why the people of baster kept away from forest even India's independence
Answers
The Darbha administrative block in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district is rich in natural resources. With dense Sal (Shorea robusta) forests occupying a significant portion of its area, Darbha is among the favourite tourist destinations in the state.
However, despite such natural wealth, it is among the most backward blocks in India and contributes to making Bastar one of the most backward districts in the country.
Darbha has been identified as the 22nd most backward block in India in a survey by the erstwhile Planning Commission. The average literacy rate for Darbha is around 40 per cent, according to the 2011 Census, which is much lower as compared to the average 70 per cent literacy rate of Chhattisgarh.
The census data also shows that several villages in the block do not have sufficient medical facilities. Though agriculture is the primary livelihood for the block population, the total area under irrigation is less than one per cent of the total cultivable area.
Eighty-three per cent of Darbha’s population is tribal. Since the block is heavily forested, people depend on forests for a variety of purposes, including livelihood generation.
However, the State of Forests Report 2017 shows a reduction in the geographical area under forest cover for the entire Bastar administrative division over the last decade.