(PDF) Resource Utilization Pattern and D

Journal of Mountain Science Vol 1 No 2 (20 http:/ / www.im de.ac.cn/ journal Re s o u rce U tilizatio n Patte rn an d --A Cas e fo r th e Pin d ar Bas in o f Vis h w am bh ar Pras ad Sati Assistant Professor from Departm en E-m ail:vishw am bhars@y ahoo.co.uk Abs tract: Agrarian system is well adapted in Him alayan eco-system . H ence, the people have adopted the traditional subsistence cereal farm ing and it becom es the m ain stay of Him alayan people. About 8 0 percent of the workable force is attached with agriculture and its allied practices, according to the census of 1991. Although, horticultural farm ing runs parallel with agriculture, its proportion in term s of land is quite less, resulted in a negligible place in the econom y of the region. Hum an resources, m ainly m en are attached with national security after recruitm ent in Arm y. While, wom en play a vital and integrated role in m aintaining the workable potential in the field of agriculture an d are known as backbone of econom y. An anim al resource im plies wider part in agricultural system and econom y as well. Water resources are unutilized yet, while alm ost all the m ajor rivers of our country are originated from and flowing through this region. Increasing population causes forest resources depletion. The econom y of the region is rested either cereal farm ing’ or ‘m oney order based’ developm ent, which could not take place due to its rem oteness from the m ain stream s of the country. The im pact of m odern technology with innovation in agricultural system rem ains im practicable due to unwillingness of people in one hand and on the other hand, adverse geographical conditions like topography, clim ate etc. which could not perm it the uses of m odern innovation in the field of agriculture. As for infra-structurally,this Re ce ive d : 15 October 20 0 3 Acce p te d : 30 March 20 0 4 Vishwambhar Prasad Sati world. The vital cultural and ecological im portance of these m ountain waters further enhances their sign ificance in satisfyin g the needs of all living creatures. Of som ewhat less ecological significance, but nonetheless of great econom ic im portance, are the uses of the m ountains for forestry, agro- horticulture, m ineral extraction, livestock rearin g, tourism and recreation. The Pindar Basin , constituting the m ajor part of the Alaknanda Basin in the Garhwal Him alaya, is the m ost ecologically fragile zone. The series of landslides, which washed away thousands tones of soil per year, greatly reduce soil fertility. Thus, the whole basin is an area prone to landslides. Every year, one or m ore landslides occur. The basin can be divided into three-physiographic zon es according to their elevation. The high m ountains are the upper zone, which is always covered by snow, and are the m ajor sources of rivers, like Pindar, Kail, and its tributaries. Alpin and sm all patches of field terraces characterize second zone, where m ost herbs in the high altitude are grown and are practiced quite extensively. zone is called ‘Danda’ (Sati 1993a) (highly elevated areas). Besides these two practices, horticulture is slowly but steady being practiced throughout the basin . Even som e quality fruits are grown there. In the low-lyin g area, which is the third physiographic zone, traditional subsistence cereal farm ing is being practiced extensively. But the production of the crops is very low. This zone is called ‘Gangar’ (Sati 1993b) (low-lying river valleys). The topography of the basin prevents developm ental process and optim um utilization resources. Besides, the m ain valley tracks, from Karanprayag to Gwaldom and Mundoli, the entire basin is lagged behind, in term s of transportation facilities. In spite of these huge im pedim ents, there are m any fertile patches for agriculture, horticulture, herbs culture, potato production and various other grain productions. Pulses and oilseeds are intensively and extensively grown there. Only, a trend for sustainable developm ent of these huge resources is required. The present study discusses the resources available in the region and presents the analyses of the econom ic status of the region. 1 Stu d y Are a 156 o f Gh a is h - Bla n , Ku r er - Kwa r Sh u bhtal J haltall have th e progressive position . Th e ca sh cr op s ar e t a kin g t h e p lace of cer eal farm in g. Con sequently, the econom ic level of the p op u lace is u n d ou bt ed ly bein g d evelop ed . Th e utilization patterns of resources vary from place to place, based on infra-structural facilities, particularly transportation and extension services. The undeveloped agricultural practices are to the rem oteness of the villages from the m ain stream . Settlem ents are sparsely distributed. However, the highest population is found in the m iddle altitude. In the high and low altitude, population is very low, because in high zone the tem perature is very low and in areas the land for settlem ent and agricultural practices is less. The study is conducted the following m anners. 