Jagdalpur is a very important city in Chattisgarh. It is the administrative headquarters of Bastar district. The city surrounded by lush green forests, water bodies contributes a lot in the economic development of Chhattisgarh.The beautiful surrounding and a number of tourists points makes Jagdalpur a paradise for tourist and hence tourism is one of the major source of economy for the city.
Also a number of people of Jagdalpur especially the tribal people are dependent on forests for their living, Jagdalpur have many industries getting their raw material from the forests like wood and others. Also two major industries are planned to be come up in Jagdalpur.
Contribution of Tourism in the Economy of Jagdalpur
Tourism is
one of the main source of income for the city. The city is rightly said
to be the paradise of tourists looking for fun and frolic in Jagdalpur.
The city is abode of many wildlifes, temples, water falls, caves, lakes,
museums, historic monuments and what not. Many people from around the
world come to be the part of the famous dusherra celebration, celebrated
annually. Some of the must visit places in Jagdalpur are Kanger Valley
National Park, Indravati National Park, Danteshwari Temple, the historic
Temples in Barsoor, Jagannath temple, Mavli temple, Laxmi-Narayan
temple, The Sri Venkateshwara Swamy Temple and more.
The number of
tourist visiting the paradise boost the economic conditions of the city
and the people in the city. A large number of people are employed in the
tourism industry. It is the livelihood of many people. Some of the employment opportunities it provides are that of guides, hotel staff.
The visitors love to buy the local handicraft like bell metal, wodden
craft, silk clothes of Jgdalpur as the souvenirs, hence giving a boost
to these industries in return. A number of eating joints have also come
up to meet the food demands of the tourist. Hence the tourism industry
has boosted a number of other industries in jagdalpur.
Agrarian Economy in Jagdalpur
The countryside region of Jagdalpur is engaged in various agricultural activities. Rice is msjor crop grown in this part of Chhattisgarh. The methods used for agriculture are still very traditional. Farmers
uses traditional practices like bullock carts and Use of wooden ploughs. Other main crops of the region are paddy, arhar, urad, maize and
jowar. The main rabi crops are alsi, til, mustard, moong and gram.
Chhattisgarh government has come up with various plans and proposals to increase the productivity in the region. Automatic rain gauges are implemented, IVRS systems are installed for
the farmers which are free and where farmers can resolve their
agricultural issues and can collect weather information free of cost and
in their own language.Small dams and barriers are utilized than for irrigation. The water is specially utilized for cash crops. No doubt agriculture provides a decent living to many tribals living in and around Jagdalpur.
Industrial Development in Jagdalpur
Steel, Agro and Mineral based are the major industries of the region. The main minerals found here are Lime stone and marble stone. Stone, murramare etc are also found in some quantity. In Nagarnar which is at a distance of 16 km from Jagdalpur National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) is all set up to implement a 3 MTPA capacity greenfield Integrated Steel Plant. the estimated outlay of the project is Rs 210 billion. The work for the steel plant has been started after the land was acquired for the project in 2010. Similarly at Lohandiguda, which is about 20 km from Jagdalpur, Tata Steel had signed a deal with Chhattisgarh Government to set up an integrated steel plant at the cost of 5.5-million-tonne per annum. Once in operation both will surely transform the face of Jagdalpur and the adjoining regions.
Forests As Source of Economy in Jagdalpur
Forestry is another major industry of Jagdalpur. A large number of tribal people are dependent on the forests for their livelihood. It provide food, employment to large number of people. They are involved in collecting forests products like wood, edibles and a lot many other forest products. A large crowd is employed as a casual labour in the Forest Department. Forests are also a source of a number of consumption needs like medicines, fuel and firewood, implements, food and drink and housing materials.