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Paper short abstract:

This study will examine the connection between caste, space and land in the spatial geography of Indian villages and their effect on the agency in migration and immobility. It studies the impact of caste structure in environmental migration, as a case study for climate change led migration in India.

Paper long abstract:

Understanding the relationship between structure and agency in migration is of contemporary importance. In Indian villages, where spatial distribution of settlements and land relations are decided predominantly by caste, its role in the dichotomy of structure-agency in environmental migration has to be studied. However, the scholarly community has long neglected the ‘structural’ impact of the caste system on the agency of environmental migrants. The main objective of this paper is to analyze how the agency of migrants is shaped by vulnerability and capability, both of which are structured by the caste system.

This study focuses on Seppakkam, a village in north Chennai, Tamil Nadu, which is located near a coal ash pond. It is severely affected by coal ash pollution because of leakages in the mounds and pipelines. This pollution led to people’s migration, but different caste communities have migrated differently and some are still stuck in the village. Using a combination of survey and semi-structured interviews, this paper examines the factors impacting migration and immobility in Seppakkam.

It is found that the Dalits were the first to be impacted and the first to migrate. Meanwhile, the dominant, land-owning caste faces difficulties in leaving due to the decrease in land value caused by the pollution. The paper also studies the role of the State in altering these vulnerabilities and capabilities created by the caste structure. Furthermore, this paper discusses how the findings of this case can be extended to enhance our understanding of migrations driven by climate change in India.