Question

In which of the Indian States, shifting cultivation is practiced

• A. Odisha
• B. Karnataka
• C. Rajasthan
• D. 1 and 2 above

Hint:

Remember the local names of shifting cultivation:
Northeast India = *Jhum*
Odisha and Andhra Pradesh = *Podu*
Madhya Pradesh = *Bewar* or *Dahiya*

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Shifting cultivation (also known as slash-and-burn agriculture or rotational bush fallow) is an ancient farming practice.
Farmers clear a patch of forest land, burn the vegetation to release nutrients into the soil, and cultivate crops for a few years until soil fertility declines.
Once the soil is depleted, they abandon the plot to let the forest regenerate naturally, and move to a new patch of forest.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
In India, shifting cultivation is traditionally practiced by tribal communities in hilly and forested regions.
It is most common in:
1. The northeastern states (where it is known as *Jhum*).
2. The hilly tracts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh (where it is locally called *Podu*).
In Odisha, *Podu* cultivation is practiced extensively by tribal communities in districts like Koraput, Kalahandi, and Phulbani, leading to significant soil erosion and forest degradation.
Shifting cultivation is not a traditional or active farming practice in Karnataka or Rajasthan, where sedentary agriculture and dryland farming systems dominate.
Therefore, among the options listed, only Odisha is correct.

Step 2: Final Answer:
Shifting cultivation is practiced in the state of Odisha.