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| Forest Ecology and Cattle Graziers: Case Study of Maldhari Graziers of Gir Forest |
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Reference |
| Patel, Haribhai G; 1991 " Forest Ecology and Cattle Graziers: Where do they stand ?"(A study of the Gir Forest and Maldharis in Saurashtra Region of Western India) :Common Property Conference-Natural Resource Institute,Canada |
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Introduction to the Institution |
| The forest of Gir before 1947 was ruled by the Nawab of Junagarh.Thousands of trees were cut twice a year and open land was brought under cultivation for the villagers, settled by state officials.Cattle graziers (Maldhari) of Gir forest entered as nomads, with some negros about 300 years ago since at that time the forest was a no-man's land.It was three times larger and dense as compared to the present condition.Cattle graziers depend on the forest mainly for their livestock and on the hand lion depend on the livestock as a principal prey
In 1972 The state govt.declared that the Gir Sanctuary area should be closed to grazing by domestic livestock from outside and the Maldharis in this area should be shifted alongwith their livestock elsewhere.The Cattle graziers were charged by the govt.officials and other experts as being harmful to the forest resources on the following grounds:
a)Since the Maldharis moved from place tp place, and wherever they stayed, they built a hut, which resulted in cutting of trees, it was also alleged that they take away fruits, branches and leaves for their consumption or medicinal purposes
b)The cattle movement results in hardening the soil and impairing the fertility
c)The Maldharis join hands with illegal tree cutters causing damage to the forest resource, they were also charged for an indiscriminate grazing, resulting into serious stock depletion
But the role of forest graziers have been very significant in conservation of forest resource if they are rationally analysed:Tree seeds, that cattle swallowed during grazing become naturally processed when come out with their dung and grow easily.The cattle dung functions as a natural fertilizer to the forest soil.The settlers move from one place to another as part of their strategy to survive, such a move is helpful to the forest interims of spreading cattle -dung and seeds on a large space as a natural process
In Gir grass grows normally upto 6 feet height.If not removed in time, it becomed dry in summer which is highly inflammable.The grass grazied by the cattle graziers, in the light of this fact is functional to the conservation |
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Rules for Management
of the Institution |
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(a) Boundary Rules |
| Spatial:
Social: |
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(b) Governance
rules |
| The forest resource is under control of the Administrative personnels of the Government, and also by some Wildlife experts and environmentalists |
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(c) Resource Allocation |
| The Maldharis consumed the forest resources using: branches of trees for their huts; cowdung as fuel; and some plants, leaves for their medicine |
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Conflict Resolution Mechanism |
| There have been conflicts between the graziers and the original village dwellers.The village dwellers had to face the competition on the limited grazing land and village pasture |
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Problems Faced by Institution |
| After the resettlement, the govt. alloted land to the graziers for cultivation as well as common grazing sites along with other incentives. The occupational transformation, from exclusive grazing to cultivation first and then grazing has left the Maldharis in a difficult position, many of them had to sell their cattle as they were unable to purchase fodder for their cattle.Some graziers also turned out to be labourers as they were given waste land and had to survive by selling their cattle wealth |
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Other Features of Institution |
| If the cattle of graziers are preyed by lion, the govt.gives compensation to the owner.The graziers try to rationalize that they get their cattle grazied almost freely and normally their old-aged cattle become the prey of lion, so they do not take it as a serious loss, compared to the gain |
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Purpose |
| Managing forest resource |
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Country |
| India (Gujarat,Saurashtra) |
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Region |
| Junagarh (Gir) |
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Date Of Publication |
| RS-11/04/96 |
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