Gopa Samanta
Biographic Data
| ID | 3058932 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Gopa Samanta |
| GIVEN NAMES | Gopa |
| FAMILY NAME | Samanta |
| SIGNATURE | SAMANTA G |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Burdwan |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-2856-9947 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 19 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 20 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 19 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2004 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
When Tea Garden Closes
The tea industry, like many other industries in West Bengal, has been known for the frequent closure of tea gardens in recent times. Its traditional, labour-intensive nature requires a continuous supply of capital, whereas the share of profit is not proportionate to the high cost. Hence, syphoning off crores of rupees, becoming a defaulter and suddenly abandoning the garden, leaving the workers in a flutter, have now become common scenarios. Inve…
Future-making beyond (im)mobility through tethered resilience
Environmental challenges of deltaic towns in West Bengal, India
The sustainability of an area is inextricably linked to environmental challenges. Growing environmental challenges exacerbate local crises and increase society’s risk. Such localized crises are prevalent in small towns of the Sundarbans Delta in India due to their climate-sensitive location and uncontrolled population growth. This article examines the present environmental crises and the effects of tropical cyclones and urban flooding on the citi…
Local Economy as the Key Driver of Urbanization in the Indian Sundarbans
The relationship between local economic development and urbanization is a vital policy concern across the world, especially in the developing countries. The local economy exhibits enormous potential in the process of transformation of a rural area into an urban one. Based on the theoretical discourse of planetary and subaltern urbanization, this article explores the role of the local economy, even in the form of banal activities, in the process o…
Impact of floods and river-bank erosion on the riverine people in Manikchak Block of Malda District, West Bengal
Floods and river-bank erosion are the most frequent natural hazards in India, specifically in the deltaic regions. In West Bengal, floods and river-bank erosion predominantly affect Malda district as it is located in the moribund part of the Bengal delta. This article studies the recent trend of shifting course of the River Ganga and the effects of floods and consequent river-bank erosion on livelihoods of the residents of chars [The chars (calle…
How do migration decisions and drivers differ against extreme environmental events
Migration is often understood to be a livelihood strategy to cope with the effects of environmental threats and climate change. Yet, the extent to which migration decisions differ due to the type, severity, and frequency of environmental events has been little explored. This paper employs household surveys in southwestern Bangladesh to explore this research gap. A multinominal regression model is used to simulate reported future migration decisio…
Urban environment and sustainable water supply
Municipal Financing and Infrastructure
Cities, acting as engines of economic growth and generators of public finance for development, will usher in an urban revolution in the developing world. Such an urban revolution is sure to bring in opportunities to millions through the increasing level of urbanisation. This rising trend of urbanisation coupled with the increasing functional responsibilities of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) has been creating serious problems for the provision and…
Kamla Bhasin is not Just a Name but an Ideology
On 25 September 2021, as usual, I woke up in the morning to find the saddening news in my phone that a real star had left Indian soil to be permanently in the sky. She was our beloved Kamala Bhasin. I was doing my regular routine, but I felt a sign of pathos deep inside my heart. I could not overcome that problem even the next day. I started thinking, why do I have this feeling? She was neither my relative nor my friend. I do not know her in pers…
Reviving traditional water sources for resilient water future
Informal Labours in Kolkata City
Migration takes place due to various social, cultural, economic or political reasons. Previous Census reports of India show that employment-induced out-migration is a common feature of several states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and other states. In the case of Kolkata, informal labours have enormous employment opportunities in big business centres and small manufacturing units of the city. With the help of D-series Census Data of the ye…
Cities Have Water History And We Need To Understand That
The water crisis is not a new issue, but new is the quantum of crisis. Cities are the centres of civilisation and so are the largest consumers of water. Water had always played a significant role in deciding the location as well as in sustenance of cities. Before the technological innovation of the central pipe water network, people developed different indigenous means to ensure access to water. Those are collectively called †̃traditional communi…
Dancing with the River
Dancing with the River
This book offers an intimate glimpse into the microcosmic world of 'hybrid environments.' Focusing on chars--the part-land, part-water, low-lying sandy masses that exist within the riverbeds in the floodplains of lower Bengal--the authors show how, both as real-life examples and as metaphors, chars straddle the conventional categories of land and water, and how people who live on them fluctuate between legitimacy and illegitimacy. The result, a s…
Rethinking Development, Welfare and Culture in India
How do the poor handle money? What do the financial diaries of char dwellers tell us about financial inclusion
