Chambal Without Ravines

The ravines of Chambal used to provide multiple livelihood options for its poor and marginal farmers. Leveling of land is triggering conflicts and increasing social inequity 

- Padmini Pani

THE CHAMBAL region in central India is one of the most densely populated regions in the country. It has a very complex socio-economic structure, where more than 80 per cent of the population is primarily dependent on agriculture. The region’s major lifeline is the Chambal River, where nearly 4,800 sq km land has been affected by severely dissected ravines. There are no major industries in the region and alternative livelihood options are also very limited. Therefore, the dependency on land is very high.

A new trend has emerged over the past decades—large parts of the Chambal ravines are being leveled. During the last 40 years, around 600 sq km of these degraded ravines, locally known as bihads, have been leveled in the Chambal region. The intensity of land leveling has enormously increased over the past decade.

The ravines are among the most vulnerable regions in the country. Faced with land erosion and gully formation that shrinks their lands, farmers are opting for various coping mechanisms. These include contour bunding, channelling, gully path modifications, changing cropping patterns, and most importantly, land leveling. With increasing availability of heavy machinery, land leveling has expanded phenomenally.