CHAPTER

A BRIEF STUDY ON THE SOCIO ECONOMIC SECTOR OF DHAKUAKHANA

Social Background and Living Standard in the Villages

This chapter intends to look at the social background of the people living in the villages under Dhakuakhana Sub- division. It also looks at the existing infrastructure facilities in the surveyed villages. The house type, sanitation practices etc. help us to know about the living of standard of people and its reflects their economic conditions. It helps us to look at the problems and formulation of appropriate policy for development.

2.1. Social background of the people

Historically, we have found number of social groups in Dhakuakhana sub – division. Ahom, Chutia and Mishing were the three important groups in this region constituting major portion of Dhakuakhana’s population. Hindu schedule caste population is also found in Dhakuakhana region (Kalita , 2001).

The table 2.1 shows the social groups of people in our sample villages .Out of the 100 sample households in our study area 40households belong to schedule caste family , 10 households belongs to schedule tribe category and 45 household belongs to backward class category .

Table - 2.1 Socio – economic background of people in study area

Village	Sample households	Scheduled caste	Scheduled tribe	Backward class	Others
Nakapahuwa	10	10	-	-	-
Pithial	10	10	-	-	-
Garaimari	10	6	-	4	-
Bhalukaguri	10	2	-	8	-
Bahpara	10	10	-	-	-
Roha	10	1	-	8	1
Gorpara	10	-	10	-	-
Amloguri	10	-	-	6	4
Baligaon	10	1	-	9	-
Madarguri	10	-	-	10	-
Total	100	40	10	45	5

* Source : Field Work, 2002

In a village wise classification it is found that Nakapahuwa, Pithial , and Bahpara completely dominated by schedule caste people , whereas village Gorpara has shown the dominance of Mishing tribal community . We have observed

Mixed type of population group in the remaining villages .

2.2. Sex ratio at our study area

Sex ratio, defined as the number of females per thousand males is an important social indicator to measure the extent of prevailing equality between males and females . The sex ratio in India had always remained unfavourable to females. Moreover, it has shown a declining trend. The sex ratio at the beginning of the 20th century was 972 and thereafter showed continues decline. The sex ratio of the country in 2001 stands at 933.Table 2.2 shows the sex ratio of our sample villages . It is found that the overall sex ratio in our sample villages is 970 which is lower than that of the country as well as of the state. However there is large variation in the sample villages. The reason of lower sex ratio in our study area is not explored in this study.

Table – 2.2 People and sex ratio in the villages

Village	Male	Female	Sex Ratio
Nakapahuwa	30	30	1000
Pithial	33	20	606
Garaimari	31	25	806
Bhalukaguri	26	26	1000
Bahpara	30	24	800
Roha	31	30	968
Gorpara	34	33	970
Amloguri	33	32	939
Baligaon	30	23	767
Madarguri	39	25	862
Total	307	267	870

Source : Field Work , 2002

2.3. Literacy and educational attainment

The literacy rate is one of the important indicators of socio- economic development. The census of India 2001 defines, a person aged seven and above, who can both read and write with understanding in any language, is treated as literate. The provisional results of 2001 reveal that there has been an increase in literacy in the country. The literacy rate of our country is 65.38 percent. Altogether 75.85 percent male of this country is literate, whereas only 54.16 percent female in this country is literate. In case of Assam, the literacy rate has increased as compared to the last census. But still rate of (64.28percent) is below national level. As against 71.93 percent male only 56.03 percent are literate in the state.

