A Variability Study on Spatial Concentration of Different type of Disabilities in North Bengal and Murshidabad

 

Dr. Tamal Basu Roy¹, Ranjan Roy²

¹Researcher Dept. of Geography and Applied Geography, North Bengal University

²Professor, Department of Geography and Applied Geography, North Bengal University

 

ABSTRACT:

Health is the prime indicator for social well being of a society. Since, health is related to the individual efficiency of doing perfect work; a geographer should focus his development studies in light of health aspects. People in different part of the world are suffering from different degenerative and contaminated health issues. All the issues can be considered and controlled in a wiser way. But, a physical disability and its proper management lie far away from the human clutches. It is not viable that a person would suffer from a certain disability. Better to locate the particular disability in spatial aspects and find out the relevant causes for such kind of disabilities. The study has focused on the spatial concentration of certain kind of disability and its relevant causes for prevalence. The study area is selected for the North Bengal’s district apart from Murshidabad. The result shows that certain kinds of disabilities are concentrated in the particular part of the study area. In this regard the study seeks to find out few chief relevant causes for such kind of evil’s suffering to someone. Measures of concentration, measures of correlation, significance test and cartographic thematic mapping techniques through ArcGis 10.1 software are used for the better analysis of primary and secondary data. Analysis of the data revealed that the spatial pattern of disability was largely regionalized because each type of disability clustered around some definite regions. The broad future and prospects of the study is to find out the relevant causes for such kind of impairment and disability and to mitigate the health issues by the medical experts with great care. Different kind of disabilities have been identified such as seeing, hearing, movement related, mental retardation, speech etc. A segment of population in North Bengal still is reeling under such kind of disability evil. The study has also carried out to enhance the awareness of the people about what ought to do or not to do the things, which might avoid from happening these different kind of disability and the need of government emergency to monitor health status of the people suffering from the disability.

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Health, the most important indicator that is included within the social well being parameters. Apart from the different types of well being health takes part one of the prime well being attributes. But it is impossible that a person in his quality of life index is more prosperous in terms of money, shelter, education, social dignities and so on but the fate might be to have a child of any kind of disability. Owing to impairment a person can’t do his or her functional work properly. Both the terms impairment and disability are related in terms of cause and effects. Impairments are concerned with the physical aspect of health (Patel, 2008). On the other hand disability has to do with the loss of functional capacity resulting from an impaired organ. Persons with disabilities are the most oppressed, demoralized, marginalized, excluded section of the society (Islam, 2017). Constant efforts are being carried out by the medical experts to find out the causes of such type of evil in the society. The article is related to the spatial concentration study of different types of disability, its variability and to highlight the particular type of disabilities that has been concentrated in particular district of North Bengal. The significance of the study is far from its narration because the study has focused on the incapability to perform an activity of a person along with the normal range of activities performed by a healthy and capable person. In this regard the society, medical expert, government, pupil should give their emphasis to take the matter very cautiously. Though the different kind of measurement of handicaps has been initiated to segregate the particular types of disable people apart from the normal populace but it is the need of hour that person should include within all kind of opportunities that indeed he or she can do (Agnihotri, 1998). The districts of North Bengal are not exceptional in terms of existence of different disable person in different parts of the region. The major different types of disabilities are categorized as disabilities with physical, sensory and mental (World Health Organization/World Bank/Disability Report, 2011). Though, medical experiment is constantly carrying forward its journey to find out the most accurate relevant causes to make cautious the people that no more people should suffer from these kinds of impairments and disabilities. In addition it has been experimented that the advancement of medicines may reduce the extent of sufferings.

 

STUDY AREA:

North Bengal is a term used for the north western part of Bnagladesh and northern part of West Bengal. Normally, it is an area lying west of Jamuna River. Presently North Bengal is a part of the West Bengal indicates Jalpaiguri division (Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Darjeeing, Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong) and the Malda division (North Dinajpur South Dinajpur and Malda) together. The Bihar part includes the Kishanganj district. The North Bengal comprises hilly terrain in Darjeeling district. Physiographical division bears the characteristics of Bhabar and Terai, Dooars, in the northern part. Ganga River divides West Bengal into two part i.e. North Bengal in the North and South Bengal in the South. Apart from Ganga, Mahananda, Tista, Torsa, Jaldhaka are the most notable river flowing down the North Bengal’s district. Agro climatically the region falls within Northern Hilly Zone, Terai Teesta alluvial zone and Vindhyan Alluvium Zone. The districts Darjeeling included in former, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Uttar Dinajpur comprise Terai Teesta Alluvial Zone and Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda are included in Vindhyan Alluvial Zone. Though the districts have the individual aspect of specialization in terms of physical socio economic and population’s aspects but a common physical fate of human being is prevailing across the districts of North Bengal. The study area also includes the Murshidabad district as neighboring one to compare the certain kind of impairment and disability. The latitudinal confinement of the study area extends from 24°20' north to 27°10' North and the east west longitudinal extent spread about 87°30' east to 90° east.