3 .1 W ate r re s o u rce s The Pindar River is the m ain drainage system and the biggest river in the region. There are m any other tributaries of the Pindar River. The m ain tributaries are Kail Ganga, Pranm ati Gad, Mein g Gadhera, Kewar Gadhera, Chopta Gad and Ata Gad. Besides these, there are so m any sm all stream s and natural springs. But due to uneven and rugged topography, water crises prevail in most villages in sum m er and winter. Since the villages are located on the hill patches, water cannot be utilized effectively. Along the Pindar River there are m any ideal locations for constructing dam s. The two best locations are close to Bagoli and Sim li. These two sites have already been proposed for dam construction. Much work is already started durin g winder and sum m er, but during the rainy season som e fin ished construction s are swept away by the river. Sm all hydropower stations can be introduced to m itigate the problem s of drinkin g water, electric supply and irrigation . The old practice of water m ills, which is locally known as ‘Gharat system ’ can be reintroduced as a form of floor m ill and electricity generation. Still, there are som e areas where the practices of water m ills are prevailing along m ost of the sm all tributaries. In the water m ills com e to practice only season because during the other seasons water is not enough to m eet the need for runnin Vishwambhar Prasad Sati are m any patches with pine forests. They occur from Bagoli to the valley of Pindar along the both sides of its tributaries, such as the Kaver gadhera, Mien g gadhera and Pranm ati gad (gad m eans sm all stream ). The present distribution trend of pine trees is that they are invading the flora of upper regim e. Pine trees invaded m ost of the oak dom inated areas and environm entalists advocate that this process is being existed due to increasing tem perature . --Tem perate region (between 160 0 m and 20 0 0 m ). This region consists of Love-Kush hills, Kanpur Garhi, Kan khrakhet, Shubhtal, Chhaltal, Kurur Kwarad, Sol- Dun gri and watersheds of Pindar and Ram ganga. The region is very rich in soft wood plants, which are very useful for m any purposes. Main trees found in this area are oak, Kharsu (Quercus sem icarpifolia), Tilonj (Dilitata), Rian j (Lanuginose), Devadar (Cedrus deogra) and Banj (Avena sativa). This region is inaccessible. Thus, the woods are not utilized . --High elevation region (from 20 0 0 m to snow line). This region is accoun ted for herbs. Extensive natural fields of herbs are found there. They are locally called Kharak or Bugyal. The m ain bugyals (alpin e m eadows) are Khan khrakhet, Bedni bugyal, Roopkund, Shail Sam under etc.. Bedn i bugyal and Roopkund are world fam ous spots and they can be developed as the tourist places. Different herbs are found in these alpine m eadows . Forest based sm all industries can in these areas, particularly, where these forests are found. The forests are not properly used by the sm all-scale industries, while every year thousand tones of tim ber is used in form of fuel-wool and building m aterials, as well as for fodder need . 3 .3 Agricu ltu ral re s o u rce s Subsistence agriculture is the m ain reason for the people in habitin g in the Pindar Basin. Most of the workable force is en gaged in the agriculture and its allied practices. But this practice does not provide enough food for the local people. Therefore, the people of the region have to m igrate to the other parts of India. The production and productivity of the crops are very low. Cost benefit analysis reveals that the output by the production is low, even below the level of in put. 158 Ta ble 1 Areas planted with different crops Crops Karanprayag % Rice 2238 47.7 Wheat 2778 51.7 Barley 166 3.0 Lens culinaris 7 0 .1 Pea - - Caganus cajan 9 0 .2 Pulses 24 0 .4 Oilseeds 14 0 .3 Potato 130 2.4 Source: District Statistical Diary of Cham Ta ble 2 Land use pattern in the Pindar Forest Pasture Block land land Karanprayag 52.2 3.3 Gairsain 74.0 2.4 Narain Bagar 67.2 8.9 Tharali 25.2 0 .5 Deval 80 .8 1.6 Sources: District Statistical Hand book Basin is typical of and underdeveloped agricultural econom y. H ere, nearly 90 % of the total cropped area is devoted to subsisten ce food crops m ainly for dom estic consum ption and local m arket. Com m ercial or cash crops occupy a very negligible portion of the cropped area. Due to spatial differences in the agronom ic, econom ic, and cultural conditions, variations in the cropping pattern in the region can be seen , but on the whole these variations are of very little significance. Rice and wheat dom inate the agricultural realm in the whole region, obviatin g the culture of other crops. The influence of the m onsoon on the cropping pattern is very dom inant, with the result that about 70 .75 % of the total cropped area are under Kharif or rainy season crops. In