Earlier development was associated with economic aspects only. It was mostly equated with growth and analysed in terms of increase in per capita income. However further it was realised that the purely economic concept did not capture the social reality. Hence the development is now understood in terms of improvement in living conditions, life chances and quality of life. And displacement is multidimensional phenomenon of which physical relocation is important dimension. According to Bartolome displacement is commonly experienced through the loss of land and the disruption of social and economic relationship.

When the government plans some types of development, such as construction of dams, power generation plants, construction of roads or railways and development of industrial areas etc., it acquires land for the purpose. After paying some compensation asks the original owners of the land acquired to vacate it. If they do not do so willingly they are removed from the acquired land by force. This process is termed as development induced displacement.

Development-induced displacement has been a significant phenomenon in the Indian context, where rapid economic growth and infrastructure projects often lead to the uprooting of communities and individuals from their ancestral lands.

While development projects promise progress and modernization, they can also result in the displacement of vulnerable populations, triggering complex social, economic, and environmental consequences.

Development-induced displacement often disproportionately affects marginalized and vulnerable communities. Displacement can disrupt the social fabric of these communities, pushing them into migratory patterns as they seek alternative livelihoods

1. Positive impacts of displacement typically benefit only a small portion of the affected community. These include:

• • Some individuals may see improvements in their status through increased landholdings. In certain cases, there may be a rise in income due to employment opportunities created by the Project.
  • The development induced displacement enhances the rate of migration of people towards urban areas. It causes enhanced urbanisation and leads to multicultural metropolitans as a meeting point of little and great tradition.The chath puja in DELHI is now well known festival.
  • Displacement might lead to a break in oppressive social hierarchies in certain situations.
  • Rao’s findings indicate that after displacement, many women are compelled to join the labor market to earn a livelihood and contribute to their family’s income

2. Negative Impacts: On the other hand, negative impacts of displacement are felt by the majority of displaced individuals, resulting in a process of dispossession and disempowerment.

• • The development process has the potential to disrupt and dismantle villages, socio-economic structures, and cultural practices. When people are forcibly uprooted from their homes, the following adverse situations often occur:
    • • Disruption of production systems.
      • Loss of productive assets and income sources.
      • Relocation to environments where their skills may be less relevant and competition for resources is greater.
      • Disorganization of long-established residential groups.
      • Scattering of kinship groups.
      • Breakdown of informal social networks and safety nets.

• • Michael Cernea’s model is widely discussed in anthropological, sociological, and geographical studies on forced displacement. He identifies eight interconnected trends that together constitute a model of overall impoverishment resulting from displacement. The listed risks include:
    • • Landlessness
      • Joblessness
      • Homelessness
      • Loss of common property
      • Marginalization
      • Food insecurity
      • Mortality
      • Social disarticulation

• • The consequences of displacement are not uniformly spread across communities and districts. They vary in specific social, economic and cultural contexts. This happens because rural or urban communities are not homogeneous by nature, but are alliances of many social groups with unequal power and resources.
  • Walter Fernandes and S. Anthony Raj’s report highlights the diverse nature of affected communities. For instance, those displaced by the Salandi Dam in Keonjhar District can be categorized into various groups, including Tribals and others, landowners, , patta owners, and landless individuals. This heterogeneity is further compounded by distinctions between displaced people (DP) and project-affected persons (PAPs).
  • The location of development projects in remote villages, hills, and forests often results in the displacement of indigenous people who has historically acted as the custodians of conservation. As a consequence, displacement leads to the loss of their means of livelihood, habitat, and assets. It also causes social disruption, disorder, and severs their connection from the ecosystem that has traditionally sustained them. Tribal communities have disproportionately borne the brunt of such displacement.
    • • For example, Fernandes, in his study of Maharashtra, found that in cases of displacement due to projects, the majority affected were tribal communities, with only 15.8% of tribal families being provided with land.
      • Furthermore, Utsa Patnaik’s study of the Rengali Rehabilitation colony sheds light on the challenges faced by tribals. It highlights how contractors exploited tribal girls, which had a detrimental effect on their cultural socialization.

• • In this situation of land acquisition people are forced to change their profession. They became wage labour, caretaker for the housing project and depend mostly on informal relationships. Sengupta highlighted that Many marginal farmers lost their land and livelihood due to this large-scale urban project .
  • Displacement also force migration towards urban areas and breeds another problem such as Child labour and bondage bondage labour.
  • Impact on women: The forced resettlement disproportionately affects women, leading to several adverse consequences. Women bear the brunt of losing access to traditional livelihood sources like land, forests, rivers, and pastures, placing additional burdens on them. This loss impacts their health, nutrition, and their ability to secure their children’s future.

• Asthana’s Gender Analysis of Tehri Dam study reveals that displacement often triggers family conflicts over personal expenses because many women become dependent on their husbands’ income.

• Koushal’s research shows that forced displacement increases the incidence of domestic violence, reduces women’s participation in productive economic activities, diminishes their social status, and weakens their decision-making authority.

Development-induced displacement is a multifaceted issue with wide.  It is crucial to recognize the diverse nature of affected communities and the specific context in which displacement occurs, with a particular focus on the challenges faced by women in these situations. Addressing these complex issues is essential for creating more equitable and sustainable development policies.