Building Cultural Capital Through Management of Pond Ecosystem in Bastar

Abstract

Bastar is popularly known as the paradise of ponds in Chhattisgarh state of India. These ponds are traditionally built to fulfil not only the basic needs of the people but also to conserve biodiversity and the environment. Since people’s survival is directly or indirectly related to these water ponds, Bastarites have developed a symbiotic relationship with the pond ecosystem. This relationship is evident from the observance of sacred performances during the collection of water, that is, marriage ceremonies, worship of village deities and purification of households. Based on their characteristics, utility and significance, these water bodies have developed narratives in due course and thus created an identity of their own in Bastar. The ponds are built with traditional materials and methods, and people conserve the ecosystem through beliefs and customary practices. In due course of time, encroachment, housing, extension of agriculture and so on have led to sedimentation of many ponds, which in turn has reduced them to 28 from 147. As a result, villagers face livelihood issues, including scarcity of water during summer, witness a reduction of livestock, fishing, vegetable production and availability of chestnuts. Despite these hardships and a lesser number of ponds, the people of Bastar are still managing the pond ecosystem judiciously and rely on indigenous knowledge and sociocultural mechanisms of conservation for optimum utilisation of water. With this backdrop, the present article argues that traditional methods of pond ecosystem management contribute to building social and cultural capital at the local level using an anthropological perspective.