the entire region, dom inance of food grain in the cropping pattern is obvious everywhere. A case study in a ran ge of five villages has been done for interpretation of the cropping pattern . These villages are located alm ost in the center of the basin. Agriculture is the m ain occupation of the villagers. Of the total population , 49% people are engaged with agriculture and its allied practices, m ostly in subsistence agriculture. The m ethod of agriculture is traditional. Vishwambhar Prasad Sati Ta ble 3 The cropping pattern in 20 0 0 Sar (in Ha) Sowing and harvesting Crops 45.6 period First Sar Sowing Crop nam es (Mally Period Sar) Millets 23.1 Sorghum 3.5 bulgare Black pulse 8.0 J une-J uly Soyabean 7.4 Caganus 0 .5 Cajan Red gram 0 .1 Bhatt (sm all form of 1.0 soyabean Am aranthus 0 .5 Potato 1.5 Second Sar Crop (Tally Sar) Novem ber- Wheat 39.2 Decem ber Barley 8.4 Oil seeds 8.8 Total 56.4 Source: Prim ary data collected by the author Table 4 depicts the cropping pattern of 20 0 1 under the two seasons. The m ain difference between the cropping pattern of 20 0 0 and 20 0 1 is that the sim ilar kinds of crops are sifted from on e Sar to another during the sam e seasons. The croppin g pattern of this village is system atically characterized by m ixed cropping. The crop rotation , which is locally known as “Sar System ”, has been givin g good yield of crops. Within a year, the land is fallowed for six m onths. The croppin g pattern of this village represents the entire Uttranchal state except the plains of Dun, Dwar, and Tarai and Bhaber regions, where the widely cultivated land is extended and the cropping capacity, intensity of crops, crops production and yields per ha of crops are very high. 4 .2 H o rticu ltu re , h e rbicu ltu ral, an d te a p lan tatio n p ractice s 160 Ta ble 4 Cropping pattern of 20 0 1 Crops Sar Period of sowing and (Area in harvesting Ha) 41.6 Crop nam es First Sar Sowing Harvesting (Mally period period Sar) Rice 32.8 March Septem ber Millets 3.4 April October Rice and 5.4 m illets Crop Second Sar (Tally Sar) Millets 29.0 J une- October- J uly Sorghum 7.5 bulgare Black pulses 5.2 Glycine m ax 5.1 Caganus 2.7 Cajan Red gram 4.1 Sm all C 0 .3 Glycine m ax Am aranthus 0 .5 Potato 2.0 Source: Surveyed by author Basin , there are m ore than five suitable areas, including Gwaldom -Lolti, which is still in existence, Shuvtal-Chhaltal, Ben i tal, Kalim ati-J an glechatti, Khakharakhet-Kan purgarhi, and others, which are located on very gentle slops at m iddle elevation. These practices can help to boost the econom y of the entire basin. Sim ilarly, they can check the problem s of en viron m ental hazards, because this region is landslide prone. 4 .3 Cattle farm in g Raising livestock is an integral com ponent of m ountain farm in g system s. In the m ixed crop- livestock farm ing system , there is a dynam ic relationship am ong com m on property resources, livestock and crops. Livestock depend, to a certain extent, on fodder and grass grown on the com m unity land as well as on crop residue. At the sam e tim e, the an im als provide m anure, and m uch needed draught power. Livestock are thus integral to the sustainability of hills and m ountain farm ing. Dairy farm ing is an integral part of m ountain agriculture. In the Uttaranchal State of India, sm all Vishwambhar Prasad Sati in creased accordin g to increase in the elevation . The m ilk obtain ed from buffaloes is m uch m ore than that from cows. Sim ilarly, altitude an d oak fodder play a vital role in the production of m ilk. Table 5 shows that m ilk production increases with the increasing of altitude. The fodder requirem ent is largely satisfied in the high altitude. Forests can p r o vid e m o st fo d d er b eca u se Ta ble 5 Milk yield and fodder requirem Nam e of village Accessibility (elevation) from road Prethi (1654) 5 km Ali (120 0 ) ½ km Kim oli (190 5) 10 km Source: Collected by Author of the nation. The clim atic conditions are very feasible for production of m ilk and rearin g of high variety anim als in the entire basin. At least in the accessible areas, which are connected by the roads, m ay be used for introducing hybridized anim als. This process will boost up the econom y of the villages. Ta ble 6 Anim al/ household ratios and elevation Village Elevation Accessibility name 10 km from Wan 210 0 m m ain road Prethi 160 0 m 5 km from road 67 Meing On the road 10 10 m Gadhera head Table 6 denotes that the village that is located at the high altitude has high anim al/ household ratio (4), and even its goats and sheep are m uch m ore than those of the villages at relatively low altitude. Contrary, the villages at low altitude have m ore cows and buffaloes, while their anim al/ household ratio is low (1.4 and 1 respectively). Prim itive agriculture is the m ain occupation of the Him alayan people. Therefore, their econom y depends on agriculture and its allied practices. The m otivation of governm ents and non-govern organizations, and application of m odern technology in the fields of agriculture Basin did not turn an appreciable m ode of 162 Tourism has a vast scope in the entire basin. There are m any places of tourist interests. Roopkund, which is known as an untold m ystery, Bedani Bugyal, Gwaldom and Karanprayag are the m ajor sites for tourism an d its developm ent. The rich cultural heritages in form s of fairs, festivals and custom s can help for the developm ent of tourism . The presence of the Great Him alayan Range and its peaks exhibit the potential for tourism . 