Children - Terre des Hommes

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Maharashtra
State Overview
Maharashtra, the third largest state in India in terms of area,
has a population of 96,878,627 29 (which is 9.4 per cent of
India’s total population). This makes the state the second
most populated, after Uttar Pradesh. The state has a very
large migrant population. Maharashtra is highly urbanised,
with 42 per cent of the population residing in urban areas
(the national level is around 28 per cent). 30 One of the richer
states, with a GSDP for 2007-08 estimated at Rs. 5,910
billion, Maharashtra contributes about 13 per cent to the
national income. 31
Agriculture remains Maharashtra’s largest employment
sector, with around 55 per cent of the population directly
or indirectly dependent on agriculture and allied activities
for their livelihood. 32 This is then followed by industry.
However, agriculture has not made the state self-sufficient
in food grains. Instead, the tilt towards commercial crops
has given rise to the agro-processing industry, though mostly
limited to sugarcane and, to some extent, cotton and lately
fruits and vegetables. 33 This focus on sugarcane in turn has
reduced the scope for equity in sharing a precious resource—
water for irrigation. Only 14.5 per cent of the net sown area
(total crop area) in Maharashtra is irrigated, which renders
the agricultural sector vulnerable to droughts. This is evident
from the periodic fluctuations in farm output, which in a
normal year produces only about 90 per cent of the state’s
food grain requirements. 34 As a result, the rural population
is subject to a high degree of instability in income and, hence,
forced into working as marginal labour and migrating to
urban areas, such as Mumbai.
According to the Census 2001, 10.2 per cent of Maharashtra’s
population constitute SCs and 8.9 per cent are STs (the
national averages being 16.2 per cent SCs and 8.2 per cent
STs). The vast majority of the SC and ST population live in
the rural areas of Maharashtra and are largely dependant on
agriculture as their main source of income.
The poverty estimates provided by the Planning Commission,
Government of India reveal that the poverty ratio in the state
is 30.7 per cent, higher than the all-India average of 27.5 per
cent. In absolute numbers, the population below the poverty
line in Maharashtra stands third amongst major states in the
country, after Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. 35
The provision for healthcare in Maharashtra has struggled
to keep up with the growth in the state’s population. While
the population has been rapidly increasing, the number of
hospitals has actually gone down slightly from 1,102 in 2001
to 1,099 in 2007. However, the average life expectancy in
Maharashtra is slightly higher than the national average, at
67.9 years as opposed to 65.8 for males and 71.3 years as
opposed to 68.1 for females. 36 The number of deaths related
to malaria has been on the rise though, from 61 recorded
29. Census of India, 2001.
30. Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2008-09. pp. 1. http://mahades.maharashtra.gov.in/files/noticeboard/eco_srurvy_2008-09_English.pdf.
31. Ibid.
32. Ibid.
33. Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2008-09.
34. Human Development Report Maharashtra (2002), Prepared for the Government of Maharashtra. pp.4.
35. Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2008-09. pp. 178. http://mahades.maharashtra.gov.in/files/noticeboard/eco_srurvy_2008-09_English.pdf
36. Ibid, pp. 209.