The Uttarakhand Tragedy (16th-17th June,2013)

Livelihood enhancement of Disaster Affected People/ Villages through simple science and technological intervention : A case of Kedar Valley,Rudraprayag Distract,Uttarakhand

R.K. Maikhuri and Prof. Annpurna Nautiyal

G.B. Pant Institute for Himalaya Environment & Development, Garhwal Unit, Srinagar Garhwal,

Uttarakhand(An autonomous Institute of Ministry of

Environment ,Forests and Climate Change), Govt. of India

Livelihood of the majority of the population in the upper Kedar valley- pilgrimage tourism based: •Present scenario and overview of the region reveals – a minimum of 10-15 years may take to bring the pilgrimage tourism in its original conditions.

Infrastructural development- Roads, bridges, shelters/houses, etc.

Rehabilitation of the villages' from sliding /sinking zones

Identification of an appropriate and viable livelihood options

Capacity building/skill development and empowerment of disaster affected people particularly women

Development of reconstruction strategies ( short term, medium

term, long term) and intervention for sustainable development.

Key Issues and Concerns

Dependence of local people on pilgrimage tourism in upper Kedar valley for livelihood /employment (before disaster)

S. No. Local people involved in diverse income generating activities

Total number of people employed in each activity

Average net profit earned by per employee (Rs±six month)

1 Lodge/hotel owner 431 469562±175602 Lodge/hotel employee 1082 47370±16453 Restaurant owner 646 255500±113504 Restaurant employee 2334 18522±10685 Shop owner 1215 170500±76206 Horse operator/owner 4800 56450±19357 Palanquin bearer (dandi) 6844 112500±56248 Basket chair (kandi) 1656 116400±52809 Priest 530 82400±264610 Local tour/travel agencies 252 148000±642011 Sweepers* 602 24000±75612. Milk selling 472 40800±142513 Fodder selling 392 19990±82014 Miscellaneous activities** 16500 28600±980

Total 36756 113613±4356***

*People from Bijnor and adjoining area of UP engaged in sanitation and cleaning services, **Fuelwood selling, flower selling, small tea shop, employee in helicopter services etc.*** Net average income of a person engaged in tourism activates

• Lack of proper counseling of affected families/people and short and long term livelihood support

• Inadequate compensation package to families stricken by disaster

• Under-estimation/valuation of resources/ property/land etc.

• Loss of breadwinners, no employment opportunities and livelihood options

• Increased inaccessibility/remoteness due to disaster which limits mobility, leads to marginality and increased the prices of the common commodities

• No appropriate policy so far in place to support affected families for rehabilitation, reconstruction/repair, insurance, loaning, etc.

Causes of frustration/depression among the disaster affected people

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1. Promotion of low cost protected cultivation for seasonal and off-seasonal vegetables and flower cultivation (gladiolus and lilium)

2. Integration of medicinal and aromatic plants cultivation along with horticulture between 2000-2800 m asl.

3. Promotion of fodder resources like Pennisetum purpureum, Desmodium, Pongolla, lollium etc in degraded land/waste land.

4. Rehabilitation/restoration of flooded/damaged rural landscape/ through fast growing and climate resilient MPTs such as Alnus nepalensis, Dalbergia sisso, Albizia lebbeck, Ficus auriculata, Celtis australis, Grewia oppositifolia, Morus serrata etc.

5. Low-cost water harvesting tank technology and spring sanctuary development in water deficit area.

6. Promotion of organic farming through bio & vermicomposting

7. Bioprospecting and value addition of wild resources and medicinal and aromatic plants

8. Promotion of local high altitude bamboo locally called ringal (Thamnocalamus falconeri and T. spathiflorus) based small cottage industries for the preparation of basket/mat/carpet etc.

9. Promotion of community based eco-tourism/nature tourism, home-stay accommodation and eco-tourism products development

Suitable options for sustainable development of disaster affected villages/areas through simple technological interventions

(CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 106, NO. 7, 10 APRIL 2014)

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Rural Technology Centre (RTC) under 2 ha of village common land at Triuginarayan, Rudraprayag-for capacity/skill development

Income Generating

Medicinal plants cultivation Cash crop cultivation Vegetable cultivation Fruit and vegetable

processing Floriculture Nursery development Integrated fish farming Biobriquttee Zero energy cool chamber Bioprospecting of wild

edible fruits SWEET (Sloping Watershed

Environmental Engineering Technology)

Yield Increasing

Vermicompost VermiwashBiocompostingProtected

cultivation( Polyhouse, Polypit, Net

house)

Technologies demonstrated at RTC

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Capacity building/Skill development and Empowerment of local people particularly women folk

Organized five on-site Organized five on-site capacity building training capacity building training programme between programme between 2013 – 2014 (May) on 2013 – 2014 (May) on livelihood improvement, livelihood improvement, cost-effective cost-effective technologies for income technologies for income generation and natural generation and natural resource management resource management

through which through which a total a total of 260 participants of 260 participants were trained.were trained.

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Capacity building and Empowerment of disaster affected people of Kedar Valley

People perception on livelihoods and development options—Kalimath village-cluster

Motorable road from Masta- Kalimath –Chamosi to kedarnathRepair and maintenance of all damaged roads and bridges on priority basis connecting to villages such as Chilond, Bhunkhi and RankotPromotion of cash crops ,horticulture (apple, citrus, walnuts ) and selected medicinal plants

Establishment of small fruit processing unit particularly for citrus ( Malta)

Promotion of protected cultivation for off season vegetables production (polyhouses)

Dairy production and products development through introduction of high yielding breeds of cow and buffalos

Promotion of sheep and goat rearing and wool based cottage industry development

Promotion of nature/rural/eco-tourism/adventurous tourism together with home stay

Quality education , better health facilities and employment opportunities to check out migration

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Nursery of high value -low volume Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Species

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Model demonstration on Integration of Herbal plant cultivation with horticulture

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Livelihood and income generation through value addition of Wild edibles

• The potential wild bioresources are utilized as a source of income and livelihood enhancement of rural people by making a variety of value added edible products such as jam, squash, juice, sauce, pickle etc.

• A small bioprospecting unit at the RTC helping in processing of locally available bioresources.

• More than 165 families in eight villages of upper Kedar valley have adopted value addition of wild edible resources as a viable source of income generation.

Developing capacities of local people in value added products development from locally available bio-resources

GBPIHEDWild edibles & value added products

Emblica squash

Berberis squash

Hippophae squash

Vibarnum squash

Rhododenron squash

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Capacity building and skill development in bio-resource based value added products development for income generation

Capacity building and demonstration of improved technique of composting (vermicomposting, biocomposting and vermiwash)

Adoption of low-cost protected cultivationAdoption of low-cost protected cultivation

Cont.

Model on degraded land rehabilitation at Banswara ( 6ha)– washed away

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Acknowledgement

We are very thankful to ICSSR, Govt. of We are very thankful to ICSSR, Govt. of India and G. B. Pant Institute of Himalayan India and G. B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development Environment and Development (An autonomous

Institute of Ministry of Environment ,Forests and Climate

Change), Govt. of India for providing financial for providing financial support and facilities. support and facilities.