Effects of uranium mining on health: a case study of Jadugoda of Jharkhand, India Koustab Majumdar, Lal Chhandama, Punam Kumari, Dipankar Chatterjee Discover Global Society, 2025 While the measurement of radiological risk and its environmental and ecological impacts has been extensively studied, the effects on human health particularly among populations living near mining areas have received comparatively less attention. In this context, the present study investigates the health impacts of uranium mining on residents living in close proximity to the Jadugoda uranium mining region in India. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 37 respondents and 4 health workers from three villages adjacent to the mining site, the study reveals a high prevalence of chronic health conditions. These include respiratory issues (such as bronchitis, chest pain, and chronic coughing), skin diseases, various forms of cancer, neuropsychiatric disorders, congenital disabilities (e.g., birth defects, developmental delays, and physical deformities), and reproductive health problems (such as irregular menstruation, excessive bleeding, urinary infections, and miscarriage). In addition to these physical ailments, participants reported severe psychological distress, including anxiety, fear, and suicidal ideation. According to community members, unprotected tailing ponds where mining waste is improperly stored are perceived as a primary source of radiological exposure. In light of these findings, the study calls for urgent public health interventions and further research into the long-term health consequences of uranium mining in affected regions. We recommend several key interventions including strengthening local healthcare systems, enforcing safe mining and waste management regulations, and regularly monitoring radiation levels. Financial support for affected individuals especially cancer patients and collaboration among public health agencies, local authorities, and civil society are essential for an effective response.
Ecoliteracy among Tribals in Eastern India Koustab Majumdar, Dipankar Chatterjee South Asia Research, 2022 This article is based on field research investigating levels of ecoliteracy and associating factors among four tribal groups in Jharkhand and West Bengal, involving 360 respondents from the Lodha, Santhal, Asur and Oraon communities. The study revealed low to extremely high levels of ecoliteracy and identified several specific factors as significant predictors of ecoliteracy levels. While gender, occupation and total monthly income of respondents did not influence such levels, the study conclusively indicates that detachment from forest and natural resources is detrimental to the preservation and cultivation of ecoliteracy and that the connection of people and forests requires careful multidimensional attention.
The cultural dimension of environment: Ethnoscientific study on Santhal community in eastern India Koustab Majumdar, Dipankar Chatterjee International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology, 2021 This study explores the Santhal community to enhance the understanding of the human-nature relationship that fully captures distinct intricacies of ethnoecology. Relying on a qualitative research design, this study focuses on the perception and interpretation of environmental aspects using ethnoscientific methods among Santhals in West Bengal, India. It reveals that Santhals are still unique in perceiving the environment learned through folk models. Santhal’s perception of environmental domains is constituted by various cognitive elements (resource distributions, care, feelings, attachment, myths, and superstitious credence toward their environment) and multifaceted interpretations (living beings, nonliving objects, natural and built environment). Based on its evidence, this study recommends that indigenous worldview-based ethnoscientific knowledge is the identity of indigenity that shapes ethnoscientific knowledge can be used in sustainable resource management practice. Furthermore, the study proposes a view that ignoring this unique ethnoscientific knowledge-based worldview base may degenerate the indigenous culture.
Perception of poverty: A study on the non-social work students Social Work and Society, 2020
Victim of the system: A study on crime committed by children and child victims with special reference to the ranchi district of jharkhand, india Aranya Ribhu, Koustab Majumdar, Dipankar Chatterjee Social Welfare Policies and Programmes in South Asia, 2019 The Ranchi District is highly prone to child trafficking and juvenile crime, and this has been one of the major reasons for choosing Ranchi as the place for the research to explore juvenile crime, especially among the children. This study basically focused on identifying the pattern, nature and causes of juvenile crime and explored its network to organize such processes as well as documenting the process of rehabilitation in juvenile homes. The places of field work in collecting data have been selected purposively, especially focused on the juvenile crime areas. The data for this study have been collected from the juvenile home Dumerdaga of Ranchi District and the rehabilitation centre of an NGO (non-governmental organization) Bhartiya Kisan Sangh. Focus group discussion and case studies have been conducted with the girls and women of Kishori Niketan. To uncover the network and source of the organized crime, in-depth discussion has been conducted with the victims and resource persons. After interviewing 50 delinquents, it was found that the most vulnerable children are in the age group between 16–18 years. The study reveals that rape is seen as the most frequently committed crime followed by theft and murder respectively. Lack of education and awareness is observed as the major reason for turning children into delinquents. In most of the rape-cum-murder cases, it is seen that juveniles get involved in such crimes because of lust or friendship with the other sex. Theft is the second largest crime committed by children. It is the lure of easy money which causes them to indulge in theft. Children at this age need proper counselling and guidance from their schools and parents to be on the right track. Schools should conduct more and more recreation programmes, whereas parents need to talk with and be friendly towards their children and guide them to take the right way to earn money. Schools should guide their students to make education their priority. This chapter attempts to study the crimes committed by children and to give suggestions on the corrective actions to be undertaken for the purpose. Better recreation programmes by the NGOs and better rehabilitation facilities by the government will help in reducing the number of delinquents in the near future.
Cognitive dimension of cultural transformation: Mental models and environmental behavior among the Gujjars of Himachal Pradesh, India Mankind Quarterly, 2016