 

OBJECTIVES:

The study seeks an essence to highlight the different types of disabilities which persist in North Bengal’s districts in association with neighbouring Murshidabad district. Or in other words the study has highlighted the spatial pattern of persons with sight impairment along with hearing, speech, movement, multiple disabilities, mental retardation and other kind of disabilities. In addition the study emphasizes on to find out the most relevant causes for certain kind of disability. The broad prospect of the study is to make effort to bring the particular segment of population in front of the society, medical experts, social worker and government to cautiously mitigate the issue in near future.

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The data regarding the different types of disabilities have been procured from the secondary sources such as census 2011, district statistical handbooks, data from West Bengal health and family welfare department. Apart from the secondary sources of the data the study has carried out its primary survey by implementing the questionnaire and schedule in order to judge the validity of secondary sources of data. The area is selected on the random basis. The questionnaire bears the biological, parental, births related and socio economic related questions to find out the causes of such impairments and disabilities. Various factors are operating behind such kind of disabilities persistence. During the preparation of questionnaire the questions related to chronic health condition and specified disability of sufferings has been highlighted. The questionnaire has tried to find out the individual’s causes of sufferings. During time of implementation of questionnaire area is selected in each district on purposive basis. A particular segment of population underwent the primary survey or in other words members for a sample of selected according to the purpose of the study. Logical and systematic organization of the collected raw data in rows and columns has been framed and a cross tabulation analysis has been carried out to make relation of particular issues. The advance statistical techniques have been used to make the analysis in a more relevance way. In this regard few descriptive and inferential statistics have been used to analyze the matter in a more convenient and rational way. Location Quotient is an index for comparing the area’s share of a particular activity with the area’s share of some basic or aggregate phenomena. Hear the technique has been used to narrate the magnitude of concentration of the particular type of disability of a district in respect of its aggregate and West Bengal. The statistical techniques which have been used to narrate the study are as follows; Location quotient values are calculated and mapping has been done in GIS environment to find out the magnitude of concentration of different types of disabilities.

 

1.      Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation:

 

 r=

 

2.      Significance test Student t test t=

3.      Measure of Concentration, location quotients

 

 

Where,

Ÿ  Ei Refers to certain type of disability in the district

Ÿ  e refers to total number person with disabilities in the said district

Ÿ  Ei refers to the total number of person in suffering from certain type of disability in West Bengal

Ÿ  E refers to total number of disable person in West Bengal.

 

Spatial maps have been prepared in order to recognize the areas with higher prevalence of certain type of disability based on statistical location quotients technique.

 

Spatial Distribution of Different type of Disabilities: According to 2011 census report North Bengal comprises six districts viz. Darjiling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda. Since, Alipurduar has been bifurcated from Jalpaiguri the region comprises seven districts. The study has focused on the variability of different types of disabilities that persist in the district of North Bengal. The total disables persons in North Bengal amounting 516000. Not only the total disabilities vary significantly spatially but also it differs in particular types along the spatial scale. Among the total disable person the Murshidabad ranks highest followed by Malda, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Uttar Dinajpur, Darjeeling and Dakshin Dinajpur. Maximum visual impairment is observed in Murshidabad district followed by Malda and Jalpaiguri. The Census of India, 2011 identified even most common types of disabilities in North Bengal and Murshidabad as; disability in seeing, hearing, speech, mobility and mental illness, mental retardation and multiple types of disabilities. All kind of disability are selected and mapped subsequently. ArcGIS 10.1 software was used to create database and digital maps based on location quotient. Analysis of the data revealed that the spatial pattern of disability was largely regionalized because each type of disability clustered around some definite regions. While the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri account greatest burden of disabilities of hearing and mental illness as the said districts shares 25% and 4% of its total certain disable person. Disability due to mobility is prevalent in three district of North Bengal viz. Dakshin Dinajpur, Uttar Dinajpur and Jalpaiguri. The burden of this kind of disability is highest in the Jalpaiguri and Murshidabad. Though, least in occurrence of movement related disordered people, location quotient values ranging within 0.671 to 0.950 mainly found in Darjeeling, Malda and Cooch Behar. High burden of multiple disability appearance much more confined to the entire Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Murshidabad. The regionalized pattern of disability suggests the influence of environmental factors that could be verified by further studies.

