‘Centre’s VVP, SDP helped in recovering losses’
Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, Mar 28: With the timely intervention of the Central Government, the population of the Yak-a bovine native to Himalayas-and different varieties of the Goat, which was decreasing gradually in the Union Territory of Ladakh, has shown upward trends yet again.
As per the 19th livestock census conducted in the year 2012 by the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, the total population of the Yak was 33,754 in 2012, which declined to 20, 743 in 2019 (year when 20th livestock census was conducted) but thanks to the Central Government’s Ladakh specific infrastructure development programmes like the Special Development Package (SDP) and Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) that within three years, the population of Yak reached 23,733 again in 2022-23 as per the fresh surveys conducted by the regional administration.
Similarly, the population of goat was 3, 08,868 in the year 2012, which declined to 2, 40,106 in the year 2019 but in three years it reached 2,53,740 again in 2022-23.
However, the population of cattle and sheep didn’t increase in the region in the specific period but it has also showed upward trends according to the local leaders and officers.
As per the figures provided by Tashi Namgyal Yakzee, Executive Councillor (Animal/Sheep), Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh and Livestock Development Officer Kargil, Dr Gulzar Hussain, the total population of the cattle in the UT of Ladakh was 87,094 in 2012, which declined to 84,201 in 2019 and the current number of the cattle is 57,342.
Meanwhile, the population of sheep was 2, 29,992 in 2012, 1, 98, 501 in 2019 and it has now been counted 1, 87, 148 as per the current census of 2022-23.
As far as total population of the livestock in the UT is concerned, it was 6, 59, 708 which declined to 5, 43, 551 at the time of 20th livestock census and it has now reached 5, 21, 963 as per the current census.
Tashi Namgyal Yakzee, the Executive Councillor (Animal/Sheep), LAHDC, Leh credited for the rise in the number of livestock in the region to the Central Government’s infrastructure development packages.
He said, “it has become possible only due to the Union Government’s programmes like SDP and VVP that the livestock population has been increasing again in the UT particularly in the Eastern Ladakh region, where herders live in a large number”.
According to him, under the Rs 245 crore Special Development Package (SDP) announced for Ladakh, focus has been laid specifically on improving the infrastructure in the Eastern border region “and these initiatives have been benefitting the nomads and the herders to a larger extent”.
Apart from this, Yakzee said, “Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) aimed at strengthening the infrastructure in the region has also been benefitting the herding community largely.”
He also credited the UT administration for activating the Self-Help-Groups (SHGs) in the region to increase the number of livestock using traditional methods.
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