Prof (Dr) R.D. Gupta
Ladakh is crisscrossed with lofty mountains of varying heights between 4,000 and 7,000 m. This 33,000 Km2 area at the northern tip of the country has a rigorous climate with a very short summer. During winter the temperature varies from minus 10 to 40 degree celsius. The waste lands of the cold desert of Ladakh was further aggravated owing to floods during August 18, 2006 and between the nights of August 5 and 6,2010. The incessant rains in the cold desert of Ladakh on August 18, 2006 and cloud bursts triggered floods which caused wide spread damage not only to wastelands but also to agricultural lands and buildings (Sharma, 2006) vis-a- vis loss of human lives.
In the morning of August 6, 2010 an unusually strong thunder storm hit the Ladakh, causing massive flash floods that left 165 dead and many missed (Gupta and Milton, 2010). The most extensive loss of life occurred in Semislum area on the eastern edge of Leh. Besides, a number of villages and farms beyond Leh were also seriously affected with a collapse of hundreds of houses and buildings. Agricultural fields and other lands had been washed out and irrigation canals severely eroded along with agricultural lands. Not only this many of the agricultural lands were covered with infertile muds.
Methods of greening the cold desert of Ladakh:
Because of the geographical factors, the land of cold desert of Ladakh is devoid of moisture and generally wears a deserted look and has zero vegetation at the higher elevations.
In the light of the above, the first and the foremost task of greening this land was entrusted to the Desert Development Programme (DDP) during 1979. Its objective was to arrest the desertification and to maintain an ecological balance, and to create conditions conducive for raising the level of production employment. The central Govt. used to allocate Rs. 150 lakh annually and upto 1990-1991 lot of greening work was done by DDP.
Pasture development: As Changthang area of Ladakh accounts for greater percentage of livestock population including Pashmina goats, so pasture development activities of DDP were confined to this area. An indepth study regarding the scope of pasture development was undertaken. Behaviours of summer and winter pastures in the areas as also about the various grass species that could be grown in the area was also undertaken.
Vegetables and food crops : Tremendous development in vegetable cultivation was witnessed. Vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, peas, onion, potato, turnip, raddish, carrot and a large number of leafy vegetables are now locally produced on a large scale.
A peculiar thing about these vegetables is their size – a 2-3 Kg cauliflower or 3-5 Kg turnip is a common sight.
Introduction of mini solar green houses was also started by DDP in collaboration with Indian Petro-Chemical Corporation limited as an alternative to an expensive large sized solar green houses. As a result now even during the peak of winters, vegetables are grown in these green houses. The development programme of the agency in this sphere included top working, budding, regeneration and development of nurseries.
Now despite 1400 ha of agriculture land damaged due to cloud burst on 5th – 6th August, 2010, cold desert area of ladakh with its dependency for vegetables during off season has undergone a sharp transformation. It is through the technology evolved by DDP, DROD (Defence Research and Development Organization), Department of Agriculture and SKUAST (Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology). This development consists of new varieties of vegetables, manipulation to overcome the restrictions imposed by the climatic conditions and use of solar energy. The region is now producing 70 tuber and leafy vegetables in summer in fields and even in winter a large number of vegetables are grown in green houses and semi underground trenches. In poly green houses, the farmers are growing vegetables like celery, parsley, melons, turnip, garlic and chenopodium.
Cultivation of fruits: Apple, pear, peach, plum, cherry, almond, walnut are the main fruits grown in the cold desert zone of Ladakh. Strawberry was introduced in late nineteen eighties, is now grown both indoor and in open for home consumption. Area under fruits cultivation has risen in Kargil district. Increase in area production during the last two decades has become possible due to introduction of sulphur fumigation and improvement of drying technique by the then RRL (Regional Research Laboratory) Jammu and extended by Horticulture Department through its field functionaries.
Cultivation of Crops : Although barley and wheat are the main food crops grown in the area yet a number of changes in the production technologies of field crops have now been suggested to increase their productivity (Sharma and Mir, 2000). For example, crop rotations like barley-buck wheat, barley-mustard, barley-ragi, have become popular in double cropped area. Mixed intercropping such as wheat + mustard, barley + mustard, wheat + field pea and wheat + chick pea, have also found beneficial in increasing crop productivity.
Planting of trees : There is no doubt that most of the available land is accounted for agriculture. However, there is also lot of scope in forestry. Plantation of poplar and willow trees has been done along the road sides and on the banks of the rivers. Rising of fast growing forest species like Robinia pseudocacia has proved beneficial in cold desert zone of Ladakh. Besides spewing fresh air they are used as timber, fuel wood and fodder. Apart from this, lack of vegetation leads to extensive soil erosion. Even meager showers during rains wreaks havoc in washing out of top soil leaving behind pebbles, gravels and boulders.
Planting of Seabuck thorn: Seabuck thorn or sarbong (Hippophal Linn) which grows gregariously in dry glacial moraines as well as along the rivers, was previously used only for fuel wood or hedges along the agricultural fields, is now being cultivated on large scale. The fruit of this species is being utilized for malnutrition of value added products.
In Russia fruits of this shrub have almost replaced grapes in the market because of their rich source in vitamins and other nutrients.
Suggestions for the Future:
i) Effective protection of pastures should be advocated to increase herbage yield.
ii) Introduction of legumes such as clovers (red and white) in grasslands can regenerate the degraded grasslands. There is dire need of planting improved and better varieties of grass.
iii) There is also a dire need of scientific management of wastelands in the light of modern technologies both in agriculture, olericulture and horticulture.
iv) Women must be encouraged through different ways to make optimum use of their skill in horticulture sector. Financial support to organize self help groups is the need. This will enable them to preserve various horticultural byproducts like fruit preserve, jelly, jam etc.
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