Identifying Innovative Options for Sustainable Livelihoods of Poorest of the Poor
Identifying Innovative Options for Sustainable Livelihoods of Poorest of the Poor
Authors : Lokendra Singh Kot
Jhabua is a predominantly tribal district located in the western part of Madhya Pradesh. It is surrounded by Panchamahal and Baroda districts of Gujrat, Banswara district of Rajsthan and Alirajpur, Dhar and Ratlam districts of Madhya Pradesh. This hilly district has abundant natural resources and has an agriculture-based economy. The main crops of the area are Maize, Jowar, Bajra, Cotton, Wheat, Urad, Arhar, Groundnut. The climate is generally moderate with well-defined seasons. The average rainfall in the district is about 800mm. Most of the rainfall occurs in monsoon season though there is some rainfall in winter as well. The minerals found here are gram, limestone, dolomite, calside etc. Meghnagar is a developing industrial area of the district.
This district is sparsely populated with a total population of 7.84 lakhs as per the 2011 census. Spread over 3782 sq kms, Jhabua has about 656 inhabited villages. About 85% of its population belong to the tribal community of Bhil while 3% population belong to Schedule Castes. 47 per cent of the people live below the poverty line. The literacy rate according to 2011 census is 36.8% with female literacy of only 4%. Thus, Jhabua is an overwhelmingly tribal and poor district.
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