Derived from livelihoods surveys and ethnographic material about people living on the chars, or river islands, in deltaic lower Bengal, this paper illustrates the complex, diverse and ingenious ways that the poor manage money. These islands constitute some of the most vulnerable housing locations of some of the poorest communities; state services and facilities do not reach the chars because they are not listed as land in revenue records. It demo…
Like the Drifting Grains of Sand’
Charlands are islands formed in major river systems particularly in the flat deltaic plains such as those in the Bengal delta in eastern India and Bangladesh. The charlands in the lower reaches of the Damodar River in India are prone to frequent floods, shifting river channels and consequent riverbank erosion. In spite of these risks posed by the environment, migrant communities from Bihar and Bangladesh settle in the charlands because the soils …
Constructing Social Capital
The success of the group approach in rural micro-finance among women has inspired the tendency to look at all networking as essentially good and desirable in rural community development, without acknowledging the entrenched caste, class, ethnic and religious hierarchies that lead to diversities among women. Government schemes designed for poverty alleviation among rural women tend to be influenced by concepts and models that have been successful …
Fleeting Land, Fleeting People
Riverine islands ( chars in Bengali or diaras in middle Gangetic plain) are common in deltaic lower Bengal and have often provided ideal places for the settlement of unauthorized migrants. Many of these chars are shifting, temporary and flood-prone, but some get stabilized with time although their legal status as “land” still remains contested. This article is about the life experiences of some Bangladeshi women who have migrated from Bangladesh …
Constructing Social Capital
The success of the group approach in rural micro-finance among women has inspired the tendency to look at all networking as essentially good and desirable in rural community development, without acknowledging the entrenched caste, class, ethnic and religious hierarchies that lead to diversities among women. Government schemes designed for poverty alleviation among rural women tend to be influenced by concepts and models that have been successful …
How do migration decisions and drivers differ against extreme environmental events
Migration is often understood to be a livelihood strategy to cope with the effects of environmental threats and climate change. Yet, the extent to which migration decisions differ due to the type, severity, and frequency of environmental events has been little explored. This paper employs household surveys in southwestern Bangladesh to explore this research gap. A multinominal regression model is used to simulate reported future migration decisio…
Like the Drifting Grains of Sand’
Charlands are islands formed in major river systems particularly in the flat deltaic plains such as those in the Bengal delta in eastern India and Bangladesh. The charlands in the lower reaches of the Damodar River in India are prone to frequent floods, shifting river channels and consequent riverbank erosion. In spite of these risks posed by the environment, migrant communities from Bihar and Bangladesh settle in the charlands because the soils …
How do the poor handle money? What do the financial diaries of char dwellers tell us about financial inclusion
Derived from livelihoods surveys and ethnographic material about people living on the chars, or river islands, in deltaic lower Bengal, this paper illustrates the complex, diverse and ingenious ways that the poor manage money. These islands constitute some of the most vulnerable housing locations of some of the poorest communities; state services and facilities do not reach the chars because they are not listed as land in revenue records. It demo…
Fleeting Land, Fleeting People
Riverine islands ( chars in Bengali or diaras in middle Gangetic plain) are common in deltaic lower Bengal and have often provided ideal places for the settlement of unauthorized migrants. Many of these chars are shifting, temporary and flood-prone, but some get stabilized with time although their legal status as “land” still remains contested. This article is about the life experiences of some Bangladeshi women who have migrated from Bangladesh …
Municipal Financing and Infrastructure
Cities, acting as engines of economic growth and generators of public finance for development, will usher in an urban revolution in the developing world. Such an urban revolution is sure to bring in opportunities to millions through the increasing level of urbanisation. This rising trend of urbanisation coupled with the increasing functional responsibilities of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) has been creating serious problems for the provision and…
Reviving traditional water sources for resilient water future
Fleeting Land, Fleeting People
Riverine islands ( chars in Bengali or diaras in middle Gangetic plain) are common in deltaic lower Bengal and have often provided ideal places for the settlement of unauthorized migrants. Many of these chars are shifting, temporary and flood-prone, but some get stabilized with time although their legal status as “land” still remains contested. This article is about the life experiences of some Bangladeshi women who have migrated from Bangladesh …
Constructing Social Capital
The success of the group approach in rural micro-finance among women has inspired the tendency to look at all networking as essentially good and desirable in rural community development, without acknowledging the entrenched caste, class, ethnic and religious hierarchies that lead to diversities among women. Government schemes designed for poverty alleviation among rural women tend to be influenced by concepts and models that have been successful …
Like the Drifting Grains of Sand’
Charlands are islands formed in major river systems particularly in the flat deltaic plains such as those in the Bengal delta in eastern India and Bangladesh. The charlands in the lower reaches of the Damodar River in India are prone to frequent floods, shifting river channels and consequent riverbank erosion. In spite of these risks posed by the environment, migrant communities from Bihar and Bangladesh settle in the charlands because the soils …
