Erosion of soil fertility in hilly areas cause for concern

Uttarakhand hills are characterised by terraces and rain-fed farming.  Hill soils are generally termed as acidic in nature with high organic matter and are prone to erosion. As an estimate, erosion up to 14 tonnes per hectare every year is acceptable, but in hills it sometimes goes up to more than 70 tonnes per hectare per year. In the event of a cloudburst, the extent of soil erosion is much higher. Excessive run-off losses of soil in denuded slopes, hill areas and such other locations have driven people to other areas in search of land. Drinking water everywhere is getting scarce and precious. Agriculture in hilly districts has been affected due to soil erosion, depleting soil fertility and falling yield and income.

Earlier farming in the hilly region comprised of mixed cultivation of finger millet (mandua), barnyard millet (jhangora), black soybean (kala bhatt) and other crops. Farmers used to sow these crops after mixing seeds. They hardly used any chemical fertilizer in those days. Farmers used cow dung and leftover cattle feed (not chaffed) directly in the field as that get decomposed slowly and supplies the required nutrients to crops. Crops during those periods were low yielding and tall varieties were prominent.

With the introduction of high-yielding varieties, traditional practices changed. Though experts and scientists advise use of chemical fertilizers, it is not getting a positive response and the overall productivity is quite low.

Spring recharge channel disrupted

Hill agriculture was earlier dependent on natural water resources i.e. springs, rivers and waterfalls. However, the situation has changed due to developmental activities and increasing population pressure. The channel of spring recharge has been disrupted due to construction works, resulting in landslides and soil erosion. 

Hill terraces were earlier inward sloping with a provision for safe disposal of excess water. A grass channel in the inner side of terraces is of no use at present because with continuous cropping and erosion these have become outward sloping, accelerating erosion of topsoil. Overall, agriculture in Uttarakhand hills is not profitable, forcing people to opt for other sources of livelihood. 

The ecosystems like the forest ecosystem, agro-ecosystem, river ecosystem and soil ecosystem in the area have reached a crucial stage. The hilly region is under great anthropogenic stress for the last several years.

Population pressure

The growing population in hilly areas, especially towns, forced people to bring forestland under cultivation. In Kumaon hills, forest areas were converted into farmlands at a large scale. The pioneer dwellers of the Terai-Bhabar region of Kumaon converted thousands of acres of forestland into agricultural farms. Well-stocked forests of Terai-Bhabar were recklessly destroyed just like shifting cultivation of Meghalaya or northeast provinces. The upslope extension of agricultural land has not only promoted loss of biodiversity but also accelerated the pace of soil erosion and landslides. The loss of the top layer of soil is one of the crucial problems of the hills. 

Deforestation

Reckless deforestation is another major problem of the region. A few patches of land where once agriculture was done are now barren owing to loss of fertility due to soil erosion. At present these forestlands are not fit for growing crops and are used for growing natural grass. The forest tree density is decreasing. This shows that the rate of afforestation is much below the rate of deforestation.

Livestock farming

Continuously growing requirement of milk and other dairy products, meat and wool have promoted livestock farming in the region. Large scale expansion of agricultural activities is required for more livestock population. On an average, 3 to 5 hectares of forest are required to maintain a cattle head under the existing methods of grazing in the region, whereas the actual grazing land available in Kumaon hills is between 0.8 and 1.5 acres per cattle head. Livestock pressure and excessive grazing in forests and on pasturelands is an important factor for widespread degradation of forests in the region. It has been estimated that only 40 per cent of the required grazing area is available in the hills. Unrestricted, open and free grazing of cattle need to be checked.

As the ecosystem of the Himalayan region is very fragile and delicate, any change in one natural component goes a long way in transforming all other environmental elements, both biotic and abiotic. Such activities also accelerate the rate of soil erosion, causing instability of slopes.

Rainwater harvesting

The uplands in Kumaon hills face extreme paucity of water, especially in the cropping areas. Wherever the forest cover protects moisture, some springs appear in lowlands and ravine depths. But in the deforested areas the soils have become dry and unsuitable for cultivation. Gradually the uplands are not being used for agriculture due to water shortage. It is known that the rainfall average is quite encouraging in hilly areas but water is drained onto the slopes, which also washes away the fertile topsoil and the grass-litter of the surface to the valley areas. If the water harvesting technology is adopted, a good lot of water received from rain and seasonal springs can be stored for use during summer for livestock and irrigation. There have been some efforts on these lines after the Third Five Year Plan. The water is channelled to human habitations and agricultural areas by gools and then stored in sizeable concrete storage tanks. If underground storage tanks can be evolved, rainwater harvesting can ensure a dependable source of crop irrigation.

Sustainable technologies 

Hill areas have low width terraces and the use of tractors and threshers is not possible. Bullocks involve high maintenance costs if the size of landholding is too small. Threshing with bullock power is too strenuous and time-consuming. Appropriate methods and technologies for farming operations in hills have not been developed. New and advanced technologies are essential for raising efficiency, lowering costs and reducing strain on the already overworked women in hill areas.

Watershed development

The watershed development strategy of rural development has paid dividends in areas where these were applied. The discharge from water sources may be kept running if catchments are well dressed with green cover. The management of surface water can improve the texture of soil, raise moisture, replenish underground water and keep the greenery. It is experienced that such a strategy helps physical productivity, improves cropping pattern and ensures efficient use of land and water resources. It raises fodder, fuel, foliage, firewood as well as fruits and vegetables. A watershed is a geographical unit over land drainage that contributes water to a flowing stream.

In the Panar river catchment, the watershed development project has shown considerably good performance. The erosion control has been attempted by building embankments and flood control devices on sides of the turbulent rivers.

There is an urgent need to relook on sustainability issues so that we may be able to safeguard the hill ecosystem.

Corrective measures  

• A watershed development project must ensure soil and water conservation, land use, cropping choice and practices, agro-practices, rehabilitation of degraded lands, erosion control, afforestation planning, shrub, grass and leguminous fodder growth.
• A complete mapping and survey of the socio-economic status is necessary to implement this strategy of resource planning. 
• Aspirations, needs, nature, habits and conventions of the population in the area should be well coordinated with the production plans of watershed areas. 
• These must cater to the needs of fuel, fodder, energy, water, crop-choices and orchard needs of people. 
• Plans must provide for development and rehabilitation of wastelands, grazing land, farm wood lots, quarrying areas and community forests. 
• An extended sound green cover ensures a good lot of water seepage feeding the underground pool. 
• Forestland and agricultural land must not be damaged during road construction to maintain ecological balance. 
• Some hillsides have an extended exposure to sunshine and are usually extra bright due to the clean atmosphere. This energy can be utilised for various purposes, including pumping water from deeper rivers and storage ponds. The device may be of immense value if the basic infrastructure for exploiting this vast solar energy potential is provided.