Dwelling and Drinking Water among the Baiga Tribe of Chhattisgarh

 

Jitendra Kumar Premi* and Prof. Mitashree Mitra

School of Studies in Anthropology, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh- 492010.

 

ABSTRACT:

To sum up the net findings, even in today’s age of modern life of progress and advancement, Baiga tribal people are forced to live in the ramshackle of makeshift dwellings. During fieldwork it was observed that the water that came out from hand pumps were red or saffron in colour which was not fit for drinking. So using such water to alley one’s thirst invited all kinds of diseases. Though to provide them with moderate and modest standard of accommodation, the government launched the housing project under the aegis of “Indira Awas Yojana” and make provision of dolling out financial help to them. Moreover, more cohesive and constructive steps should be taken that the Baiga’s drinking water -bringing should not continue to remain a daily ordeal.

 

At least two steps ought to be taken with immediate effect for resolving the problems, so as to ameliorate the dwelling status, and to provide the safe drinking water facility to the Baiga community and the vast concourse similar tribal population: first, the paramount necessity is, as regards to tribal housing, the fund allocated for “Indira Awas Yojana”, should be made double with immediate effect, and its repayment might be made through the “Adhar Card”,  which should be directly  in the name of the Baiga couples both husband and wife inclusive. Secondly, in tribal villages, in the vicinity, at the distance of every 100 meters hand pumps should be installed, not as a bare formality, but with wihiggish caution, see to it that such hand pumps supply drinkable water, constantly.  These should be monitored by trained and efficient plumbers/ pump men/ engineers. The latter should supervise individually and as a team. And at least once in a month, taking in confidence the members of the Baiga and other tribal families, ensure the supply of drinkable water with no abatement.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Baiga is one of the five identified primitive tribes of Chhattisgarh. They are inhabited in Kabirdham, Bilaspur and some part of Sarguja district. According to census 2001 their total population is 69,993 having 35,182 males and 34,811 females (Only 24.76% Baiga population are literate and 92.66% Baiga women are illiterate). Baiga tribe is considered to be one of the oldest tribes of India; they speak ‘Baigani’ which is the largest of Indo-Aryan family (Singh, 1994). Baiga can be identified by their scanty dress and tangled hair (girda) on the head of male and ‘V’ shaped tattoo on the forehead of the females.

                     

Dwelling, in addition to being a term for a house or home for a given period of time, is a philosophical concept which was developed by Martin Heidegger. Dwelling is about making oneself at home where the home itself is any place for habitation

 

In the US, the legal 160A-442, "Dwelling" means any building, structure, manufactured home or mobile home, or part thereof, used and occupied for human habitation or intended to be so used, and includes any outhouses and appurtenances belonging thereto or usually enjoyed therewith, except that it does not include any manufactured home or mobile home, which is used solely for a seasonal vacation purpose. Under the Oregon law, a "dwelling" is defined as a "building which regularly or intermittently is occupied by a person lodging therein at night, whether or not a person is actually present (Wikipedia, 2009). The tribes suffer from poor health caused by their housing conditions. Water security, sanitation, malnutrition and poverty are daily challenges. Replacing the existing dwellings with the proposed replacement homes will directly benefit all people living in the communities (globalgiving.co.uk, 2010).

 

Drinking water or potable water is safe enough to be consumed by humans or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry meets drinking water standards, even though only a very small proportion is actually consumed or used in food preparation. Typical uses (for other than potable purposes) include toilet flushing, washing and landscape irrigation. Over large parts of the world, humans have inadequate access to potable water and use sources contaminated with disease vectors, pathogens or unacceptable levels of toxins or suspended solids. Drinking or using such water in food preparation leads to widespread acute and chronic illnesses and is a major cause of death and misery in many countries. Reduction of waterborne diseases is a major public health goal in developing countries (Wikipedia, 2012). All above issues have been considered in the present study.