Dancing with the River
Dancing with the River
This book offers an intimate glimpse into the microcosmic world of 'hybrid environments.' Focusing on chars--the part-land, part-water, low-lying sandy masses that exist within the riverbeds in the floodplains of lower Bengal--the authors show how, both as real-life examples and as metaphors, chars straddle the conventional categories of land and water, and how people who live on them fluctuate between legitimacy and illegitimacy. The result, a s…
Rethinking Development, Welfare and Culture in India
How do the poor handle money? What do the financial diaries of char dwellers tell us about financial inclusion
Derived from livelihoods surveys and ethnographic material about people living on the chars, or river islands, in deltaic lower Bengal, this paper illustrates the complex, diverse and ingenious ways that the poor manage money. These islands constitute some of the most vulnerable housing locations of some of the poorest communities; state services and facilities do not reach the chars because they are not listed as land in revenue records. It demo…
Cities Have Water History And We Need To Understand That
The water crisis is not a new issue, but new is the quantum of crisis. Cities are the centres of civilisation and so are the largest consumers of water. Water had always played a significant role in deciding the location as well as in sustenance of cities. Before the technological innovation of the central pipe water network, people developed different indigenous means to ensure access to water. Those are collectively called †̃traditional communi…
Informal Labours in Kolkata City
Migration takes place due to various social, cultural, economic or political reasons. Previous Census reports of India show that employment-induced out-migration is a common feature of several states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and other states. In the case of Kolkata, informal labours have enormous employment opportunities in big business centres and small manufacturing units of the city. With the help of D-series Census Data of the ye…
Urban environment and sustainable water supply
Municipal Financing and Infrastructure
Cities, acting as engines of economic growth and generators of public finance for development, will usher in an urban revolution in the developing world. Such an urban revolution is sure to bring in opportunities to millions through the increasing level of urbanisation. This rising trend of urbanisation coupled with the increasing functional responsibilities of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) has been creating serious problems for the provision and…
Kamla Bhasin is not Just a Name but an Ideology
On 25 September 2021, as usual, I woke up in the morning to find the saddening news in my phone that a real star had left Indian soil to be permanently in the sky. She was our beloved Kamala Bhasin. I was doing my regular routine, but I felt a sign of pathos deep inside my heart. I could not overcome that problem even the next day. I started thinking, why do I have this feeling? She was neither my relative nor my friend. I do not know her in pers…
Reviving traditional water sources for resilient water future
Local Economy as the Key Driver of Urbanization in the Indian Sundarbans
The relationship between local economic development and urbanization is a vital policy concern across the world, especially in the developing countries. The local economy exhibits enormous potential in the process of transformation of a rural area into an urban one. Based on the theoretical discourse of planetary and subaltern urbanization, this article explores the role of the local economy, even in the form of banal activities, in the process o…
Impact of floods and river-bank erosion on the riverine people in Manikchak Block of Malda District, West Bengal
Floods and river-bank erosion are the most frequent natural hazards in India, specifically in the deltaic regions. In West Bengal, floods and river-bank erosion predominantly affect Malda district as it is located in the moribund part of the Bengal delta. This article studies the recent trend of shifting course of the River Ganga and the effects of floods and consequent river-bank erosion on livelihoods of the residents of chars [The chars (calle…
How do migration decisions and drivers differ against extreme environmental events
Migration is often understood to be a livelihood strategy to cope with the effects of environmental threats and climate change. Yet, the extent to which migration decisions differ due to the type, severity, and frequency of environmental events has been little explored. This paper employs household surveys in southwestern Bangladesh to explore this research gap. A multinominal regression model is used to simulate reported future migration decisio…
Future-making beyond (im)mobility through tethered resilience
Environmental challenges of deltaic towns in West Bengal, India
The sustainability of an area is inextricably linked to environmental challenges. Growing environmental challenges exacerbate local crises and increase society’s risk. Such localized crises are prevalent in small towns of the Sundarbans Delta in India due to their climate-sensitive location and uncontrolled population growth. This article examines the present environmental crises and the effects of tropical cyclones and urban flooding on the citi…
When Tea Garden Closes
The tea industry, like many other industries in West Bengal, has been known for the frequent closure of tea gardens in recent times. Its traditional, labour-intensive nature requires a continuous supply of capital, whereas the share of profit is not proportionate to the high cost. Hence, syphoning off crores of rupees, becoming a defaulter and suddenly abandoning the garden, leaving the workers in a flutter, have now become common scenarios. Inve…
Geography (12 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Economics (8 works) · Political science (8 works) · Economic growth (7 works) · Business (6 works) · Agriculture (5 works) · Environmental Science (5 works) · Population (5 works) · Environmental planning (4 works)