4 .5 Eco lo gy an d e n viro n m e n t The Pindar Basin consists of very high m ountains and deep valleys. Throughout the region, farm ers have attem pted to squeeze out a livin g from the rugged lands not suited for crop production, but have only ruined the entire landscape in the process, creating hazards, such as floods and sedim entation in the areas down below. These steep m ountainous areas are easy for erosion takin g place. Besides, m an y natural hazards, such as avalanches, landslides and landslips are fairly com m on. High intensity run off through base land surface would usually not perm it any trace of soil rem ainin g on these hills. However, there are few patches, which m ake the slopes sufficiently stable to allow som e kinds of land use. Poor im pact of raindrops coerces skeletal soil and fast vegetation recovery is on e of the con ditions that favour soil protection. The pressure of population growth, except in the areas where soil is easily workable, is too little. Work on land is restricted to hand digging. Holdings are sm all and usually they are found around the habitation. Poor accessibility of the area would not provide any m ajor technological changes in the near future. On the basis of these assum ptions, it m ay not be necessary to thin k of m ajor land use changes. The strategy for watershed control would m ostly confine to im provin g practices within m ajor land use regions. The survey should therefore be carried out at the areas whose potential has not been fully utilized. For exam ple, if a m arginal land is suitable for agriculture, it should ecologically be treated through reducin g its pressure of overgrazing an d developin g plantation agriculture on it. Ecological problem s of environm ental degradation consequently result in low productivity Vishwambhar Prasad Sati the fields. Because of their long roots, the plants protect the soil erosion. The term ‘Gangarh’ points to the low-lying areas below 120 0 m and is characterized by the low rainfall and a dry hot zon e. Irrigation is essential for high production and productivity in these zon es. The m ain m eans of irrigation are canals and lift irrigation schem es. The zone is m ore productive than the Danda zone. The m ain crops are rice, wheat, barley, pea, lens culinaris and gram . The land resources of the valley like forests, water, m ineral, soil and physical landform s have been deteriorated frequently due to excessive erosion and frequent occurrence of m ass wastin g which results from deforestation, overgrazin g, over lopping, over fallowin g, over ploughing, unscientific m inin g and quarrying, over blastin g for construction of highways and high dam s, and the neglect of the conservation m easures. The over lopping is generally taken into illegal practices by the grazers in the whole Garhwal (Saxena 1988). The heterogeneity in clim ate and high anom alies in the landform s m ake a critical variation in the potentiality and capability of crops. Owin g to the inaccessibility of the villages, due to lack of m eans of transportation, the use of fertilizers and insecticides are negligible. The traditional m ethods of ploughing and sm all size of fields lead to the low yields. 5 Co n clu s io n What appears to be lackin g in the approaches to developm ent planning in the Pindar Basin is integration between aspects of environm ent and econom ic developm ent on one hand, and between developm ent of infrastructure and econom ic activities and am ong different activities on the other. Such an integrated approach is feasible only if it is based on area-level planning, and decentralized im plem entation of plans m ade at the central and state levels has so far proved to be inadequate. No doubt, certain environm ental aspects need to be centrally regulated, but developm ent plans need to be prepared and im plem ented at the decentralized area level within rationally and clearly defined regulations and guidelin es in the context of the use of environm entally sensitive resources. This alon e can ensure that the developm ent patterns of are based on its specific resource endowm 164 Re fe re n ce s Sati V. P., 1993. Cropping Pattern in the Garhwal Him alaya, National Geographer, 2 8 (1): 31-37. Sati V. P. 1993. Problem s of Agricultural Ecology and their Managem ent in the Pindar Basin, National Geographer 2 8 (2): 143-148. Saxena P. B. 1988. A Modern Approach in