| Voice of Uttarkashi
District : Ramanand Davral
Drinking water source is depleting, this has led to major water
shortage. This problem has given way to many other challenges. Due
to global warming the glaciers feeding the Ganges are melting. This
will lead to water scarcity all around.
Felling of trees will aggravate the situation.
The challenge of unemployment is also grave in Uttarkashi. People
have no means of income generation.
Uttarkashi District
Area, Population & Sex Ratio
Geographical Area : 8016.0 Km2
Population in Uttarkashi (Census 2011)
Total Population
Total : 329686
Male : 168335
Female : 161351
Disabled population
Total disabled population : 7978
In seeing : 2951
In speech : 834
In hearing : 990
In movement : 2579
Mental : 624
Rank ( VoiceOfBharat.org Analysis
)
Backwardness : Does not figure in list of 447 backward
districts
Sex Ratio Rank : 295
(Rank one is least sex ratio - Cenus 2001)
HIV Category District : C
(HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2004 - 2006)
Disability : 523 (Census 2001)
Literacy Ratio : 274 (Census 2001)
Minority : Does not figure in MCD
Earthquake : Earthquake measuring 6.6 in 1991
Brief About Uttarkashi District
Uttarkashi district was created on February 24,
1960 out of what then constituted the parganas of Rawain and Uttarkashi
of Rawain tahsil of erstwhile Tehri Garhwal district. It sprawls
in the extreme north-west corner of the state over an area of 8016
sq. kms. in the rugged terrain of the mystic Himalayas. On its north
lie Himachal Pradesh State and the territory of Tibet and the district
of Chamoli in the east. The district is named after its headquarters
town Uttarkashi, an ancient place with rich cultural heritage and
as the name suggests is the Kashi of north (Uttara) held almost
as high a veneration as Kashi of the plain (Varanasi). Both the
Kashi of the plain (Varanasi) as well as the Kashi of north are
situated on the banks of the river Ganga (Bhagirathi). The area
which is held sacred and known as Uttarkashi, lies between the rivers
Syalam Gad also known as the Varuna and Kaligad also known as the
Asi. The Varuna and the Asi are also the names of the rivers between
which the Kashi of the plain lies. One of the holiest Ghats in Uttarkashi
is Manikarnika so is the one by the same name in Varanasi. Both
have temples dedicated to Vishwanath.
The terrain and climate of Uttarkashi district
provide uncongenial physical environment for human settlement. Yet
undaunted by hazards and hardships this land was inhabited by hill
tribes since ancient times bringing out the best in man his adaptive
talents. The hill tribes namely Kiratas, Uttara Kurus, Khasas, Tanganas,
Kunindas and Pratanganas find references in the Upayana Parva of
Mahabharata. The land of Uttarkashi district has been held sacred
by Indians since ages where the seers and sages had found solace
and spiritual aspirations and performed penances and where devas
performed their sacrifices and Vedic language was better known and
spoken than elsewhere. People came here for learning Vedic language
and speach. According to an account given in the Mahabharata, Jada
Bharatha a great sage performed penances at Uttarkashi. the Kedar
Khand of Skanda Purna refers Uttarkashi and the rivers Bhagirathi,
Jahanavi and Bheel Ganga. The district of Uttarkashi was part of
Gharwal Kingdom ruled by Garhwal dynasty that carried the cognomen
`Pal' which was changed to Sah during 15th century conferred by
Sultan of Delhi perhaps Bahlul Lodi. In 1803 Gorkhas of Nepal invaded
Garhwal and Amar Singh Thapa was made Governor of this region. The
Gorkhas came into contact with the British power in 1814 as their
frontiers in Gharwal became determinous with those of the British.
The border troubles prompted the Britishers to invade Garhwal. In
April, 1815 Gorkhas were ousted from Garhwal region and Garhwal
was annexed as British district and was split up into eastern and
western Garhwal. The eastern Garhwal was retained by the British
Government. The western Garhwal, lying to the west of the Alaknanda
river with the exception of the Dun was made over to the heir of
Garhwal dynasty Sudarshan Sah. This state came to be known as Tehri
Garhwal and it was merged with the state of Uttar Pradesh in 1949
after India attained independence in 1947.
GEOGRAPHY AND PHYSICAL FEATURES Lying in the upper
Himalayas, Uttarkashi contains within itself varying geographic
environments ranging from snow free valleys and outer hills to the
high peaks with perpetual snow and glaciers. The terrain runs into
series of ridges and valleys. Each ridge leads to another coiling
up in seemingly unending chains.
