AT A time when dairy farmers across the country are struggling to keep their businesses afloat in the face of steady inflation in fodder prices and severe shortage in fodder availability, animal husbandry continues to be a profitable proposition in the semi-arid region of Rajasthan's Udaipur and Bhilwara districts.
"Till 10 years ago, we too used to struggle for arranging feed for our animals," says 50-year-old Sarsi Bai, from Boojh village in Udaipur district. Though arranging fodder and different forage crops for their livestock has been a way of life for the residents of the semi-arid village, fodder availability had gradually reduced with population growth and fragmentation of landholding. In the 2010s, the situation became so dire that most households had to buy fodder from a private beed (pasture) some 7 km away; price of the fodder depended on the beed owner's will. In 2016, Boojh residents got in touch with the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), a non-profit that works with communities across the country on ecological restoration. This marked a turnaround for not only the households of Boojh, but also several other villages in the region.
"FES researchers told us that we can overcome the fodder crisis by reviving and managing the shamlat or village common land," recalls Deepak Shrimali, a resident. There are three pastures, spanning 45 hectares (ha), which Boojh residents shared with neighbouring villages. Soon, almost all the households in the village came together to set up a "pasture development and management committee", and named it after the local deity Bhujeshwar Mahadev. The committee decided to revive one of the three pastures. FES prepared a revival plan for the 15 ha patch and offered guidance to the committee from time to time.
Denne historien er fra April 16, 2023-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 16, 2023-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
THE CIRCULARITY ARGUMENT
A circular economy can help India achieve its developmental aspirations while following the low-carbon pathway. It will also help address the challenges of waste management, pollution and overexploitation of natural resources. Industries are already innovating to reuse high-volume wastes and have shown that the transition can usher in both environmental and financial windfalls
Banking on flawed drug voluntary licences
The Medicines Patent Pool is pushing for more VLs, but its bad deal with Novartis on a cancer drug shows the pitfalls
Lasting solutions
For the first time, the UN has recognised the role of indigenous communities in tackling aridity. A repository of traditional knowledge India has the wherewithal to lead the way
IMD at 150
India's journey into modern weather forecasting took a decisive turn 150 years ago with the establishment of India Meteorological Department during the British rule. The agency has come a long way since then, shaping the way the country predicts and responds to its diverse climate challenges
Every drop counts
In drought-prone Marathwada region, 14 villages have managed to counter water shortage by budgeting the resource
Threat to survival
Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Assam faces ecological challenges as railway electrification and hydrocarbon exploration endanger its fragile biodiversity
'Migration is going to be a battlefield'
AMITAV GHOSH is one of the foremost chroniclers of our times. His literary sojourn includes writings on topics that range from languages to climate change to human lives. His latest book, Wild Fictions, brings some of his works on these issues under one title. In a conversation with RAJAT GHAI, Ghosh shares his views on the future of human movement. Excerpts:
Face of future
California wildfires confirm forest fires are intensifying in a hotter world, emitting substantial amounts of greenhouse gases and reinforcing global warming
Friends of the forest
Residents of 30 villages in Uttarakhand establish a model for public participation in saving forests from wildfires
Climate-crazy playbook
Just hours after his second (and final) term began on January 20, US President Donald Trump unleashed 46 presidential actions. Several of these are centred on the US' climate commitments, energy transition, migration and trade policies, and are likely to have negative global implications
