Technology eases path for the weary nomads in J&K

  • IASbaba
  • October 11, 2022
  • 0
Governance, Science and Technology
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Context: Jammu and Kashmir’s nomadic community, known as Gujjars and Bakarwals, have been offered smart cards and free transport to aid their biannual migration.

  • The nomadic pastoralists of Jammu and Kashmir, also known as the Gujjar-Bakarwal community are a transhumance community of the Himalayas.
  • Gujjar and Bakarwals are the third largest ethnic group in J&K constitute more than 9% of the total population of the union territory.
  • Around 99.3 per cent population of Gujjar and Bakarwals in J&K follow Islam.
  • They were given the status of Scheduled Tribe in 1991.

Details about the communities:

Gujjars:

  • The Gujjars are traditionally called as Goajar, Gujar and Gurjara.
  • They have their own dialect GOJRI which is a branch of Indo-Aryan dialect and have their own particular customs, workmanship and specialty.

Bakarwals:

  • The term Bakarwals derived from the combination of two terms “Bakri” means goat/ sheep and “wal” meaning “one who take care” of essentially the name “Bakarwal” implies high altitude goats and sheep herders.
  • Bakarwals are primarily pastoral nomads rearing goats and sheep in high altitude of Great Himalayan during summers and spent their winters in plains and foothills of Shivaliks.

Biannual Migration:

  • They undertake a biannual migration with their flock between the pastures of Kashmir and Ladakh during summers, and the plains of Jammu in winters.
  • Historically, they have been known for their immense knowledge of the ecosystems that they traverse.
  • Across their migratory routes, their daily activities benefit the environment as they –
    • Conserve local soil and water,
    • Seasonally maintain the grasslands,
    • Regulate the frequency of forest fires by limiting excessive growth, and
    • Keep invasive plant species in check by weeding them out.

Challenges faced by the community:

  • Gujjar-Bakarwal Tribe of J&K is one of the most backward of all tribes of J&K.
  • Most habitation areas of Gujjar Bakarwals tribe in Jammu and Kashmir are lacking in facilities like –
    • Road communication, electricity, water supply schemes, medical facilities and educational facilities which put Gujjar Bakarwal tribe in lots of hardships and troubles.

Government Initiatives for the community:

  • For the upliftment of Gujjar and Bakarwals community, the government came out with many employment schemes in union territory of Jammu and Ladakh which are as follows –
    • Jawahar Rojgar Yojana
    • Indira Awas Yojana
    • Self-Employment for Educated Unemployed Youth
    • Programs of Execution of Lift Irrigation

Apart from these the following are the other initiatives:

  • J&K’s Tribal Affairs Department had surveyed 98,000 Gujar-Bakarwal families to map their routes and transit locations.
  • Using remote sensing technology and geographic information system, officials delineated pastures and the grazing land in each district.
  • This step was followed by mapping of routes and the migration pattern to understand when Bakerwals and their livestock use the highways.
  • The Tribal Affairs department also collaborated with the Forest Department and the Census Operations Department to provide smart cards to tribal families.
  • Use of Smart Cards :
    • The smart cards will replace the current requirement multiple permissions and offer a unified central database to all the organisations and agencies for smooth and hassle-free movement of families during the biannual vertical migration.
    • Embedded with a chip, the smart card contains demographic details, transit routes, originating place, destination and other vital statistics.
  • A pilot project will cover 10,000 families over the next three months.

Source:  The Hindu

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Q.1) Siachen Glacier is situated to the  (2020)

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