the Evaluation of Soils and Land-Form 0 4): 155~165 Article ID: 1672-6316 (20 0 4) 0 2-0 155-11 D e ve lo p m e n t in H ills Garh w al H im alaya, In d ia t of Geography Govt. P. G. College Shivpuri- 473-551 MP-India region is lacked behind, due to its inaccessibility. While, this region is bestowed with num erous rivers, m any places for tourists and pilgrim s, an d huge forest resources. They m ight be used evenly in the developm ent processes. The practice of tourism will help for the further developm ent, particularly, in the wake of the newly born state, Uttaranchal. The present paper aim s to evaluate the presen t potentiality of resources and their balanced utilization in the Pindar Basin . A precise study has been done on resource utilization, ecology and en vironm ent with keeping view in m in d that m ore or less exploitation of resources could not influen ce the environm ent and the econom y of the region. forem ost and Ke yw o rd s : Agrarian system ; Him alayan eco-system ; cereal farm ing; ecologically fragile zones; m oney order based, resource utilization; alpine m eadows; sustainable developm ent; ecology and environm ent on ‘traditional In tro d u ctio n The m anagem ent of natural resources in the m ountain environm ents has em erged as one of the m ost sign ificant challenges to hum an understanding and organizational ability in this century. Although the m ountains and uplands constitute about 20 percent of the surface of the earth, it is difficult to find an area not affected by their environ m ental characteristics. The upper parts of the m ountains are always covered by snow and they are the sources of m ajor rivers in the 155 The Pindar Basin, coverin g an area of 1826.0 km 2 , extends from 30 °N to 18°N latitude and 79° 13’ to 80 ° E longitude. It consists of the eastern part of Garhwal Him alaya with an altitude ranging from 80 0 m to 680 0 m . The River Pinder originates from the ‘Pindari Glacier’ in district Alm ora (32 km ), flows for approxim ate 10 0 km with num erous tributaries, and con fluences into the Alaknanda River at Karanprayag in Cham oli District (68km ). The watersheds of Ram ganga in the south, the Saryu in the east, Mandakin i in the north and Alaknanda in the northwest, delim it the study region and giving it a distinct socio-geographical identity. This basin consists of four com m un ities’ developm ental blocks of the Cham oli District, that is, Karan prayag, Narain bagar, Tharali and Deval; and a part of Kapkot com m unity developm ent block of the Alm ora district in ascendin g order from lower to higher altitude. e m eadows the 2 Me th o d o lo gy This The present study is based on prim ary and secondary data collected through questionnaire and schedules, and from various sources, respectively. District statistical handbooks of District Cham oli and Alm ora are also used. Tables are prepared on cropping pattern during the different seasons through case studies of the villages of the basin. the 3 U tilizatio n Patte rn s o f Re s o u rce s of T h e P i n d a r Ba s i n i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y heterogeneity in term s of landscape, resources and th eir u tilization pattern s. Righ t from th e valley region to the h ighly elevated duelin g zon es, the clim a t ic co n d it io n s r egu la t e t h e a ll t yp es o f u t ilizat ion p at t er n s. Wh ile t h e valley r egion is considered for developing service centers and the wid e p a t ch e s o f t h e c u lt iva t e d fie ld s a r e characterized by growin g cereal crops, the m iddle an d u p p er belt s ar e kn own for gr owin g cr op s, vegetables, fru its, her bs, rearin g livestock, goats and sheep, and m anufacturing wooden , Ringal (a sm all form of bam boo) an d bam boo goods. Th e production of potato, apple and citrus fruits, m ilk and m ilk m ade goods has been gainin g im pressive m ark since the1990 ’s. In this regard, som e patches Journal of Mountain Science Vol 1 No 2 (2004) a d , So l- Du n gr i, After a survey m ade by the author, it was found that m ore than 20 0 water m ills are still in practice in the entire basin. Since the water m ills are traditionally operated, they need to be im proved. The courses of the rivers are diversified with waterfalls, V shaped valleys and gorges. The wide and stretched valleys alon g the stream s constitute fertile land. also due 3 .2 Fo re s t re s o u rce s the The Pindar Basin is very rich in forests and altitudinal species diversity. Right from the valley region to low-lyin g the alpine m eadows, locally known as Kharak or Bugyal, plants are found abundant and diversified. based on In the places at m iddle elevation, pine trees (Chir) are found, while in the upper reaches, tem perate coniferous forests m ainly consisting of Banj (Avena sativa), Tilonj (Dilitata), and Devadar (Cedrus deogra), are found in large areas. Except these forest types, m any other fodder plants also grow around the agricultural fields. Oak is