Shifting Cultivation: Livelihood for Saora Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) of Thumba Regions in Eastern India

Shifting cultivation is practised in some form or other in almost all districts of Odisha. It is the common method of cultivation in the forest and hills of the tribal areas of the state. The primitive tribal communities of Odisha depend chiefly on shifting cultivation for their livelihood. It is known as Dahi (firing), Kaman (saving) and Taila (upland) among the Juang of the Keonjhar hills, as Biringa or Kaman among the Paudi Bhuinya of Bonai sub-division and bhuinya pirh of Keonjhar district, as Bagada or Sarban among the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) Saora of Ganjam malihas, as Haru by the Dongria khond of Rairakhal and Bamra sub-divisions and as Livang or kunda chas by the PVTG Bonda tribe of Koraput district. Shifting cultivation is practised by the Koya of Koraput district in the foothills. It is like Dahi cultivation, which is extensively practised in Sambalpur, Balangir, Kalahandi, Koraput and Ganjam malihas. Based on both primary and secondary sources of data, this paper focuses on tribal agricultural practices known as shifting cultivation in the state of Odisha. The growth, magnitude and problems of shifting cultivation have been discussed at length. The detrimental effects of such practice and the measures required to tackle the issue of shifting cultivation are also explained.