Role Of Weekly Market Centres In Rural Dvelopment A Case Study Of Devgad Taluka In Sindhudurg District

Abstract

newline Weekly markets in Devgad tahsil have played considerable role as the leading source for local s livelihood and further for development of rural area. Marketing involved the newlinemovement of various goods and services from the place of production until the hands of the newlinelast users. In present century, technological expansion has undergone changed market and marketing. This has led new dimensions of indigenous economy. Weekly market centres act newlineas magnet for attracting local agricultural and manufacturing produces for consumption into newlinesurrounding villages. These market centres are further most perfect places for interchange of commodities and services mainly in study region. newlineMarketing geography is branch of human geography but less attempt made by newlineresearchers in this regard. The research on markets and marketing geography enriched carried by H. M. Saxena, V. K. Shrivastava, Sudhir Wanmali. B. G. Tamaskar, D. A. Gedam, C. T. newlinePawar, T. N. Lokhande and various geographers. The origin, growth and hierarchical orders newlineof periodic markets have been assessed by B. W. Hoddar, M. S. Vishwanath, S. P. Mukharji, M. M. Jana, V. N. Sinha, R. B. Mandal and K. R. Shrivastava. The geographers, namely, R. newlineL. Singh, N. R. Kar, R. S. Mathur, R. S. Dixit and R. Rao have attempted and highlighted newlinefunctional and spatial analysis of Indian periodic markets in systematic way. S. I. Hugar, H. N. Shetty, A. A. Mulimani (2002) and V. L. Deshmukh have identified relationship between newlinemarket infrastructure and economic development. S. D. Jagdale, R. H. Chaudhar, B. J. Patil newlineand V. S. Datye have emphases traders characteristics, behaviour and movement of weekly markets. newlineDevgad tahsil is deliberately chosen for present study. It is head amounted of newlineSindhudurg district in Maharashtra state. This tahsil is located in northwest part and it extends from 160 11 to 160 36 north latitudes and 730 17 to 730 42 east longitudes newlineoccupying 787.68 square kilometers area and population of 120909 (Census of India, 2011). newlineThe study region divided into five physiographic separations specifically beaches, estuarine as well as rivers alluvial plains, plateaus and eroded remnant hills. The average height of newline ii newlineregion is 140 meters from mean sea level. The common gradient is towards creeks and sea in newlinewest of study region. The study region is drained by four rivers, namely, Kharada, Waghotan, Annapurna and Achara originating from sahyadri and end with creeks at Arabian Sea. newlineWaghotan and Achara rivers bounded the study region on north and south part respectively. The mean annual maximum temperature is found 35.70 centigrades in April whereas, mean annual minimum temperature is in January (16.60 centigrades). The average annual rainfall newlinereceives between 1620 millimeters to 2541 millimeters. July found maximum rainfall and newlinelowermost rainfall in February. The amount of rainfall increases rapidly from the coast towards the sahyadri on eastern border in study region. The study region has commonly newlineshallow loamy, deep clayey and saline soils. This region is well known for farming and newlineexport the Alphonso mango apart from fishing carried out in sea and creeks. The study region has 14.90 percent area under irrigation. Two state highways and one major state highway newlineprovides transport in study region. The certain places, namely, Devgad light house and fort, newlineVijaydurg sea fort, Vimaleshwar, Dirbadevi, Gajaba Devi, Bhagvati and Kunkeshwar temple are major in study region.