue before the Community Forest Resources Management Committee (CFRMC) (Gosthi Jangala Sambala O Parichalana Committee), formed by the villagers.

This kickstarted the process to formally reclaim the forest lands that they have been protecting for generations, and legally petition for the ownership of Community Forest Resources (CFR) under the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Believing that this will empower them with rights for protection, regeneration, conservation and management of forest resources, the inhabitants of eight villages (including Mitukuli) in the Dasapalla block in the district met with the Welfare Extension Officer (WEO) On August 16 to submit the petition.

\"Ame ama janglara sima nirdharana karichu aau ame chahunchu amaku ama jangala uapare adhikar milu [we have demarcated the traditional boundary of our forest and demand our rights over CFR],\" said Laxmi Mallick (54), pointing to the forest just behind Mitukuli village. On entering this village, comprising 50 homes, mostly belonging to marginalised tribal and Dalit families, one encounters a cement plaque displaying the words — \"Villagers protect and manage these forest resources\".

The final straw

Last January, the day after the villages found the fallen trees, they noticed officials from the Forest Department, Forest Development Corporation and a few labourers bringing in a truck to remove the trees. The villagers protested the entry of the vehicle. \"We didn't allow them to lift the wood; we sat on the timber. We protested because after all, we are protecting our forest but without informing us, they cut down our trees,\" Pramila Jani, a committee member, told 101Reporters.

Initially, the department didn't agree and tried to forcibly take away the timber. But the villagers were firm in their refusal to move. To diffuse the situation, the District Forest Officer, Ranger and other officials agreed to a negotiation.

\"We demanded our share of the timber and asked them to not cut any more trees without taking permission from the committee,\" said Subhas Chandra Jani, President of the CFRMC. Finally, the forest department decided on a compromise and assured to pay the villagers Rs 87,700 against the trees they had cut down. The amount is yet to be transferred to the CFRMC account, but villagers are happy to have claimed their share for the first time. This incident built confidence among the villagers, and they decided to redraw the traditional forest boundaries to claim control over thier entire CFR area.

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The forest behind the village of Mitukuli (right; Picture credit - Rakhi Ghosh) where villagers discovered hundreds of trees cut down without their knowledge (Picture credit - Nirman)

Reimagining borders

\"Our ancestors have been protecting this forest, and now we continue their legacy. If we establish the boundary, it will empower us to restrict the entry of outsiders,\" Dhaneswar Jani, an active member of Mitukuli CFRMC and representative of the Adivasi Cell in Nayagarh district, told 101Reporters. This already includes timber thieves and smugglers, against whom women like Mallick protect their forests, stick in hand. \"But many times the Department itself cuts down and takes away timber in the name of making rath for Lord Jagannath, cutting down siali creepers just to clean the forest and plant trees which benefit them. They never thought to consult us or take our permission,” said Mallick.

Ironically, it's the villagers who had to worry about being arbitrarily pulled up by forest guards for venturing into the forest.

The community sat together to redraw the traditional boundary line so they can use the resources and impose restrictions. They also invited neighbouring villagers, the Revenue Inspector and officials from the forest department for joint verification and to avoid any conflict in future.

\"We have considered the cattle grazing land, barren land, streams, types of trees, forest deity and places our ancestors used to visit while preparing the outline of the traditional forest area,\" said Bhubaneswar Jani, Secretary of the Mitukuli CFRMC. He added that once they finished the blueprint, each family contributed to buying lime powder to mark the boundaries.

\"Before beginning this divine effort, we performed a puja before our village deity and ventured into the jungle. Since then, we have been awaiting the official claim certificate over CFR,\" the secretary said with a confident smile.

Nirman, a non-profit organisation, took steps to empower villagers about information surrounding community forest rights. Narayan Parida, Programme Officer at Nirman oversaw regular meetings and sensitisation programmes with community leaders, women and youth to guide them about the process.

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A meeting of some members of the community forest resources committee in Mitukuli (Picture credit - Rakhi Ghosh)

Reliance on forest produce

Bankataila is one of the seven other neighbouring villages that was inspired by Mitukuli to petition for rights over CFR. With a population of 160, Bankataila began as a satellite village and was sharing forest land with the neighbouring village of Munduli. Laxmidhara Muduli, President of CFRMC, Bankataila, said, \"When we heard Munduli were demarcating their forest area, we found they had taken away most of our forest land.” But the villagers from both the villages were able to sit down together and amicably redraw the forest borders.

\"Ame kaani pati bhikhya magilu, ama jangala amaku diya (We begged and requested them to give us our forest land to survive). This touched the hearts of the village elders, and they returned the portion of the land to Bankataila,\" he said.

In Mitukuli, the villagers barely have about two acres of cultivable land on average where they generally grow paddy. To supplement their income and nutrition, they collect sal, siali and tendu leaves, mushroom, fruits, jhuna, honey, mahul, palua, satabari, and odanga from the forest. It is estimated that each family makes at least Rs 10,000-15,000 from forest produce yearly which can be substantially augmented if they have stronger rights over these resources.

Dhaneswar told 101Reporters, \"In 1999 and 2000 when we faced drought-like conditions, our forest saved us from starvation. Women ventured into the forest to collect siali leaves and stitch them, while men sold these in the market to buy rice for their families. Besides tubers, different types of spinach, potatoes and mushrooms helped us survive.\" This year too, they expect the sporadic rainfall to produce a below-average yield. \"But we are hopeful that our forest will help us,\" he said.

They also believe the restrictions on outsiders will help protect the forest from fires. \"Last year, our sanctuary went up in flames. We toiled into the night to extinguish the fire. Though the reason is still unknown, we believe restrictions on access will protect the forest,\" said Muduli.

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Mitukuli villagers conduct prayers in front of the cement plaque proclaiming their rights over the forest before beginning the process of demarkating forest boundaries (Picture credit - Nirman)

Consolidating community efforts

Though these eight villages in Dasapalla are waiting for recognition of CFR, they have already started following the rules formed by their respective committees. Each committee has 15 members with equal participation of women. If villagers require timber or bamboo for the construction of homes or any other purposes, they will have to obtain permission from the committee.

\"The committee will decide on which trees can be cut and the villager will have to pay for it,” said Sukanti Behera, secretary of the Bankataila CFRMC, showing the receipt book. Till now, the Committee has received Rs 1,800 from villagers. “But the food from the forest has been exempted and we don’t charge for it,” she added.

The Bankataila CFRMC hopes to be able to spend the funds collected on the development of the village and community. \"We have planned to start a seed bank to collect seeds from the forest. Before the monsoons, we will plant them for the growth and regeneration of the forest,\" said Nandi Bhoi, a member.

If the eight villages fail to get the CFR title in the next three months, they will bring this issue before the Collector. Dhaneswar Jani echoed their common belief, \"After all, we are protecting our forests, so we rightfully deserve ownership over forest resources.\"

","postTitleURL":"In_Nayagarh_villagers_have_begun_to_assert_total_ownership_over_their_forests","mainCat":["The_Promise_Of_Commons"]}]