a predom inant plant of the m oist tem perate forest growing in the region at higher elevation in the basin . Kharsu (Quercus sem icarpifolia), Tilonj (Dilitata), Rianj (Lanuginose) and Banj (Avena sativa) are the four m ain species, having a traditional edge over the other species in this region . Of the four species, Ban j (Avena sativa), a very good fodder and ideal fuel plant, is very im portant and useful to the local people in m ountains. This plant grows from 1676 m with Rhododendron trees and up to 2286 m with the other species of the sam e genus. The oak forest in the Pindar Basin appears to be thriving due to the im posing presence of pin e trees. A note in The Hindustan Tim es by H T correspondence, ‘Will oak (Avena sativa) disappear from Nainital’ is a real story in the hills of Uttaranchal (Saxena 1988 ). According to the altitude and forest types the basin can be divided into the following zones. --Low river valley (below 10 0 0 m ). Along the Pindar River valley, right from Karan prayag to Tharali, forestation is now carried out by the Departm ent of Forestry in this region to avoid landslides. The plants for forestation include som e areas, eucalyptus, poplar and bamboo. during rainy --Middle altitude region (between 10 0 0 m and 160 0 m ). Pine trees are extensively found. There g the m ills. 157 Cereal crops are dom inant in the croppin g pattern . The production of fruits is increasing, but the land devoted to fruit plantation is very less. The clim atic conditions for fruit production are congen ial. There are two fruit belts, an d they are Kalim ati- J anlechatti and Gwaldom - Lolti. Many other sm all fruit belts are also foun d there, which can be developed for intensive fruit production. Table 1 reveals that the m ajor crops grown in the entire basin are cereals, oilseeds and pulses. Now, the production of potato is being increased. There are ideal conditions for production of cash crops like potato, pulses, oilseeds and different types of vegetables, and they can be grown extensively. Though rice and wheat are leading crops of the region (m ore than 80 % of cropped land), their yields are very low owin g to som e factors (traditional ways and old m ethods of ploughing and harvestin g). The harvestin g period of rice is variable accordin g to different elevations, but the ploughing period is the sam e everywhere. In the Gan garh, the rice harvestin g begins one m onth earlier than that in the ‘Danda’. The ploughing is done in March and April both in Gangarh and Danda, however the harvestin g is carried out in early Septem ber in Gangarh and in October in Danda. kinds of 4 Land Use Pattern in the Pindar Basin be developed Land is one of the m ost im portant com pon ents of ecosystem and it constitutes the m ain part of econom y of the Him alayan region. Land use pattern is varied according to relief and slope factors. The following table reveals the land use pattern in the Pindar Basin. Table 2 reveals that forest covers the highest percentage of the total area followed by agriculture. The percentage varies from one block to another. There are two cropping seasons, Rabi (winter) and Kharif (rainy). In the winters, wheat, oilseeds, barley, Lens culinaris etc. are grown , while in the rainy season , rice, and m illets are cultivated, along with pulses and vegetables. 4 .1 Cro p p in g p atte rn agricultural The overall cropping pattern of the Pindar Journal of Mountain Science Vol 1 No 2 (2004) in the Pindar Basin Block (area in ha.) Narain Bagar % Tharali % Deval % 1632 43.72 1594 61.2 570 34.3 1733 46.4 780 29.9 777 46.8 190 5.1 61 2.3 62 3.7 10 0 .3 6 0 .2 5 0 .3 4 0 .1 4 0 .2 - - 15 0 .4 6 0 .2 6 0 .3 73 1.9 58 2.2 17 1.0 31 0 .8 30 1.2 12 0 .7 45 1.2 67 2.7 211 12.7 oli District Basin (Percentage of geographical area) Agricultural land Horticultural land Cultivated land 28.4 8.5 0 .7 12.6 6.9 2.9 18.5 7.1 0 .3 4.8 0 .2 0 .4 5.7 6.5 1.4 of Cham oli Agricultural im plem ents are m ainly m ade of wood and oxen plough the fields. The seeds are sown using spray m ethod. The m ain crops are rice, wheat, pulses, m illets, and som e vegetables, such as potato, pum pkin, beans, onion , tom ato and cucum ber. The production of potato has been recently increasin g. The people are self-reliant for their food grain needs. Agriculture totally depends on rainfall, because of inadequate facilities of irrigation . Table 3 indicates the cropping pattern in 20 0 0 under Rabi (winter) and Kharif (sum m er) crops. Table 3 represents cropping pattern of 20 0 0 under winter and rainy seasons. Under the cropping pattern, the total agricultural land is divided into two parts: Tally and Mally Sar, which are called ‘Sar System ’. From March-April to Septem ber-October, the Kharif crops are grown in Tally Sar. Millets are grown in Mally Sar in the sam e period under the Kharif season. Sim ilarly, during the year 20 0 1 Kharif crops are grown in Mally Sar and Millets are grown in Tally Sar in the sam e period