 

Table: 1, Disability across North Bengal and Murshidabad

Districts	Disabled Person in %
	Person	Male	Female	Rural	Urban
Darjeeling	2.17	2.33	2.01	2.36	1.88
Jalpaiguri	2.13	2.32	1.93	2.17	2.01
Cooch Behar	2.02	2.19	1.83	2.04	1.82
Uttar Dinajpur	1.70	1.87	1.52	1.73	1.53
Dakshin Dinajpur	2.13	2.29	1.96	2.15	2.03
Maldah	2.11	2.28	1.93	2.10	2.17
Murshidabad	2.33	2.56	2.09	2.42	1.96

Source: Census, 2011

 

Maximum rural people in Darjeeling district are suffering from different kinds of disability than that of the urban populace. Out of total population in Darjeeing 2.17% of people are suffering from different kind of disability and male are more prone to suffer than that of the female. Out of total population in Jalpaiguri exhibits 2.13% of people who are suffering from different kind of disability and male are more prone to suffer than that of the female. Cooch Behar shares 2.02 % of population with disabilities and male person share 2.19% in comparison to 1.83% female population with disability. Uttar Dinajpur district share the minimum disable population i.e.1.70% in comparison to other districts. Male and female disable population occupies the share 1.87% and 1.52% subsequently. Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda exhibit the share of disable person 2.13% and 2.11% as follows (Census of India, 2011). The districts has witnessed the same fate i.e. male is more prone to be affected by such kind of disability than that of the female. During the survey it was also verified that the male are more prone to be affected by different kind disabilities. The most significant factors lying behind such kind of discrepancies are that most of the stresses and tensions are taken by male populace in the family than that of the female. Murshidabad an adjacent district has the more rural populace i.e. 2.42% with disabilities than urban shares 1.96%.

 

PATIAL VARIABILITY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF DISABILITIES IN NORTH BENGAL’S DISTRICTS AND MURSHIDABAD

         

Figure: 1

 

Table: 2, Assessment Table for Regulating factors and Disabilities

Correlation between	Co-efficient of Determination	Co-efficient of Correlation	Hypothesis	Student t test	Significance level at 0.05
Mental Retardation and Seeing	0.760	0.87	Ho; There is no correlation Ha; There is a correlation	Computed Value 4.06 Critical value 2.57	Reject Ho Accept Ha
Ignorance of antenatal care during pregnancy and disable birth	0.939	0.96	Ho; There is no correlation Ha; There is a correlation	Computed Value 8.56 Critical Value2.57	Reject Ho Accept Ha
Listening Music in a louder way and listening Problems	0.023	0.15	Ho; There is no correlation Ha; There is a correlation	Computed value 0.33 Critical value 2.57	Accept Ho Reject Ha
Birth Asphyxia and Delay development	0.926	0.96	Ho; There is no correlation Ha; There is a correlation	Computed value 7.92 Critical value 2.57	Reject Ho Accept Ha

Source: Computed by Author

 

Causes of Different type of Disabilities:

The number of disabled persons is expected to increase. The reasons behind it are very complex and multifaceted and largely due to health, demographic and development factors (Hans A, 2003).Locomotor or movement related disability is the most prevalent type of disability affecting the population of all ages in India (Griffin.R.M, 2005). Mental problems are highest among working age population, and visual and hearing disability are highest among the aged population. Mental disability is occurring mainly due to serious illness during childhood, head injury in childhood and pregnancy and birth related causes (Rethink Mental Illness, 2012). Old age, cataract, glaucoma and other eye disease are the main causes for having visual problems while polio, injury other than burns, other illness, stroke, arthritis, cerebral palsy are the main causes of movement related disability.  Any kind of disability is an unfortunate event. It is the fate of individual that he or she might suffer from certain type of disability. But medical expert with their consistence effort has explored some relevant causes including biological and socio-economic responsible for causing the particular type of disability. Nowadays most of the people are suffering from the seeing problems. The major reason behind such kind of inability is age related problems apart from suffering Glaucoma, Diabetic, injury and child blindness. Though the recent study has explored that child who are more prone to watching TV and video game are susceptible to this kind of inability. Apart from the age related sufferings frequently the present generation is listening music in a louder way or beyond the desire decibel level that the noisy songs are creating the ear infections which might reduce the eardrum functions. Researched has also find out the fact of congenial deformity during the time of infancy or in other words it is the kind of pre lingual deafness. Delayed development has created the sufferings for children about their listening problems. Sample study has established the fact that there is a correlation in between the hearing loss with neurological disorders, brain injury, intellectual disabilities and drug abuse. A stroke or mild attack may create head injury that may also cause the movement, speak related problems. It has been established neonatal birth related complexity and post natal birth asphyxia may harm the child’s movement and other kind of development. Mental retardation refers to substantial limitations in present functioning. It is recognized by significant sub average intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with related limitation in two or more of the following applicable adaptive skills areas: communication, self-care, home living, and social skills. Mental retardation manifests before age 18. Lack of academic, social and communication skills to live and work independently are the parameter for recognize a person with mental retardation disability. Age related studies has proofed that the people at working ages and the students with great aspirations are suffering from mental illness. Sex related segregation of different types of disabilities also responsible for particular types of disability. According to World Health Organization females are prone to chronic diseases than men.

