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Lessons from a drought

  • 14/10/1995

Lessons from a drought In 1986, for the 8th consecutive, year, the district of Jaisall faced another year of severe famine and drought. T year's drought was unprecedented, affecting 26 out of 27 disti of Rajasthan.

In what is now regarded as one of the most remarka drought relief operations in Rajasthan the then district colle4 of Jalsalmer, Lalit K Panwar, advised by the workers of Rajasthan Go Seva Sangh (RGSS), undertook the 'battle survival' of Jaisalmer. To save the precious cattle wealth the state, the authorities laun-ched a massive harvesting sewan grass in the abundant natural pastures in the Pali-Di4 area of Jaisalmer - one of the driest areas of the state. : state government decided to supply 8 western districts A this fodder. The Indira Gandhi Canal authorities were as] to develop the Sadrao depression with the help of a wa supply channel within a month as a potential water h for cattle.

For the first time in the history of this desert distr preparations were underway for a massive sewan harw Local people were quite sceptical in the b 'eginning. The cal owners of the border villages, having large herds, already under pressure due to a large number of cal arriving from southern parts of Jaisalmer and Barmer. Fear that if the harvest continued, their cattle would die for of fodder, some cattle owners of the border villa Sultana, stopped the trucks carrying kuttar (cut sewan gra and even beat up the drivers/helpers of the trucks damaged the vehicles. A meeting was held between state authorities and the villagers and the sarpanch of Sultana, and their misgivings cleared.

From the initial survey by the RGSS, from the month of October, to the deployment of 1,500 labourers, 80 camel carts, 100 trucks and 40 tractors to harvest and transport the grass in end-December, the drought-stricken people of Jaisalmer had managed to save thousands of animals.

An obscure army post, Pithewala, 15 km north of Sultana, became the hub of all activities, where the large heaps of sewan kuttar earned itself the name of Sewan Gram. Trucks transporting the fodder were often referred to as 'Sewan Express', plying on roads called 'Sewan Highway'.

This massive operation saw Jaisalmer providing around 8,000 tonnes of fodder to 9 western districts of Rajasthan, and about 10,000 tonnes of Sewan kuttar sold within Jaisalmer district. Recalling that 'battle for survival,' Lalit K Panwar, now the Development Commissioner of Rajasthan, says, "In this operation, where more than 121akh cattle and 2 lakh human beings were saved, apart from beneficiaries of adjoining districts, we have learnt many important lessons. Based upon these first hand experiences, we, along with RGSS, submitted a plan to the government suggesting the setting up of a 'Sewan Pasture Development Authority. Jaisalmer has immense potential to become the animal care capital of the state, provided it is scientifically managed: Bhanwarlal Kothari of the RGSS, one of the principal architects of this plan, says, "We propose to develop 5,000 ha of pastureland as a model of silvipasture (a combination of trees and grasslands). Not only will it create fodder banks and animal shelters, encouraging the nomads to settle, but also create a self-sustaining, milk-based industry. Just like the dormant rootstocks of sewan ifeline for desert cattle require the barest of rain to regenerate, we only require a minimum of effort to get people to gain the most from this land."

Panwar is severely critical of the plans to introduce water-intensive agriculture in areas of prime sewan pastures: "As a scientist-turned administrator, I feel that largescale irrigation is disastrous beyond Ganganagar. One has to give priority to pasture development". And his experience of 1986 certainly lends credence to his suggestions.

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