under Kharif season.Rabi crops are grown during the winter from Nov-Dec to May- J une. In 20 0 0 , it was sown in Tally Sar while, in 20 0 1, it was sown in Mally Sar. 159 under Rabi (winter) and Kharif (rainy) crops (Village Kaub ) Sar (in Sowing and harvesting Crops ha) 56.4 period Harvesting Crop Second Sowing Harvesting Period nam es Sar Period Period Rice 15.0 3 March Septem ber Millets 10 .7 April Septem ber October - Rice and 30 .7 Novem ber m illets Land near and around the settlem ent May-J une Maize 4.7 J une Septem ber Different types of vegetables 5.3 in rainy season 10 .0 The entire region is suitable for growin g fruits, vegetables, herbs and tea. The production of fruits is lim ited only on the som e patches of Gwaldom - Tharali, Khun-Kothali and Kalim ati-J angle Chatti, while the clim atic conditions are sim ilar in the basin . Am on g the fruits, apple, orange, nut and pear are grown widely, but their quality and quantity are very low. They are produced and utilized locally. Herbs grow naturally in m eadows, which are locally known as ‘Kharaks’. The m ain areas where herbs are found extensively are Khan kharakhet, Bedani Bugyal, Kan pur Garhi, Beni Tal, Shuvtal and J hal tal. These herbs are locally utilized for m edicinal purposes and have the positive results. Sim ultaneously, tea plantation is centuries old, but it is now reducing fast. Following the creation of Uttranchal state, the govern m ent has launched the schem e for establishing tea gardens in different ar eas su itable for tea plan tation . In th e Pin d ar Journal of Mountain Science Vol 1 No 2 (2004) under the two seasons Crops Sar (Area Period of sowing and in Ha) harvesting 45.8 Crop First Sar Sowing Harvesting nam es (Mally period period sar) Wheat 32.6 Novem ber- May-J une Decem ber Oilseed 6.5 Barley Land near and around settlem ents Maize 5.2 May October Novem ber Vegetables 3.8 9.0 holders who m ake up the overwhelm ing m ajority, have evolved two m ajor system s of livestock m anagem ent in m ixed crop livestock farm ing system : sedentary and m igratory. Cattle and buffaloes are the only dairying species throughout the basin. Use of goats and sheep as dairy anim als is extrem ely rare. The production of cattle over the last three decades has decreased or rem ain ed stagnant, while that of buffaloes has recorded a rem arkable increase. Cattle m ake up about 49% and buffaloes 51% of the 61,40 4 dairy an im als in the Pindar Basin . The num ber of dairy an im als in the Uttaranchal State is 1,10 0 ,839. Of them , 52% are cattle, while buffaloes are 48%. All the buffaloes in the region are indigenous. This m ilch an im al is largely a hybrid of im proved type Murrah and Bhadwari. The overall average com position of indigenous cattle is 99.2%. The following table shows the m ilk production and fodder requirem ent per day in three villages at different altitudes, but sim ilar longitude. Table 5 denotes that the m ilk production and fodder requirem en t per day in the Pin dar Basin varies from one place to another accordin g to the d iffer en t elevat ion s. Th e p r od u ct ion of m ilk is 161 gr asslan d an d for estlan d in or su r r ou n din g th e villages. The excessive dependency on the forest for fodder an d fuel th reaten s the en viron m en t. The gr owth r ate of plan ts, com par ed with ever yd ay exploitation , is very low. About 32- quintal fodder is bein g utilized per day in the three villages as Table 5 reflects. Even though, the production of t h er e a r e la r ge m ilk is n ot d esirable as it is in t h e ot h er part ent per day in the Pindar Basin Milk yield by Milk yield by Fodder used Crop residue cow buffalo oak/ others (whole year) (indigenous) (indigenous) (Wint./ Sum m ) 50 kg 150 kg 60 0 / 70 0 kg 40 0 kg 20 kg 25 kg Nil / 20 0 kg 40 0 kg 80 kg 30 0 kg 80 0 / 90 0 kg 30 0 kg A com parative case study of the three villages in the different altitudes and with varied accessibility from the road has been carried out by the present author. The following table shows som e aspects of anim al rearing and its econom ic sign ificance: of the villages Anim al/ Cows Buffaloes Sheep Goats Oxen Households household ratio 21 4 Animals/ 62 35 135 10 6 10 4 pairs household 1.4 16 65 nil nil 10 5 Anim al/ pairs household 32 1 Anim al/ 116 67 nil nil 234 pairs household developm ent due to the rem oteness, poor transportation, rugged m ountains and unwillin gness of the people towards developm ent. The natural resources are still unexploited. The problem s of soil erosion and landslides are the m ajor issue to be solved at the right tim e. This basin is known for rapid landslides throughout their courses. Consequently, every year, thousand tones of soil are eroded by the river and m any lives are lost at the sam e tim e. m ental 4 .4 To u ris m in the Pindar Journal of Mountain Science Vol 1 No 2 (2004) in the Pindar Basin . Natural hazards, such as cloud burstin g, soil erosion (m ainly in rainy season ) and