 

OBJECTIVES:

The present study has been concerning with the following objectives-

1.      To explore the Baiga dwelling pattern in the light of its type and raw materials used by them.

2.      To throw light on various drinking water sources along with their distance from their houses.

3.      To give concrete suggestions for improving their housing and drinking water facilities.

 

 

 

METHODOLOGY:

In the present study multi-stage and stratified random sampling methods were followed to select Baigas of the Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh. 400 Baiga males from 400 families (235 from Bodala and 165 from Pandariya Development Block) were randomly selected from 28 villages (18 villages from Bodala Development Block and 10 villages from Pandariya Development Blocks). Structured interview schedule was used to collect the relevant information for collection of data and several FGDs were also conducted in Chhattisgarhi dialect among the respondent’s peer group as well as formal and informal groups like family members or neighbors of the respondents and or the other village members to validate the data.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS:

Dwelling pattern

With the march of time came the advent of modernity and a sea- change saw in the tribal life. The Baiga community too showed the sign of transition and opted out of the life in open -air and squeezed into a sheltered existence. Inquisitiveness drove us to enquire about the Baiga’s habitat. Detail was discovered, with mankind entering into 21^st century, what kind of houses the Baigas built, with what building material The questions also arose in mind, what effect such houses might have had on their socio-cultural life and health, specially reproductive and sexual health; whether they had a bearing upon their sexual behavior or not. A perspective we get from table no. 1. The Baigas built four kinds of houses- the hutments, Kaccha, Semipucca and Pucca houses. The huts had a plain structure. Its enclosing walls are wooden, or clay is coated on the woods. The cubicle shaped huts.-their walls are made of clay but the roofs are thatched with dry leaves and straw. Polythene sheets are also sometimes used to stop leakage. Such thatched roofs give a distinct identify to huts. Kaccha houses have all walls made of clay and the walls are plastered with a fine earthen plumpylump of clay all smoothened. To whiten the four walls, they are quoted with a kind of crude lime paste, called “Chhuhi”. To cover the roofs of the Kaccha houses Baigas make with their own hands, tiles (though clay is used they are seasoned with heat and made pukka). Semipucca houses are distinct from Kaccha houses, as their walls are either made of bricks or of stones, which are joined with mortar for which very often clay is used, but, of late, cement has replaced the earthen soil. The tiles used for ceiling are again indigenously manufactured which are made of clay. The Pucca houses-their walls like those of Semipucca houses are built with mortar and soil or cement, but the roofs are cement concreted, reinforced with steel and made strong and more durable through casting. Table 1 shows that the majority of Baigas live in Kaccha houses (81%) , followed by 14% Baigas even today; live in huts- a mean dwelling they could not get over or free themselves from. When both combined together, 95% Baigas are found, living in traditions tribal or rural houses that characterize their primitive mode of living. Nevertheless, as hinted earlier, some improvement, though very minor in nature, one cannot help noticing.

 

Table No.1: House type among the Baiga

House  type	Number of Houses	Percent
Hut	56	14.0
Kaccha	324	81.0
Semipucca	11	2.8
Pucca	9	2.2
Total	400	100.0

 

This change is mainly due to government’s project and developmental schemes. In spite of very tardy progression under them and in their implementation, an iota of change is visible. For example, 2.8% Baiga families were found living in Semipucca as houses and only 2.2% Baiga families could afford the luxury of owning Pucca houses.

 

Types of roof

As mentioned earlier in preceding sections, the roofs of the Baiga’s homes are made of hay or dry grass, interspersed with dry leaves and polythene sheets. The houses, which are Kaccha or Semipuacca, their roofs are covered with clay tiles called “Khapara. As per table no.2 , 18.5% respondent’s homes have thatched roofs - a miscellany of leaves and grass, hay and thickets. Then followed most of (80%) respondents whose houses are covered with local tiles- “Khapara”. 1% respondent lived under roofs made of government tiles which they called “Sarkari khapra”.

