Spring migration from U'khand hills disrupted as avalanches, landslides cut off vital routes
Pithoragarh:
Avalanches and landslides
have disrupted the seasonal migration of residents from 14 villages in Uttarakhand's
Malla Johar valley
, blocking roads and trails that connect their winter homes in the lower valleys to their summer villages in the high mountains. The
transhumant communities
were unable to return home in April as planned, causing economic distress and threatening the short agricultural season.
Villagers from Milam, Burfu, Relkot, Ganghar, Lwa, Bugdiyar, Panchu, Martoli, Laspa, Bilju, Mapa, Lilam and Kailanch, who traditionally migrate every spring with their livestock to grow cash crops such as mustard, potatoes and herbs, remained stranded. Devendra Singh, one of the villagers waiting to return, said, "We are very late this time."
Sriram Singh, president of Malla Joshar Vikas Samiti, said the delay could result in substantial crop losses. "Each family earns about 1 lakh from farming during the six-month period they spend in their villages," he said. "If we do not reach in time, this income will be lost."
Munsyari SDM Khusbu Pande said the road is currently open till Railkot and that ground staff will begin clearing operations as soon as the weather improves. "The road will be cleared within a week," she added.
Public works department, which is responsible for maintaining the bridle paths, had deployed 20 labourers to the region, but they returned to Munsyari due to inclement weather, Pande said. Meanwhile, the Border Roads Organisation, which has constructed new roads in the area, has inadvertently damaged some of the old bridle paths that villagers previously used for their annual migration.
The Shauka Bhotiya communities of Malla Johar have followed this transhumant lifestyle for centuries, traditionally migrating with their flocks between high-altitude villages in summer and lower valleys in winter. Their way of life was once tied closely to cross-border trade with Tibet, which ended abruptly after the 1962 Sino-Indian War.
Since then, most families have shifted focus to agriculture, livestock rearing and herb collection for income. Despite these changes, a small number still practise the seasonal migration — mainly for farming during the brief alpine growing season. Their numbers have declined drastically, from 1,475 households in 1961 to only a few dozen today.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
04-06-2025
- India Today
Free speech doesn't extend to defaming Army: High Court raps Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi faced Allahabad High Court's heat on Wednesday over his remarks against Indian soldiers during Bharat Jodo Yatra. The High Court made the remarks while rejecting a plea filed by Gandhi against summons issued by a Lucknow court in connection with his alleged defamatory remarks against the Indian Army during the 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra.'No doubt, Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression, but this freedom is subject to reasonable restrictions and does not include the freedom to make statements which are defamatory to the Indian Army,' the court defamation case was filed against Gandhi for saying Chinese troops are "thrashing Indian soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh." The remarks were made during a press conference in Rajasthan in 2022. 'People will ask about Bharat Jodo Yatra, here and there, Ashok Gahlot and Sachin Pilot and whatnot. But they will not ask a single question about China capturing 2000 square kilometers of Indian territory, killing 20 Indian soldiers and thrashing our soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh. But the Indian press doesn't ask a question to them about this. Isn't it true? The nation is watching all this. Don't pretend that people don't know,' Rahul Gandhi had said.A defamation case was filed in Uttar Pradesh against Rahul Gandhi and a trial court had issued summons to him. He then moved the Allahabad High Court seeking the proceedings and the summons to be defamation complaint was filed by former Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Director Uday Shankar Srivastava. The complainant alleged that Gandhi repetitively stated in a very derogatory manner that the Chinese army is 'thrashing' our soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh, and that the Indian Press would not ask any question in this Gandhi, in his plea, had contended that the complainant is not an officer of the Indian Army and therefore is not an aggrieved person. Rejecting the contention, the court noted that under Section 199(1) Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC), a person other than the direct victim of an offence can also be considered an "aggrieved person" if they are impacted by the this case, the Court opined that he was a person 'aggrieved' by the offence as he is a retired Director of the Border Roads Organisation, which is equivalent in rank to a Colonel.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Time of India
