Restoring Banni grasslands- Gujarat battles invasive tree species

Subject: Environment

Banni is the largest grassland of Asia situated near the Great Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.
It is spread over 2,618 kilometres and accounts for almost 45% of the pastures in Gujarat.
Two ecosystems, wetlands and grasslands, are mixed side by side in Banni.
Banni grasslands, traditionally, were managed following a system of rotational grazing.
Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has identified this grassland reserve as one of the last remaining habitats of the cheetah in India and a possible reintroduction site for the species.
Maldharis are a tribal herdsmen community inhabiting
It is distributed in eight districts and three different climatic regions — Kutch, Saurashtra and central Gujarat. A majority of grasslands in Gujarat (41 per cent) are found in the Kutch district. Banni grassland was declared a Protected Forest in 1955, under the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
Banni is also home to the Indian wolf, jackal, Indian fox, desert fox, desert cat, caracal, hyena, chinkara, Nilgai, wild boar, Indian hare, common monitor lizard — and the cheetah before it became extinct.
Deterioration of the grassland taking place due to “heavy uncontrolled grazing”, widespread ingress of Prosopis Juliflora (aninvasive alien species), dams constructed on rivers flowing towards Banni, periodic occurrence of droughts and continuous increase in soil salinity.
India’s first In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) calf of Banni breed of buffaloes in Gujarat depends on Banni grass.

What are Banni Buffaloes?

Banni buffaloes are also known as “Kutchi” or “Kundi”. It is a breed of buffalo found primarily in the Kutch district of Gujarat.
This breed of buffaloes is usually bred and preserved by a local community found in Kutch, called the ‘Maldharis‘.
Banni Buffaloes has higher milk production potentials and is also more disease resilient when compared to other common breeds. They are also well-adapted to survive extreme weather conditions such as water scarcity, frequent droughts, low humidity and high temperatures.