 

Table No.2: Type of roof of the houses of the Baiga

Type of  roof	Number of Houses	Percent
Straw	74	18.5
Local tiles “Khapara”	320	80.0
Tiles“ Sarkari Khapara”	4	1.0
Cemented with steel	2	0.5
Total	400	100.0

 

On the other hand, only the homes of two Baigas had reinforced with iron bars and cement, all linteled. This makes the matter explicit, a house is identified by the type of its roof; the roof makes an important contribution to give a distinct recognition to the house.

 

Numbers of rooms in the houses

Enquiries were undertaken to learn how many rooms the house of a Baiga had. Also a simultaneous move was made to decipher, if such number had only influence whatsoever upon the inmate’s or couple’s reproductive and sexual health and their overall psycho-social behaviour. The obtained information in this respect is collected in table no.3. According to the estimation, in the house of a Baiga, the average of total number of rooms, that is the mean number of rooms is 1.02±0.91. This shows that is most of the Baiga’s houses, the number of rooms is only one. This proves that accommodate is stingy and hopelessly inadequate, which would obviously have opposite effect not only on their total health but also on reproductive and sexual health and behaviour. Table 3 also makes the picture clear that 32.5% respondent’s houses have one room accommodation. This is followed by 42% respondent’s houses, which had two rooms, whereas, 18.8% respondent’s houses contained three rooms. On the other side, the picture is, 6% and 1% respondents were such whose terraces had four and five rooms, respectively. Thus in the houses of a Baiga, minimum 1 room to maximum 5 rooms could one come across.

 

Table No.3: Numbers of rooms in the houses of the Baiga

Numbers of rooms	Frequency of houses	Percent
One room	130	32.5
Two rooms	168	42.0
Three rooms	75	18.8
Four rooms	24	6.0
Five rooms	4	1.0
Total	400	100.0
Mean Std. Deviation	1.02    rooms 0.918  room

 

Sources of drinking water

The source of drinking water - the place from where the water originates or supplied, on this source depends the fact that the water we drink, is clean or fresh or drinkable or not. If the source is a river or a pond or a watercourse, a cascade or a well, from which drinking water is taken and it drunk without its treatment, then take it for granted that water- borne diseases, like cholera, diarrhea, jaundice, and etc, are inescapable. People who have no option and have to drink such infested water would invariably be a prey to numerous diseases. And if they remain without getting timely treatment they may over succumb to death. It the hand pumps or taps etc.-if their water is supplied after filtration, then such water may be safe to drink.  For all such resources if became necessary to ascertain from what different  sources the Baigas procure water and use for their  human consumption; if the water they drink have any effect on their reproductive health. From the results received, table no.4 revealed that the majority (79%) respondent’s families used water from hand pumps.  Opposed to it, 8.8% Baiga family  rely on river water;  6% respondent’s families draw from cascades or springs called in their parlance “Jharia”; and 1.5% families pool up water from watercourse, which is not a safe source. Similarly, 4.8% Baiga families were such who subsisted on water drawn from wells. From such findings what is reported is, 21% families brought water from unsafe sources and drank such water.

 

 

Table No.4: Sources of drinking water among the Baiga

Sources of Water	Frequency of Families	Percent
Cascade(JHARIYA)	24	6.0
A watercourse	6	1.5
River	35	8.8
Well	19	4.8
Hand pump	316	79.0
Total	400	100.0

 

Distance of sources of drinking water

Attempts were taken to ascertain, those Baiga families who had to go a long way out to fetch drinking water from the place of their residence, how for they had to trudge through to fetch it. The findings as recorded in table no. 5, shows the mean distance travelled by Biaga to fetch of drinking water is 205.82±313.79 meter. In a similar way, minimum distance as 300 meter and the maximum distance as 1500 meter were located. The table also makes the fact clear; more than half (61.5%) respondent’s families had to travel up to 0 to 0.1 kilometer that meant a considerably longer distance, to set drinking water. Then followed the one third (29.5%) of those Baiga families who had to traverse from 0.1 to 0.5 kilometer, and 6% Baiga families for hauling drinking water had to cover 0.5 to 1 kilometer. The other side of the picture is, only a few (only 3%) respondent’s families had to go from 1 to 1.5 kilometers for bringing drinking water.

