Chapter 4: Use of Forest

The standard of living of the inhabitants of a particular region is wholly attributable to their capacity to use the natural resources in an effective manner. The society that could be able to develop the concepts for value-addition to the natural resources confers a greater rate of progress to the lifestyle of its members. These concepts help the people to use the naturally available plants and minerals to grow abundant food and fuel, to extract fibres for making cloths, to build houses to support a comfortable living and to make drugs to fight diseases. This modern concept of development was squarely applicable to the historical time as well, having enough bearings upon the life of the tribals, predominantly living in the hilly terrains of Eastern Ghāts of the Indian peninsula. The present condition of the people of the south Odisha as a whole and the tribals living in the forest area in particular is merely a function of the primitive knowhow, which they were holding before British occupancy over the area. The Colonial legislations administratively restructured and redefined the relationship of the original inhabitants with their environment, which was so far being enjoyed liberally.