Banni grasslands, a lifeline for Maldharis from Kachchh district of Gujarat

Banni grasslands in the Bhuj taluka of Kachchh district in Gujarat are spread over an area of 2600 km² and are the largest natural tropical grasslands in the Indian subcontinent that thrive in arid conditions with an average annual rainfall of a mere 317 millimetres. Droughts are a common occurance in Banni. 

Maldharis, migratory pastoralists of Banni

The Maldharis - landless, migratory pastoralists practising livestock rearing live in around fifty eight hamlets organised into nineteen panchayats in the region and the grasslands serve as an important source of food for their livestock. However, the grasslands are not what they used to be informs this paper titled 'Dynamics of household and regional economy in Banni grasslands, India: A cross-sectional study' published in Sustainability. 

Their declaration as Protected Forests in 1955 restricted the community grazing rights of Maldharis over Banni - and droughts, increased soil salinity, growth of invasive plant species such as Prosopis juliflora have led to a shift in livestock composition from cattle to buffaloes in the region. Improved road connectivity and development of organised dairy industry also led to changes in the grassland economy of the Maldharis.

While there are eleven different livelihood options practised by the pastoralists in the Banni grasslands that include buffalo-based pastoralism, Prosopis juliflora-based charcoal production, sheep and goat rearing, leather work, services, tourism, trade, and embroidery, honey collection, gum collection and labour as secondary occupations, what is the main occupation that still continues to sustain the households of pastoralists and the region’s economy? This study explores.

The study finds that:

Migratory pastoralism has been gradually replaced by semi-migratory/sedentary pastoralism 

• Organised dairy industry and pastoralists are engaged in the sale of milk and milk products. 

Sale of milk and milk products derived from livestock grazing in the grasslands generates the highest net income for pastoralists

• Pastoralism is practised by 58 percent of households as a primary occupation and accounts for 15 to 95 percent of their net income. The sale of milk and milk products generates the highest average annual net income of ₹ 414,070/HH as compared to all other occupations and contributes to 82 percent to the economy of the Banni region. Those who sell livestock earn additional net returns of ₹ 104,050/household. 
• Charcoal production done from using the highly invasive plant Prosopis juliflora growing aggressively in the grasslands is the second most important occupation in the region. It employs 28 percent and 48 percent of households as primary and secondary occupations respectively and contributes ₹ 13,500/- to 360,000/- to the households’ annual income (around 1/9th of the incomes generated from the sale of milk and milk products).
• Selling of a few Banni buffaloes or Kankrej bullocks is also practised by some pastoralists every year and it is a primary occupation for only 2 percent of families and a secondary occupation for 39 percent of households.
• Sheep and goat rearing are practised by 22 percent of households and it is the primary occupation for only 2 percent of households. Honey and gum collection are practised by the Koli community in the region as an additional income-generating activity during a few months of the year and the incomes generated are very low.
• Embroidery is practised by the women in each Muslim and Hindu Meghwal household, but is not an economic activity for all households. Household and hired labour are common livelihood options practised in the Banni grasslands and most of this labour is generated through engagement in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and agricultural and non-agricultural labour during migration outside the Banni grasslands.
• The annual net income generated through leather work that is mainly practised by the Meghwal community is ₹ 106,913/household and is higher than charcoal production. 

Rainfall serves as a boon for the Banni economy

• Employment and incomes generated from pastoralism are affected by rainfall and pastoralism provides employment throughout the year when the rainfall is normal. The sale of milk and milk products is high from July/August to December/January when the green grass is available aplenty from the grasslands while it reduces from January to June because of a reduction in grass cover.

Droughts spell doom for the Banni economy

• Droughts lead to reduction in green grass cover and increase in costs of livestock rearing and a reduction in milk production thus triggering . This also triggers migration of pastoralists (especially those with large herd size) along with their livestock leading to low milk productivity, distress sale of milk and animals affecting the economy of the pastoralists. The sheep rearing pastoralists with large herd sizes are also more prone to migration in drought years.
• Charcoal production is undertaken throughout the year except during the rainy season and during drought years. While the other occupations are less affected by variation in rainfall, the number of people practising them in the region is very low. 

The grasslands are under threat

Banni grasslands provide an ideal region for animal husbandry but successive droughts and excessive animal pressure have led to decline in grasslands and growth of invasive species affecting milk production in recent years.

Local people have also observed a change in the habitat from grassland to woodland (dominated by invasive species such as Prosopis juliflora) due to frequent droughts, construction of dams on flooding rivers in Banni and declining rainfall. 

Past grassland development or restoration efforts by the government in the 1990s have not been successful due to lack of involvement of local communities during the planning stages.

Granting Maldharis community rights over their pastures can be the way out

Reviving the Banni grasslands through adoption of scientific technologies and linking pastoralists in remote villages with dairy supply and value chain will reduce migration of people out of the Banni grasslands. 

It is also important to conserve the pastoralist traditions through research, policy and development strategies by involving pastoralists in the process. Preventing desertification and restricting spread of invasive species in the grasslands is crucial for sustaining the livelihoods in the Banni region.

The study identifies the need for recognising and granting Maldharis their community rights over Banni grasslands to encourage participation of Maldharis in the conservation of Banni grasslands and understanding that pastoralism is not just an economic activity, but a way of life in which pastoralists, livestock, land and culture are inseparable parts of a dynamic ecosystem.