Livelihood of fishing community and water pollution of Mahanadi River: A study in Odisha Tandi Subal*, Tandi Sudam** *Research Scholar, Department of Sociology, Sambalpur University, India. Email id- subaltandi@gmail.com **PhD Research Scholar, Centre for Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, School of Social Science, University of Hyderabad, India. Email id- sudamtandimsw@gmail.com Online published on 10 October, 2018. Abstract This paper analyses the local fisheries community (Keunta Caste) which have been depending on Mahanadi River's resource for a generation to generation are easily deprived of its caste-based occupation. Mahanadi River presents a complex ecosystem with the big trader. This River is now complicit between the Keunta community and outsider businessmen. The traders have captured traditional based occupation with commercial exploitation with unauthorized encroachments for fishing culture on the bank of river Odisha. Hence, fishing and river are interrelated in this case; the objectives of the paper examine socio-economic conditions, river pollution, infrastructural facility, role of state governments and civil society with regard to affected Keunta Communities. The aim of this study is intensely subjected to survival and livelihood pressure of Keunta community. Hence, the livelihood of the Keunta community and preserving bank of ecosystems is crucial for the Mahanadi River for sustainability. Sambalpur district were selected purposively from Mahanadi region of Odisha. From two villages with 52 fishermen was selected randomly. Interview Schedule and Participatory Observation have been used for data collection. We found the several problems of Keunta Community of Tulandi Village whereas situated on the bank of Mahanadi River. Water pollution is a major issue due toindustrial effluents and blasting. Moreover, they are adopting traditional infrastructure method for bringing and catching the fish in order to production and selling. They survived their traditional occupation with very difficult because of water blasting in the river by the outsider commercial people. As a result, the production of fish gradually decreases day to day life. Different agencies (NGOs, Co-Operative etc.) were working for development of fishing as an occupation but there was no such fruitful result to satisfy of the communities. Top Keywords Caste Based Occupation, Keunta Community, Mahanadi River, Water Blasting, Water Pollution. Top |