narratives of transformantion
growth and change of the cluster over the years
Over the years, Pangna has grown from a settlement comprising a few hundred houses to around 3000 now. Many of the traditional occupations are dwindling. Younger people do not prefer to stay in the village due to a lack of opportunities. Most migrate out for higher education and jobs.
Initially all the houses in Pangna were all built in wood and slate as the material was readily available. The relationship between the people of the village and the houses is almost symbiotic as the people are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the forest in case of forest fires and as a reward they are sanctioned wood from these trees to build their houses. In recent times, after the ruling party has changed, the sanctions have remained in the hands of the old ruling party. As a result the people of Pangna have to grease a few palms to acquire the wood.
This along with the status that accompanies having a ‘pakka makan’ have created a void in the market for raw materials. A void that is being filled by RCC construction. Even though RCC construction is not preferred in many ways due to its lack of thermal properties, the people of Pangna are forced to use it to build their houses. After about 20 years of this change taking place, now that there is a generation that's lived their entire lives in an RCC construction in Pangna, they have come to realise that it is not the correct material for this climate. Although the RCC house also has some aspirational value as it is seen as ‘pukka’ and a family who is able to construct it is seen as upwardly mobile.
