Shifting Cultivation
Shifting cultivation:- It is a class of primitive subsistence agriculture. In this, a plot of land is cleared by felling the trees and burning them. The ashes are then mixed with soil and crops are grown. After some time, the land is abandoned and the farmers move to a different place.
> The evil effects of shifting cultivation are devastating and far-reaching in degrading the environment
and ecology of these regions.
> The earlier 15–20 year cycle of shifting cultivation on a particular land has reduced to 2–3 years now. This has resulted in largescale deforestation, soil and nutrient loss, and invasion by weeds and other
species.
> The indigenous biodiversity has been affected to a large extent.
To mitigate the environmental loss and to provide other alternatives of livelihood to the local population, we have made an attempt in this paper to suggest environmental management options for shifting cultivation areas.
Impact of shifting cultivation:- The shifting cultivation is generally practised in the following sequence:
i. Selecting a forest patch and clear fell the vegetation normally in December and January
ii. Burning of the vegetation. Small, cut-trunks portion and roots are normally not removed. The herbs, shrubs and twigs and branches (slashed vegetation) are burnt in February and March.
iii. Sowing of seeds, by dibbling, generally of cereals, vegetables and oil seeds in April – May.
iv. Continuing cultivation for a few years.
v. Abandoning the cultivated site and shifting to other forest sites
vi. Returning to the former site, and once again practise shifting cultivation on it.
- With reduction in jhum cycle from 20–30 years to 2–3 years, the land under shifting cultivation looses its nutrients and the top soil.
- With reduction in crop yield, the families start moving to other virgin areas.
- Now a stage has come that it has already affected 2.7 million ha of land, and each year 0.45 ha of land fall under shifting cultivation, in northeast India.
Controlling shifting cultivation:- Various attempts have been made by the Government to settle the tribals involved in shifting cultivation.
a. Arable land is provided to the tribals for carrying out agriculture and also to settle in the area; a few schemes are being implemented under integrated tribal development programme in the districts of Koraput, Keonjhar and Phulbani in Orissa.
- These schemes have however, not yielded the desired results perhaps because of the ignorance of the authorities about the socio-economic and agro-ecological conditions of shifting cultivation and also due
to minimal involvement of Forest Department officials, who are more informed about the above factors, in implementation of the scheme.
- Failure of the scheme led the National Commission of Agriculture to reformulate the schemes only after considering the impact of the forest management.
b. An Agroforestry project known as Nagaland Environment Protection for Economic Development (NEPED) funded by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through India–Canada Environment Facility (ICEF) was initiated in 1995 to make Nagaland self-sufficient in agro-forestry.
- The objectives of the project were:
i. Identification of trees by local tribes and demonstration of method leading to more sustainable resource management;
ii. Addressing people’s need, and evolving better management systems;
iii. Promoting marketing initiatives.
- Under this project, experienced Government officials convince the villagers to set aside 6 ha of land, known as test plot, in jhum areas for over two-and-half years.
- Owner of this plot is required to plant 1200 seedlings, along with usual crop, under supervision of village council and project team.
- These test plots become open school-cum-research station, as well as demonstration plots to teach new technology.
- Thus, NEPED project does not aim at eliminating jhum cultivation, but making it more stable and profitable.
- This novel project may give us a more scientific way to tackle tribal–forest conflict.
Strategies:-
i. Providing employment opportunities and income generation on a regular basis through proper utilization of the land resources, i.e. by equitable distribution of waste land among the tribals. But, the various schemes of the Government, under the tribal plan, will have to pump in sufficient resources for proper reclamation and development of the wasteland through agro-forestry and silvi-pasture practices.
ii. By encouraging cooperative efforts for carrying out forest-based activities, i.e. basket making, rope making, cane furniture processing of minor forest produce, honey collection, etc. have to be made commercially viable by providing proper marketing facilities. This will not only discourage tribals from practising shifting cultivation but will also help them monetarily.
iii. By forming Village Forest Committees for the protection and development of the degraded forests. These committies by providing suitable incentives to the tribals, after the time of harvest can divert some of the tribals away from the shifting cultivation. Generating employment opportunities during the lean season of forestry operations will also prevent tribals from shifting to other areas. Employing the tribals for collection of kendu leaves and sal seeds and also involving the tribals in the various rural employment schemes is also the need of the hour.
iv. By ensuring implementation of total literacy campaign; which due to remoteness and un-supportive attitude of tribals, has not been successful. For educating tribal women and children, services of various non-Governmental organizations and voluntary agencies, besides the regular Government machinery, are on required sustainable basis rather than with a targeted approach.