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the availability of recreational infrastructure in their vicinity since 47% prioritise proximity

to home/work for recreation.

3.2.4 Socio-Cultural Study (Indigenous community radii)

Identifying the compositions, needs, desires and to create an accurate representation of the
people of the local community of Manori village, the socio-cultural study done sug-gests -
Thesis Report V-SPARC VIT
Demographics - With a population totaling 12,161 residents, Manori is characterized by its
close-knit community. The indigenous population comprises the Panchkalshi or Somvanshi

Kshatriya Pathare (SKP), the East Indian community and Kolis. Approxi-mately 66% of the

male residents are engaged in fishing activities, while 65% of the population identifies as
Christian Kolis. It is noteworthy that Christian Kolis, who are originally an agriculturist

caste from Gujarat, India, follow or worship both Hindu dei-ties and the Christian God.
The low density of population in the immediate surrounding of the selected area of study

suggests the potential for organic expansion of the urban settlement into the re-gion. It also

suggests the potential differences in lifestyle and social characteristics of the indigenous
community and the ever-growing urban population.

Age Groups - The surveyed families' individuals have been classified into five age groups.
The breakdown of age distribution across these groups reveals that 31.53% fall into the

18-34 years age bracket, making it the largest potentially productive segment. This is

followed by 16.68% in the 35-44 years age group. Additionally, 28.15% of the total
individuals are under 18 years old, constituting the dependent population. Further-more,

16.19% belong to the 45-59 years age range, while 7.45% are aged 60 years and above. [39]
The existence of a large younger working population suggests the potential for

com-munity-based tourism. Community engagement and empowerment strategies will
require the local population in this demographic of the population to believe and involve in

sustainable tourism planning initiatives.

Education - Among the total surveyed population, approximately 19.23% have received

education up to the primary level, while 50.75% have attained education up to the secondary
level. Furthermore, 12.90% have completed their education up to the Higher Secondary

level. Additionally, 13.42% of individuals have obtained a bachelor's degree, while 3.7%

have pursued technical education.[39]

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