Enabling Communities in Jharkhand in India to diversify in Economic Opportunities

After the successful completion of the full-fledged survey, the study has entered in the second phase of the project that involves conducting a large-scale enterprise survey of industry leaders and workshops with industries/enterprises/governments to explore options and pitfalls associated with each alternate sector and how to enhance the growth of these sectors. The study seeks to address the challenges in having a multi-stakeholder engagement aspect of just transition from coal based to alternative climate resilient sectors including the need to engage the government, in collaboration with private enterprises, that can take the lead in providing support to the affected communities in the transition process. These players, mainly the government, can invest in skill development and training programs for the workforce to equip them with skills needed in the emerging sectors, such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and tourism. This can help create alternative sources of income and employment for the local population.  Notable observations during the pilot study, including the government’s transition efforts from coal to gas in industries like rubber manufacturing, add depth to the study. 

To build a survey plan, the field and research teams sought permission from the government officials in Bokaro and Ramgarh, including the District Collector (DC), Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC), and District Industry Center (DIC) as well as to get the official list of registered enterprises with the government. After careful screening in both the districts, the potential candidates underwent training and orientation workshops, familiarizing themselves with the study’s objectives and survey instruments.  Following three days of intensive training and a pilot survey in Bokaro, the surveyors were finalized. The pilot survey played a crucial role in refining the questionnaire and addressing application-related challenges. Both teams actively engaged with enterprise association heads simultaneously to gain preliminary insights and establish networks facilitating the study. 

A pre-survey list of enterprises was prepared, guided by a sampling method covering various enterprises and districts’ Gross Domestic District Product (GDDP) contributions. The sampling method, encompassing primary and tertiary industries in both coal and non-coal sectors, aims to comprehensively represent the economic landscape of these districts. After the commencement of the survey, the teams have maintained a dynamic approach similar to the full-fledged survey, regularly refining the questionnaire, addressing surveyor doubts, and conducting field visits to understand enterprise responses. As it is the initial phase of the survey, the field team is accompanying surveyors, providing real-time feedback through virtual meetings and WhatsApp coordination, conducting high-frequency backend checks, and resolving field-related queries.