Pastoral census: After 105 years, India will count its transhumant livestock, communities

Sub : Geo

Sec: Eco geo

Context:

India has launched its first-ever count of pastoral livestock and pastoral communities in the 21st Livestock Census, recognizing the importance of this traditional and sustainable food system.

Importance of the Pastoral Census:

Large Pastoral Population: Around 20 million pastoralists rely on forests and grasslands for grazing, practicing transhumance pastoralism by moving their livestock seasonally for feed.
Economic and Environmental Contribution: Pastoralism, one of the oldest food systems, is economically significant and ecologically beneficial, helping to maintain grassland ecosystems and sequestering carbon.
For the first time since 1919, when the first livestock census happened, India will be counting its pastoral livestock, enumerating pastoral communities and their contribution to the livestock sector, as part of the 21st Livestock Census.

Definition of Pastoralist:

A pastoralist is one whose:
- Livestock moves outside of his / her village for at least a month in a year
- Livestock depends on common resources (village commons, pastures, grasslands, common water bodies).

Strategy for Comprehensive Data Collection:

Civil society organizations (CSOs) and pastoral leaders are working with the government to ensure data inclusivity and accuracy, given the mobility of pastoral systems.
A pastoral support cell within the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying has been established, along with state and district coordination teams, to facilitate community support and training for data collectors.
Pastoral youths from each community will assist enumerators, ensuring maximum outreach and accuracy in data collection.

Benefits for Pastoral Communities:

Policy Inclusion: By officially recognizing pastoralism, the census aims to include pastoral households in government schemes, health programs, and infrastructure projects.
Livelihood Improvements: With data on traditional pastoral routes, the government can improve pathways, prevent encroachment, and provide rest and healthcare facilities.
Expanded Livestock Role: Data from the census will help broaden the perception of livestock beyond milk and meat to include cultural, environmental, and draught power contributions.

Growing Focus on Pastoralism:

Shift in Government View: Since 2022, the government has urged states to integrate pastoral communities into schemes like the National Livestock Mission.
Global Advocacy: With the United Nations declaring 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists and 2024 the International Year of Camelids, there’s an international push to recognize and support pastoral systems, further encouraging India’s commitment to these communities.

Pastoralist communities in India:

India has a rich diversity of pastoralist communities, each with unique traditions, livestock practices, and seasonal migration patterns.
These communities rely on grazing lands and follow age-old migratory routes to sustain their livestock, which include cattle, sheep, goats, camels, yaks, and even reindeer in certain regions.

Livestock: Primarily buffaloes, cattle, and goats.
Practices: Gujjars move their herds seasonally between the lower plains and the alpine meadows.
Region-Specific: In Jammu and Kashmir, they are recognized as a Scheduled Tribe and have distinct migratory patterns based on the changing seasons.

Livestock: Primarily sheep and goats.
Practices: Known for long migrations, Bakarwals travel from Jammu to the high-altitude pastures in the Himalayas.
Cultural Significance: They play a vital role in maintaining the alpine ecosystem by grazing, which encourages plant regrowth.

Livestock: Camels, sheep, and goats.
Practices: Traditionally camel herders, Raikas move between the arid regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Cultural Role: Known as guardians of the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Raikas play a critical role in conserving the camel population in Rajasthan.

Livestock: Primarily cattle, buffaloes, and camels.
Region: Found mainly in the Gir forest, Kutch, and Banni grasslands.
Lifestyle: Maldharis are semi-nomadic, moving within their region for grazing. They have historically coexisted with wildlife in protected areas like the Gir Forest.

Livestock: Sheep and goats.
Migration: Gaddis migrate between the Kangra Valley and higher reaches of Chamba and Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh.
Cultural Aspect: Known for their resilience, Gaddi shepherds sustain their herds in the challenging Himalayan terrain.

Livestock: Sheep, goats, and some cattle.
Migration: Dhangars move between the dry regions of Maharashtra to fertile lands in search of grazing.
Contribution: Besides livestock, they contribute significantly to wool production in the region.

Livestock: Mainly sheep and goats.
Practices: Nomadic to semi-nomadic, Kurubas graze livestock in forested areas and around the Nilgiri hills.
Cultural Role: Known for their deep-rooted knowledge of forest ecology, Kurubas are involved in managing biodiversity within the regions they occupy.

Livestock: Buffaloes.
Practices: Unlike other pastoralists, Todas practice sedentary pastoralism in the Nilgiri Hills.
Cultural Significance: They have unique rituals centered around buffaloes and have a sustainable way of managing the high-altitude grasslands.

Livestock: Primarily buffaloes.
Migration: Seasonal migration between the foothills and upper Himalayas.
Role in Conservation: Van Gujjars have a profound understanding of forest biodiversity and are active in preserving forested ecosystems.

Livestock: Pashmina goats, yaks, and sheep.
Region: They inhabit the high-altitude cold desert of Ladakh.
Economic Role: Known for producing pashmina wool, Changpas practice transhumance, moving herds to different altitudes based on the harsh seasons.

Livestock: Sheep and goats.
Lifestyle: Semi-nomadic, they graze in drylands and along river banks.
Cultural Importance: Gollas are well-regarded for their expertise in managing livestock under dryland conditions.

Livestock: Sheep, goats, and yaks.
Migration: Between the high Himalayan pastures and lower valleys.
Cultural Role: Besides herding, Bhotiyas engage in trans-Himalayan trade, connecting India with Tibet historically.

Livestock: Sheep, goats, and cattle.
Region: Move within the drylands of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Tradition: Charans are culturally revered as bards and have traditionally maintained herds through oral folklore and sustainable grazing practices.

Source: DTE