Most of the terrain is mountainous consisting of
high rise ridges, hills and plateaus and flat pieces of land are
rare. The land in these areas is now in fertility due to large content
of out crops of boulders and gravels. Made-up of alluvial soil,
valley is a stream bed. Generally forests occur on the upper ridges
that bound the valleys. On their sloping hill sides lie a chain
of sparsely populated settlements interspersed with terrace cultivation.
The nature expresses itself in breath-taking variations
from beauteous landscape luxuriously decked with vegetation punctuated
by streams, brooks and rivers to high rise awesome rocky ridges
and mountains gently tapering off into lefty snow-capped peaks.
The widely varying climate and topography produce a wise range of
vegetation and serve as habitats to diverse species of wild life.
Forests occupy a place of pride in the environment of the district
not only for the sheer bulk of the area they occupy but also for
the richness of variety of vegetation. As much as 88 percent of
the total area of the district is administered by the Forest Department.
Pine forests occur between the altitude of 900-2000 metres, Deodar
forests between 2000-3000 metres, Fix and Spruce forests over 3000
metres and Kharshu, Birch and Junipers forests upto the height of
4000 metres. Above the Fir and Spruce forest zone, alpine pastures
are found throughout the district between the height of 3500 metres
to 4877 metres above sea level. Rich varieties of grass, shrubs
and herbs come up during June- September while during the remaining
part of the year these areas remain covered with snow. A large number
of medicinal plants of great commercial value grow spontaneously
in the forests. Some of these grow in the valleys, some in sub-montane
tracts while some other on higher altitudes. Forestry too does play
an important role in the economy of the district. It employs persons
both in preservation and propagation of forests as well as in their
exploitation. Herbs are the most important minor forest produce.
A large variety of herbs grow wild. They are of a great commercial
importance for their rapeutic value. The herbsare collected through
co- operatives.
RIVERS, CANALS AND WATERWAYS
It is the land of Uttarkashi district. That gives
rise to two great and reverent rivers of India the Bhagirathi, called
the Ganga in the plains and the Yamuna. The Ganga coming up in the
glaciers `gaumukh' traverses 128 kms. in Uttarkashi district before
flowing down farther. Hardly ten kms. away from Gaumukh is the place
`Gangotri' of great from the west of Bandarpuch peak and revered
highly is the place `Yamunotri' situated nearby visited by pilgrims.
The third important river of this district is Tons besides host
of tributaries that drain these areas.
TOWNS AND VILLAGES
The district at present comprises of 4 tehsils
and 6 Community Development Blocks. It has 3 towns and 686 villages
(678 inhabited villages and 8 uninhabited villages).
AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION
Agriculture in these areas suffer from many constraints.
The availability of cultivable land itself is the greatest restricting
factor on the development of agriculture. It can be seen from the
fact that as much as 88% of the area is either covered by forests
or is barren and uncultivable. The land is low in fertility except
in the valleys and even land is too few and far between. Shorter
agricultural season, low temperature, high altitude, smallness of
land holding, perpetual problem of soil erosion due to steep gradients
etc. are other inhibiting factors effecting agriculture. The agriculture,
therefore, does not offer too much hope for bringing about well
being to the people of the area. Sheep rearing for production of
wool and meat, orchard raising, spinning and weaving of wool and
other cottage industries etc. offer much scope and their potential
be exploited to the fullest extent. The cultivation in these areas
are carried on largely by making terraces on the sloping hillsides.
Some cultivation is done on steep hills also where terracing and
tilling cannot be done and the place is cleared by burning scrubs
and bushes. The seeds are sown with the help of a hoe. This practice
of cultivation is known as `Katil'. Both Rabi as well as Kharif
crops are harvested. The main Kharif crops are paddy, small millets
and potato and chief Rabi crops are wheat and barley. These crops
account for over 80 percent of the total cropped area. Horticulture
is another field that can boost up the economy of the district.
However, it has not made much headway due to difficulties in marketing
the produce, due to poor communications and remoteness of areas.
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Animal husbandry is an important source of supplementing
income of the rural population. Of the total live-stock, bovine
population and that of sheep accounted for almost one third each.
The production of milk per milch animal is very low. Efforts are
under way for introducing high yielding strain. Sheep rearing is
an important industry in the district. Yet it does not provide full
time employment and it is only avocation for those who are engaged
in its pursuit. As many as sixteen sheep development centres are
functioning. |