 

 

Table No.5: Water distance among the Baiga

Distance in kilometer	No. of families	Percent
0-0.1 kilometer	246	61.5
>0.1-0.5 kilometer	118	29.5
>0.5-1 kilometer	24	6.0
>1-1.5 kilometer	12	3.0
Total	400	100.0
Mean    -     205.82±313.79 meter Minimum- 000 meter Maximum- 1500 meter

 

 

CONCLUSION:

To sum up the net finding, even in today’s age of modern life of progress and advancement, Baiga tribal people are forced to live in the ramshackle of makeshift dwellings. Though to provide them with moderate and modest standard of accommodation, the government launched the housing project under the aegis of “Indira Awas Yojana” and make provision of dolling out financial help to them, but due to the  snail speed of government schemes, the Baigas are bereft of any benefits. The callous indifference of government machinery speaks for Baiga’s, low, lugubrious, lackadaisical, life and living.

 

During fieldwork it was observrd that the water that came out from hand pumps were red or saffron in colour, which was not fit for drinking. So, using such water to alley one’s thirst invited all kinds of diseases. Such water caused a negative, even harmful impact on human health. The effects on reproductive and sexual health as well as child health and on male involvement were also considerably great.  On the strength of  these finding, the results we come to is, in Baiga community, to make drinking water available to them, the distance they had to cover from their place, was manageable; which is the outcome of the constructive efforts made by the government to extend the facility to the community. But at the same time, it is a matter of serious concern that from certain hand pumps, the water drawn is not drinkable. Such water causes diarrhea, a common disease that spreads every year among them. So, the government should take adequate measures for its prevention. Moreover, more cohesive and constructive steps should be taken that the Baiga’s drinking water -bringing should not continue to remain a daily ordeal. Instead of going as far as 1 to 1.50 kilometers, water, made clean through filtration, should be made available to them within the range of 100 meters from their respective places.

 

At least two steps ought to be taken with immediate effect for resolving the problems, so as to ameliorate the dwelling status, and to provide the facility of drinking water to the Baiga community and the vast concourse similar tribal population: first, the paramount necessity is, a regards tribal housing, the fund allocated for “Indira Awas Yojana”, should be made double with immediate effect, and its repayment might be made through the “Adhar Card”  which should be directly  in the name of the Baiga couples both husband and wife inclusive. Such a measure will ensure the right use of the facility and ward of, or, at least minimize the rampant corruption and the abuse. Secondly, in tribal villages, in the vicinity, at the distance of every 100 meters hand pumps should be installed, not as a bare formality, but with wihiggish caution, see to it that such hand pumps supply drinkable water, constantly.  These should be monitored by trained and efficient plumbers/ pump men/ engineers. The latter should supervise individually and as a team. And at least once in a month, taking in confidence the members of the Baiga and other tribal families, ensure the supply of drinkable water with no abatement. Such a measure conjointly taken together will promote a feeling of co-operation; develop a sense of belonging, by winning the confidence of the villagers and also create a civic sense.

 

What is more, as a ground reality, this practical step, if taken in right spirit with honest will, will ensure the supply of clean, healthy and safe water in sufficient measure, and help in keeping the area around hand pumps clean, free of garbage and any slushy mire piling up.  True it is, a clean intention is a right way to cleanliness, both outer and inner.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

I wish to record my sincere gratitude and great honor to University Grant Commission, Ministry of Human Recourse Development, New Delhi for sanctioning minor research project.    

 

REFERENCES:

1.       Census of India. (2001). A – 11 State Primary Census Abstract For Individual Schedule Tribe-2001

2.       globalgiving.co.uk. (2010). www.globalgiving.co.uk/project/ built-in-new-homes-for-indigenous-tribe-in-india

3.       Singh, K.S. (1994). The Schedule Tribe.  Anthropological Survey of India, Oxford University Press, New Delhi. pp. 79-82

4.       Wikipedia (2009). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwelling.

5.       Wikipedia (2012). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking water.