 

The study has contributed its effort to unearth some notable causes of certain types of disability. Most of the person suffering from the visual impairment is mentally retarded. During questioning hours it has been diagnosed that child who witnessed birth anomaly during the time of birth usually suffers from developmental delay and eventually the visual part is also weak in response to delay development. Though normally the people are at old ages also suffer from visual impairment. The value of correlation coefficient value 0.87 apparently shows a strong correlation in between mental retardation and seeing impairment. Significance test confirmed the strong relationship existence in between the two as the computed value of student t test indicate much more than that of the critical value that the alternative hypothesis i.e. there is a strong correlation in between the mental retardation and seeing impairment eventually happened to accept. On the other hand the government is in always effort to enhance the institutional birth and the awareness to regular antenatal visit to pregnant women but it is very much unfortunate that still some parts of the world are far lying behind such kind of care. During survey it was noticed that during pregnancy period the ignorance of mothers and their caretakers not taking proper care about their maternal health or ignored about the advice of the doctors are reeling under the evil of effect of multiple disable child and delayed mental development about their child. In addition the underage marriage and overage marriage prior or marginal to the reproductive period has also led to follow the developmental delay and different kind of disabilities among their child. Though the study has also focused to find out the most relevant causes of hearing impairment but the result of correlation coefficient and the significance test does not support the alternative hypothesis rather it supports the null hypothesis. It seems that not only frequently listening loud noise or songs are not responsible for hearing impairment other causes are also responsible for such kind of appearance of disability. Perinatal asphyxia, neonatal asphyxia or birth asphyxia happened to child after birth or the ignorance of institutional birth is also relevant for arise of such kind of unfortunate event. It results lack of oxygen supply to motor brain of a newborn infant and if it lasts for long time it would cause physical harm to the child. Indeed the study has able to find out the birth place of the study area where such kind phenomena might be happened and later since the system and its infrastructure is hardly able to recover the child from the said trauma. A long term effect might cause to the locomotor or movement related disability or delay development.

 

Spatial Concentration of Different Type of Disabilities in North Bengal and Murshidabad

             

CONCLUSION:

The spatial distribution of disability phenomena varies significantly across the different parts of North Bengal. Since the Study has taken to have a comparative look on the Murshidabad district in respect of different districts of North Bengal the result has recognized the area of clustering of population with certain kind of disability. Further the study has tried to highlight the most notable factor to unearth the relevant causes for such kind of disability. Any kind of inabilities is not viable for individual or for the society. The person suffering from the certain kind of impairment and finally unable to perform the function properly would be receded from rest of the society. Though the Government, medical experts, social workers, different NGOs are in constant effort to give more focus on different aspects about the different kind of disabilities but still the research need to focus intense study on these issue of disabilities and suffering and a comprehensive plan is the need of hour to eliminate in happening such kind of physical evil from the society.

 

REFERENCES:

1.       World Health Organization/World Bank/Disability Report. (2011). Retrieved from World Health Report on Disability: http://www.refworld.org/docid/50854a322.html

2.       Agnihotri, D. D. (1998). Physical Disability:Is there a Gender Dimension. Economic and Political Weekly , 3333-3335.

3.       Census of India. (2011). Retrieved from http://censusindia.gov.in

4.       Hans A, P. A. (2003). Women Disability and Indentity. London: Sage Publishers.

5.       Islam, M. (2017). An Analysis of Spatial Patterns of Disabled Persons. Indonesian Journal of Disability Studies , 137-145.

6.       Patel, S. (2008). An empirical study of causes of disability in India. The Internet Journal of Epidemiology , 16-25.

7.       R.M. Griffin. (2005). Leading Causes of Disability. Retrieved from www.webmb.com/healthy-aging/features/top causes of disability,12/11/2012: http://www.webmb.com

8.       Rethink Mental Illness. (2012). Retrieved from Mental_illness/what_causes of Mental Illness: http:/www.rethink.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

Received on 26.07.2018        Modified on 02.08.2018

Accepted on 23.08.2018      ©A&V Publications All right reserved