unrationalized hum an interferences (like unscientific quarryin g and blastin g for road and dam construction, over grazing, over lopping, over fallowing, over ploughin g and dam deforestation) consequently lead to low fertility of soil, and low production and productivity of land. Generally, landslides in the valley occur due to certain geological, clim atic and biotic factors. The Pindar River is perennial. During the winter, the river flows far below the danger m ark, and in sum m er m ostly at the average level and som etim es above the level due to the snow m eltin g in the Him alayan ran ges, but during the rainy season, it flows above danger m ark. A heavy rainfall occurred in the valley on 20 th J uly 1970 . Two steep slopes slides took place and blocked the water of the river for m ore than 15 m inutes, and afterwards flood occurred and caused heavy casualties and great dam ages in the lower areas of the valley. The Alaknanda River was influenced by the flood and even the low-lying areas of Srinagar town were silted. During the blockade people m ade a good collection of fishes. Beside this, there were series of landslides taking place durin g the different rainy seasons. The cloud burst of 1972 in Paithani, natural calam ity of Shilodi in 18 89, calam ity of Bainoly, cloud burst of Gadin i Gar in 1992 and cloud burst of Musudiar in 1993 were am ong the other natural calam ities that took place in the course of the Pindar River. A landm ark anom aly is found in the basin . The basin is m ainly divided into two clim atic zones, nam ely, ‘Danda’ a highly m ountainous zone and ‘Gangar’ a low-lying area of the valley. The word ‘Danda’ is characterized by highly precipitous zone, predom inant with hum idity in the atm osphere, which is useful in healthy production of crops without irrigation. The effect of drought of 1987-88 was negligible in this zone (Danda). The corps, which are grown in this zone at high elevation (m ore than 150 0 m ) are m ostly cash crops like am aranthus, potato, soyabean , beans, red gram and caganus cajam , and rice, wheat, barley, m illets, sorghum bulgare, corn and various types of pulses grown in the places between 120 0 -150 0 m . Am ong the m illets, sorghum bulgare and m illets, and am ong pulses, caganus cajam and legum inous are sown on the steep slopes and between the ridges of 163 relative advantages, and are sustainable both econom ically and ecologically. The rough, rugged and uneven landscape, assign of low fertility and low yields of crops, has caused a low livin g standard of people who depend directly or indirectly on agriculture. This is the fate of the area, which is unable to satisfy the needs of people and even to have just a square m eal. Hardly, one third of the annual need is m et by the local agricultural production . Obviously, the inaccessibility of the region, out dated m odes of cultivation, near-total absence of fertilizers and insecticides, and new seeds account for the low yield of crops. There is a redeem ing feature too. There is a rich fertile lin ear belt on both sides of the river from Gwaldom to Karanprayag covering m ore than 95% cultivated land. Easy accessibility, use of fertilizers and insecticides, HYV seeds and sufficient irrigational facilities would definitely raise the production in these river terraces m any tim es higher than any where else in the basin. For the poor Danda (highly elevated regions) the legendary term “Ukharh (dry land) still reflects the poor cultivation. The ‘Gangarhs’ (valley regions) are fortunate enough to have enough patches of ‘Talouns’ (irrigated land), which provide a scope for experim ental farm in g. However, the developm ental agencies have yet to venture into such experim ents in the area. To protect the valley from the geographical hazards following preventive m easures should be introduced: ---High power explosives should not be used for road construction . ---Underground drainage system should be adopted for sm all channels and stream lets . ---To protect roads from erosion , high em bankm ents enforced with iron concrete should be constructed . ---Large-scale deforestation, over lopping, over grazing, and bare fallowing should be checked . ---Unscientific farm ing on the valley slopes should also be prevented . ---Afforestation and fruit cultivation should be encouraged on the valley sides and spurs . - - - Th e s o il a n d w a t e r lo s s ca u s e d b y gu lly form ation and fast flow of seasonal and peren nial rivers m ust be checked and conserved by scientific m easures . the region ents and Journal of Mountain Science Vol 1 No 2 (2004) Hill Environm ent of Use Planning in Himalayan Eco-System of the Alaknanda Basin (Garhwal Him alaya). Delhi, Concept Publishing Com pany 38. The Hindustan Tim es 20 0 0 . Daily News November 12. New Delhi. Geography (A): For -System s of Land 165

(PDF) Resource Utilization Pattern and Development in Hills --A Case for the Pindar Basin of Garhwal Himalaya, India