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Why camels’ number declining in India

  • December 23, 2022
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Why camels’ number declining in India

Subject : Environment

In the news:

  • The camel population in India has been in decline, especially in Rajasthan because of the Indira Gandhi Canal which hampered the movement of Raikas and Camels.

Camel population:

  • The number of camels has come down from 4 lakh during the livestock census of 2012 to 2.52 lakh in the 2019 livestock census, showing a decline of 37 per cent.
  • Around 84 per cent of camels in in India are located in Rajasthan and another 11 per cent in Gujarat.

Reasons behind the decline in the camel population:

  • Fewer dairy benefits:
    • Long gestation period (15 months);
    • limited saleable meat yield (less than 5 kg a day),
    • high cost of maintenance,
    • high cost of milk, and
    • strong flavour of camel milk,
    • all make it unsuitable for the domesticating camel for economic benefits.
  • Change in lifestyle:
    • Replacement of the nomadic-pastoral way of life by agriculture.
    • Individually owned farmlands that are often fenced restrict the movements of camels.
    • Camels are rarely used for ploughing along with that shrinking of grazing grounds,
    • shortage of fodder also a reason for reduced camel population.
  • Other means of transport:
    • Camels are replaced largely by road networks.
    • People prefer vehicle for transportation rather than using camel.
  • Fewer benefits for Raikas:
    • Raikas do not sell dead camels for their bones and also do not eat camel meat.
    • Raikas believe they were born of Lord Siva’s skin to protect camels.

Raikas:

  • The Raikas are a specialized caste of pastoralists from northwestern India, particularly the arid and semi-arid parts of Rajasthan.
  • Although they also raise goats, cattle, sheep, and water buffalo, the most important animal for Raika’s cultural identity is the camel.
  • The Raika and their camels talk to each other; this language/conversation is called akal-dhakaal.

Kharai camel:

  • It is a unique breed of camels found only in Kachchh, Gujrat.
  • They have the special ability to survive on both, dry land and in the sea.
  • They swim in seawater and feed on saline plants and mangroves.
  • The Kharai was recognised as a separate breed in 2015 by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Double humped camel:

  •  The double-hump camel is a native of Gobi desert, and is found on a vast expanse of cold-desert areas across Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and parts of Afghanistan.

Rearing centre:

  • According to the Gujarat government, the camel rearing centre at Dhori, Kutchh, is working in a scientific manner for the purpose of increasing the number of camels through pure breeding.

Rajasthan government’s step to protect camels:

  • Rajasthan government has declared camel as State animal in 2014.
  • Rajasthan’s government enacted The Rajasthan Camel (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 2015.
  • The Act aims to prohibit the slaughter of camels and also to regulate their temporary migration or export from Rajasthan.
  • But the Act does not show positive results.
  • Camels are now sold in the grey market, further driving down camel prices.
  • Camels that should normally command a price of Rs 40,000 plus, reportedly sell in this grey market for less than Rs 5,000.
  • The ban has benefitted only the meat traders and corrupt officials.
Environment Why camels’ number declining in India
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