Impact of Displacement on Rural Livelihood: A Case Study of Talcher Coalfield

Abstract

: Increasing demand for social and industrial development, exploitation of minerals, such as coal, is necessary. Due to the commercial purpose, developing countries turn to an area for mineral extraction. Mining projects have had a severe impact on the socio-economic and environmental setup of rural communities. Besides, cutting down the forest will have a negative impact on the human-forest relationship for many years to come. It caused severe damage to local ecology, rural livelihoods and social order as a whole. The study is looking at how coal mining-induced displacement affects the rural livelihoods of the villages in the Talcher coal belt, Odisha. Additionally, it causes a social imbalance and a new class of vulnerable people in the area. The negative effects of coal mining significantly reduced traditional livelihoods like farming, raising livestock, and gathering minor forest products. The paper concludes that while mining has given people opportunities for income, it has also put rural livelihoods in danger.