Seasonal Migration has emerged as a persistent pattern of migration among the rural poor to secure their livelihood. The paper tries to locate the impact of seasonal migration on the livelihood of the migrants using the Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA). The research study is conducted in the three districts of Western Odisha which includes the seasonal migrants who migrate every year to the brick kilns located in Telangana. The study is based on primary data collected through observation, semi-structured interview schedule and case study method. The study indicates that migration has both positive and negative impacts on the rural livelihood. Migration has improved the financial and physical capital; they were able to repay the old debts in the origin. But it has severe repercussions on the social, human and natural capital. Migration led to declining joint family tradition and lower emotional bond with the family and community members. The operations conducted in the brick kilns are major source of air pollution. It has also affected the process of human development negatively, as it affects the health and education of the migrant’s children, health of women and elderly parents. It also leaves no scope for skill development of the migrants as they perform repetitive tasks in the kilns. The seasonal nature of employment is never a permanent solution for alleviating poverty and distress. The registration of labour under Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act (ISMWA) and provision of social security measures for the migrants in the work place can help to reduce the shock and risks associated with migration.