The table 2.3 shows the literacy and educational attainment of our study area . It was estimated from our samples in the 10

Villages that literacy rate is 72.2 percent in our study

. Table 2.3: Literacy and level of educational attainment in the villages

Villages	Sample population		Literate		Primary		Middle School		High School		Higher secondary		Graduate		Post Graduate
	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
Nakapahuwa	30	30	27	22	10	12	14	7	2	1	1	2	-	-	-	-
Pithial	33	20	27	7	17	5	6	2	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Garaimari	31	25	24	19	8	8	8	7	4	4	3	-	1	-	-	-
Bhalukaguri	26	26	26	20	7	11	7	2	4	2	4	3	1	2	2	-
Bahpara	30	24	19	18	8	11	9	6	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-
Roha	31	36	28	22	3	9	14	7	4	1	5	4	2	-	-	1
Gorpara	34	33	21	13	12	6	5	2	1	4	2	-	1	-	-	-
Amloguri	33	31	25	18	14	9	6	6	3	2	1	1	1	-	-	-
Baligaon	30	23	28	16	15	8	8	3	3	4	1	1	1	-	-	-
Madarguri	29	25	25	14	8	7	13	2	2	3	1	2	1	-	-	-
Total	307	273	250 (81.4)	169 (61.9)	102	86	90	44	29	21	19	13	8	2	2	1

� Source: Fieldwork, 2002 area.

This literacy rate is well ahead of the national literacy rate as well as of the state literacy rate. The male literacy is calculated at 81.4 percent and female literacy at 61.9 percent in the sample villages, both are higher than that of the state. (Table 2.3). However, there are variations in the villages under study.

However, level of educational attainment is much lower in the villages. About 40 percent of the male literacy and 50 percent of the female literate studied just up to primary level. Among the literate just about for percent male and to percent female crossed the graduation level. This does not give a rosy picture of higher education the villages under study. Moreover, the group male and female literacy is distinct at all educational level (Table 2.3).

2.4. House type:

Housing is also an important indicator of economic development of a region. The houses type of an area indicates the economic as well as environmental conditions of the area.

In rural area, basically people use locally available materials for construction purpose. In our surveyed villages it is found that most of the houses are katcha, made of locally available materials like thatches, leaves, bamboo, wood etc. We found from our sample that altogether 76 households with pucca houses (Table 2.4). Environmental factor is also a factor that influences the construction of houses in our study area in this flood prone reason people prefer to construct traditional chang ghar(houses on bamboo platform)to protect their family from flood.

Table-2.4House type of the sample families in study area:

village	Sample households	Katcha	Semi-pucca	pucca
Nakapahuwa	10	8	2	-
Pithial	10	8	2	-
Garaimari	10	7	3	-
Bhalukaguri	10	5	3	2
Bahpara	10	6	4	-
Roha	10	7	2	1
Gorpara	10	6	4	-
Amloguri	10	10	-	-
Baligaon	10	9	1	-
Madarguri	10	10	-	-
Total	100	76	21	3

* Source : Field Work, 2002

2.5. Quality of dwelling:

Quality of dwelling is also an important indicator of standard to living. It is generally admitted that minimum per capita dwelling area is very essential for a comfortable living.We assumed that an area of about 100sq. feet is god enough for a person for comfortable living. Availability of less than 50 sq. feet of area per person means people in that household living in a congested less than 50 sq. environments. It was found in our sample that people in 66 households enjoys reasonably good amount of living space. Whereas, people in 34 households have less than 50sq. feet of living space. People in no households more than 100 sq. feet per capita living space. (Table 2.5)

Table 2.5. Quality of dwelling:

Villages	sample households	Per capita availability of living space o
Villages	sample households	less than 50 sq. feet	50-100 sq. feet	More than 100 sq. feet
Nakapahuwa	10	7	3	-
Pithial	10	5	3	-
Garaimari	10	2	8	-
Bhalukaguri	10	3	7	-
Bahpara	10	3	7	-
Roha	10	2	8	-
Gorpara	10	2	8	-
Amloguri	10	2	8	-
Baligaon	10	3	7	-
Madarguri	10	5	5	-
Total.	100	34	66	-

2.6 Source of drinking water :

Good source of drinking is essential for good health. There is no existence of piped supply water system in our surveyed villages . In our study area it is found that tube well and dug well are the main source of drinking water of the households . Altogether 47 households in our sample depend on tube well for the drinking water and 36 households depend on dug well for drinking water. However it was found that some of the dug-wells from where people drink are unprotected (Table 2.6). It was found that 17 households drink water from river. In case of rural Assam it was observed that 47.65 percent households depend on tube well, 2.3 percent depends on Tank and 3.77 percent depends on river for drinking water purpose .(NSSO,1998,54^th round).

