CONTENTS Preface vii Acknowledgements xi List of Table, Map, Chart and Box xix List of Illustrations xxv Address of the Villages Studied xxix Local Units of Measurements xxxi Local Months and their Equivalent in Roman Calendar xxxiii Scientific Name xxxv 1. INTRODUCTION 1 Origin 1 History 1 The Region 2 Transportation and Communication 3 Livelihood 4 Tiger Prawn and Fishery 4 Sundarbans Forest 5 Man-eating Tigers 6 Need for the Study 7 Objectives of the Study 8 District 8 Block8 Gram Panchayat 8 Mouza 8 Village 14 2. PARTICIPATORY RURAL APPRAISAL (PRA) 15 Data Collection 15 Protocol 15 Cross-checking of Data 16 Recording, Analysis and Reporting of Data 16 Concept of PRA 16 Origin of PRA 17 Advantages of PRA 18 Limitations of PRA 19 PRA Tools 20 Narrative 21 Listing 21 Ranking 22 Case History 22 Daily Activity Schedule 24 Venn Diagram 25 Wealth Grouping 25 Mapping 26 Time Line 30 Oral History 31 Topical Interview 33 3. RURAL SUNDARBANS-SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE 35 Physical Structure of the Village 35 Household 37 Socio-economic Class 39 Dowry System 40 Drinking Water 41 Local Organization 44 Haat (Rural Market) 45 Food Pattern 45 Ownership of Properties 48 Rural Indebtedness 49 Education 50 Rural Festivals 51 Household Materials 51 Domestic Fuel 51 Social Change 56 4. AGRICULTURE IN SUNDARBANS 61 Agriculture as Livelihood 61 Cropping Pattern 61 Crop Cultivation 63 Rice 63 Vegetables 69 Pulses 72 Oilseeds 72 Agricultural Labourer 73 Labour Discrimination 73 Labour Hiring Practice73 Agricultural Marketing 74 5. ANIMAL HUSBANDRY IN SUNDARBANS 81 Purpose and Benefits of Livestock Rearing 81 Socio-cultural Aspects of Animal Husbandry 82 Family Member Involvement 82 Share-rearing 82 Cock Fighting 84 Khonwar 85 Folk-rhymes/games 86 Livestock Related Festivals 88 Social Values 90 Animal Husbandry Practices 90 Breeds and Breeding 91 Feeds and Feeding 95 Housing 98 Bathing and Wallowing 100 Castration 101 Egg Laying Pattern 102 Incubation and Hatching 104 Raising the Brood 105 Livestock Loss 106 Livestock Disease 106 Seasonality 106 Death and Diseases of Livestock 110 Ecto-parasites of Livestock 110 Veterinary Service and Facilities 112 The Quack 112 Veterinary Medicines in Haat 114 Ethnoveterinary Practices 114 Livestock Marketing 122 Price of Livestock and Livestock Products 122 Cattle Leather 123 6. LIVELIHOOD RELATED TO ESTUARINE RIVER 129 Sundarbans Estuary 129 Fishery 129 Maintenance of Fishery130 Aala Ghar 131 Impact of Fishery on Agriculture 131 Investment and Return from Fishery 131 Catching Prawn Seedlings and Crabs 132 Seasonality of Prawn Seedlings 132 Price of Prawn Seedlings, Crabs and Fish 133 7. LIVELIHOOD RELATED TO MANGROVE FOREST 135 Mangrove Forest 135 Bee-keeping 136 Production of Honey and its Price 137 Seasonal Flowers and Quality of Honey 137 Traditional Practices for Assessing the Quality of Honey 138 Wood cutting 139 8. OTHER LIVELIHOODS 141 Sap Collection from Date Tree 141 Earth Cutting Works 142 People's Migration for Work 143 Construction and Thatching of House 143 Working in Neighbouring Households 143 9. CYCLONE AILA AND SUNDARBANDS 147 Origin of Aila 147 Nomenclature of Cyclone 148 Loss and Damage in Sundarbans 149 Rescue, Relief, Restoration and Rehabilitation (RRRR) 150 Aftermath of Aila 150 Ecological Factor of Loss and Damage 151 Crop Management Practices 152 Long-term Control Measures 154 10. CONCLUSION AND POLICY IMPLICATION 157 Socio-economic Life 158 Agriculture 159 Tiger Prawn 159 Fishery 160 Bee-keeping 160 Livelihood 160 Problems of Farmers and Possible Solutions 161 Prospects of Organic Vegetable Production 162 Combating Feed and Fodder Scarcity 163 Research and Development 163 Conclusion 165 Bibliography 167 Index171 Illustrations 177