Victoria in black, trenches in S Kol: Old-timers revisit air-raid siren days
1 2 3 Kolkata: On the eve of the drill planned for war preparedness across the country, Kolkata's elderly residents shared vivid memories of air-raid sirens during three major conflicts — World War II, the 1962 Sino-Indian War , and the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War . These piercing alarms, which once echoed through the night, have now faded into Nath Nandan, 95, recalled Dec 5, 1943, when Japanese aircraft bombed Kolkata port, resulting in 42 casualties. "I clearly remember my mother leading all women and children in the household to a safer shelter at the ground floor of a three-storied building adjacent to my home once the siren sounded," he recounted. He was 13 at the time. The British authorities had painted Victoria Memorial black and covered Tala tank with grass to disguise them from aerial view. Helium-filled balloons were positioned near significant structures, including Howrah Bridge, as a defensive strategy following the 1942 Smaran Paul, 85, shared an unusual incident from the early 1960s during the Chinese aggression. "I was returning from my maternal uncle's house to my Charu Market home with my mom riding a bus on route number 2B. As the air-raid siren was sounded, the double-decker bus driver stopped the bus in the middle of the road, jumped out and scooted," recounted the retired Rabi Chatterjee remembered the Sino-Indian War period at his Harish Mukherjee Road residence. During alerts, people sought shelter, while at night, households and street lights were darkened. He remembers the trenches at Harish Park and Kedar Bose Road where men took refuge during Saha, 83, from Doctor Lane, described the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War: "During the time there were no black-out though we got very scared once the emergency siren started till the all-clear siren with a different tone rang." He and his family would take shelter beneath their century-old house's staircase. Post Sino-Indian War, authorities tested sirens daily at 8 am. In 1969, Bengal Governor Dharma Vira changed this to 9 am to avoid disturbing residents. This practice continued until the late 1980s before gradually ceasing across Kolkata.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Time of India
Spring migration from U'khand hills disrupted as avalanches, landslides cut off vital routes
Pithoragarh: Avalanches and landslides have disrupted the seasonal migration of residents from 14 villages in Uttarakhand's Malla Johar valley , blocking roads and trails that connect their winter homes in the lower valleys to their summer villages in the high mountains. The transhumant communities were unable to return home in April as planned, causing economic distress and threatening the short agricultural season. Villagers from Milam, Burfu, Relkot, Ganghar, Lwa, Bugdiyar, Panchu, Martoli, Laspa, Bilju, Mapa, Lilam and Kailanch, who traditionally migrate every spring with their livestock to grow cash crops such as mustard, potatoes and herbs, remained stranded. Devendra Singh, one of the villagers waiting to return, said, "We are very late this time." Sriram Singh, president of Malla Joshar Vikas Samiti, said the delay could result in substantial crop losses. "Each family earns about 1 lakh from farming during the six-month period they spend in their villages," he said. "If we do not reach in time, this income will be lost." Munsyari SDM Khusbu Pande said the road is currently open till Railkot and that ground staff will begin clearing operations as soon as the weather improves. "The road will be cleared within a week," she added. Public works department, which is responsible for maintaining the bridle paths, had deployed 20 labourers to the region, but they returned to Munsyari due to inclement weather, Pande said. Meanwhile, the Border Roads Organisation, which has constructed new roads in the area, has inadvertently damaged some of the old bridle paths that villagers previously used for their annual migration. The Shauka Bhotiya communities of Malla Johar have followed this transhumant lifestyle for centuries, traditionally migrating with their flocks between high-altitude villages in summer and lower valleys in winter. Their way of life was once tied closely to cross-border trade with Tibet, which ended abruptly after the 1962 Sino-Indian War. Since then, most families have shifted focus to agriculture, livestock rearing and herb collection for income. Despite these changes, a small number still practise the seasonal migration — mainly for farming during the brief alpine growing season. Their numbers have declined drastically, from 1,475 households in 1961 to only a few dozen today.