Table -2.6 Source of drinking water

Villages	sample households	Tube well	Dug well unprotected	Dug well protected	River
Nakapahuwa	10	2	3	-	5
Pithial	10	6	1	3	-
Garaimari	10	5	-		5
Bhalukaguri	10	5	2	2	1
Bahpara	10	5	4	1
Roha	10	2	2		6
Gorpara	10	3	5	2
Amloguri	10	9	1
Baligaon	10	5	3	2
Madarguri	10	5	2	3
Total	100	47	23	13	17

2.7. Place of defection:

A good defection place is always essential for hygienic livelihood. In our study are it is found that level of income, education and geographical location of the villages are related with place of defection. In a flood prone area villagers do not prefer to construct sanitary latrine in spite of their good economic condition. In our sample it was found that just four households had sanitary latrine. People of 62 households go to in sanitary latrine and people of 36 households go to open places for defecation. ( Table 2.7)

Table 2.7 place defection

Villages	sample households	Sanitary latrine	In sanitary latrine	Open defecation.
Nakapahuwa	10	-	6	4
Pithial	10	-	3	7
Garaimari	10	-	5	5
Bhalukaguri	10	-	7	3
Bahpara	10	-	7	3
Roha	10	2	8
Gorpara	10	-	-	10
Amloguri	10	-	8	2
Baligaon	10	-	10
Madarguri	10	-	8	2
Total	100	2	62	36

*Source : Field Work, 2002

Rural Assam indicates the same situation as only 19.3 percent have service latrine, and 5.4 percent have septic tank latrine. 24.7 percent have no latrine used in rural Assam.

(NSSOm 1998).

2.8. Sources of lighting

It was found that in our surveyed villages households depend on kerosene for lighting. The villages of our study area are uncovered by supply of electricity. The total requirement of energy in Assam during 2000-2001 was 3323.2MV and the

Availability of energy was just 3092.4 MV. This indicates shortage of supply of electricity in the state of Assam.

2.9 Infrastructure of the villages

Availability of infrastructures like road system, transport, postal, telephone, and telegraph etc .are crucial for development of rural areas.

Road and communication system in very poor in the Dhakuakhana sub-division and in our surveyed villages. There are no all weather roads which can connect a village to Dhakuakhana town. There were only two gravel road , one connects Amloguri, Roha and Gorpara villages to the Dhakuakhana town and other connects Bahpara, Baligaon and Bhalukaguri with Dhakuakhana town . But the condition of these roads are poor in the rainy season. Bamboo bridges which are construct by villagers themselves washed by flood during monsoon and then county boat becomes the main source of transportation. All other existing road in our surveyed villages are katcha. The condition of these roads are even worst during flood. Even during off-monsoon season there is any public bus services to the villages. Villagers are of the view that development of the road communication can have an positive impact on the village economy . Due to poor communication people of the villages are not able to send their home products to the market. It may be noted that the region is traditionally reach in handloom and handicrafts.

Educational institutions in the region

It is observed that there is good expansion of education in our surveyed villages. Each of the villages has at least one primary school. there are in total four high schools in our ten surveyed villages. Moreover, in the nearby towns of Dhakuakhana and North Lakhimpur the pupils can avail the benefits of higher education.

Other infrastructure facilities in our surveyed villages

Apart from the educational institutions the villages are covered by postal services. However, there exists no telephone services in our surveyed area. There is one head post office at Dhakuakhana town and five sub-post office in our surveyed villages. So people are primarily depends on postal system. There is no financial institutions in the villages and villagers use post offices to practice the habit of savings.There are two sub-health care centers in our surveyed villages. People generally move to Dhakuakhana town for better health care services. But this becomes extremely difficult during the monsoon when road communication to Dhakuakhana town is totally cutoff due to flood .This chapter provided an idea about the people living in the study area and about the existing infrastructural facilities in the villages. The next chapter shall look at the economy of the surveyed villages.