HILL AREA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN SHIWALIK FOOTHILLS

Abstract

INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENTAL EFFORTS AND TOTAL WELL- BEING OF THE HILLY PEOPLE HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY DEMONSTRATED IN TWO SHIWALIK FOOTHILL VILLAGES VIZ SUKHOMAJRI AND NADA , DISTRICT AMBALA ( HARYANA) . SOCIO- ECONOMIC SURVEY OF THESE VILLAGES REVEALED THAT THEIR DEPENDENCE ON HILLS WAS OUT OF COMPULSION. UNTILL AND UNLESS THE PROBLEMS OF LOCAL PEOPLE ARE IDENTIFIED AND THE SOLUTIONS SOUGHT WITH THEIR TOTAL INVOLVEMENT , NO AMOUNT OF EFFORTS FOR HILL AREA DEVELOPMENT CAN BE SUCCESSFUL , WITH THEIR INVOLVEMENT AND BY PROVIDING THEM VIABLE ALTERNATIVES WITH HILL RESOURCES , LIKE WATER AND BHABAR ( EULALIOPSIS BINATA) , PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MOTIVATED TO PROTECT HILLY AREAS. THIS IS CALLED "SOCIAL FENCING". AN INVESTMENT OF RS 80000 HAS GENERATED EXTRA WEALTH TO THE TUNE OF RS 4 LACS ANNUALLY IN SUKHOMAJRI. INTRODUCTION OF SMOKELESS CHULHA HAS REDUCED FUEL CONSUMPTION BY 30%. GOATS AND COWS ARE BEING REPLACED BY GOOD QUALITY MILK BUFFALOES. TO ENSURE PROPER MANAGEMENT OF HILL RESOURCES AND THEIR EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION , HILL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SOCIETIES HAVE BEEN CONSTITUTED IN BOTH THE VILLAGES.