Flora and Fauna

The 63.9 % of the total area is under the thick forest cover. The vegetation is a blend of the Ban Oak Forest, Moist Deodar Forest, Western Mixed Coniferous Forest, Moist Temperate Deciduous Forest, Himalayan Alpine Pastures, and Rhododendron Scrub Forest. The lower ranges have the growth of blue pine while the higher altitudes have firs.

The flora includes pine, cedar, deodar, bamboo, spur, oak etc. There are around 1200 species of bird and 359 species of animals in Himachal Pradesh. The major species of wildlife in the state are Snow Leopard, musk Deer, Blue Sheep, Ibex, Wolf, Leopard, Rhesus macaque, Common Langur, Himalayan Black Bear, Goral, Muntjac and Serow.

Two National Parks and a few Wildlife Sanctuaries have been established in Himachal Pradesh to protect the unique fauna of the state. The park has the largest remaining population of Himalayan Tahr in the Himachal Pradesh.

Geographic of Himachal Pradesh

Location: The state of Himachal Pradesh has boundaries with the Jammu and Kashmir in the North, Uttar Pradesh in the Southeast, China on east, Haryana in the South and Punjab in the West. It is located between 30″22′ and 30″12′ north latitude and between 75″47′ and 79″4′ east longitude. The mountainous state has altitudes ranging from 350 to 7000 meters (1050 ft. to 21000 ft.) above the sea level.

Physical Features: The altitude of Himachal Pradesh varies from 350 m to 7000 m above sea level. The physiography of Himachal Pradesh can be divided into three zones. They are the outer Himalayas or the Shivaliks, the inner or the middle Himalayas and the greater Himalayas or the Alpines. The Shivaliks include the districts of Hamirpur, Kangra, Una, Bilaspur, and the lower parts of Solan, Sirmaur and Mandi.

The altitude of lower Himalayas ranges between 350 m to 1500 m and the rainfall in this zone ranges between 150 cm to 175 cm. The middle region includes the parts of Sirmaur, Mandi and parts of Kangra, Shimla and Chamba and experiences rainfall between 75 cm to 100 cm. This zone remains under snow for almost give to six months. The Alpine zone is at an altitude of 4,500 m and beyond and comprises of the Kinnnaur and Pangi tehsils of Chamba and some parts of Lahaul and Spiti.

Climate: The climate varies from semi-tropical to semi-arctic from place to place depending on the altitude of the region. The months from April to June are pleasant and comfortable at higher altitude and humid in the lower hills.

The months of July to September are the month of rainfall. Himachal Pradesh experiences average annual rainfalls of about 160-cm. the entire state becomes lush green and all the springs and streams are filled again. The winter season begins from October to February and is very severe. Heavy snowfall occurs during this season.

Rivers in Himachal Pradesh

Himachal provides water to both the Indus and Ganges basins. The major river systems of the region are the Chandrabhaga or the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, the Sutlej and the Yamuna. These perennial rivers are fed by snow and rainfall and are protected by a fairly extensive cover of natural vegetation.

The Beas (Vedic name Arjikiya and in later Sanskrit Vipasa) rises in the Pir Panjal range near the Rohtang Pass and flows some 256km in Himachal. The river is formed by a number of tributaries, the important being the Parbati, the Hurla, the Sainj, the Uhl, the Suheti, the Luni, the Banganga and the Chaki. The northern and eastern tributaries of the Beas are snow fed and perennial, while the southern affluent are seasonal. During August, increase in inflow sometimes results in floods.

The Chandrabhaga or Chenab (Vedic name Askni), the largest river (in volume of water) is formed after the meeting of 2 streams, Chandra and Bhaga at Tundi, in Lahul. It flows 122kms and has a catchments area of 7500sq.km. in Himachal, before entering Kashmir. The Chandra passes through barren land where there are no signs of life.

Festivals in Himachal Pradesh

The people in Himachal love festivals and participate in all the local festivals and fairs with great enthusiasm. Most of the fairs and festivals are connected with the various seasonal changes. There are many folklores connected with the beginning of each festivals. These fairs offer a clear glimpse into the lives, the beliefs and the popular customs of the rural life in Himachal.

Each district has its own sequence of annual fairs which are connected with the historical and sociological background of that area. Festivals have an important place in the lives of the people in Himachal. On the festival day the farmers do not work in the fields and rich and poor alike celebrate these to the best of their financial abilities.

If there has been a death in the family on the day of the festival, the festival is not celebrated by the other members, till a birth occurs around the same time. The Sikh festivals are celebrated largely in the cities. The tribal festivals have their own identity which is totally different from the festival celebration elsewhere.

Pori festival

The Pori festival of the Lahaul valley is remarkable. It is celebrated in the traditional way at the temple of Trilokinath. On this day the statue of the lord is bathed with milk and yogurt and then at about ten o’ clock in the morning a crowd of people goes around the temple beating drums and blowing conchshells and bugles. A horse is also taken round the temple. It is believed that the god sits on its back and this is why the horse is drenched in sweet after the ritual.

After the procession, the crowd along with the horse goes to the palace of the local ruler where the horse is given a grand welcome. The king then rides the horse and visits the fair ground which is dotted all over with small shops. On this day a butter lamp burns within the temple all day and all night long. The devotees add more butter to it as they come and accept the ritual Prasad of multi-coloured scraps of cloth with deep veneration.

Dussera

Dussera is celebrated all over Himachal. The Ramlila plays begins a month prior to this and finish on the day of the festival. In the evening an actor dressed as Lord Rama shoots arrows at effigies of Ravana, his son Meghnad and his brother Kumbh Karna and sets them on fire. After this, crackers are lit and sweets are distributed.

The Kulu Dussera is the biggest draw among festivals. It is held in October in Dhalpur maidan of Kulu. The beginning is marked by Rathyatra, in which the chief deity ‘Raghunathji’ is carried in a fully decorated wooden chariot. The yatra signifies the march of Rama to conquer Ravana. The famous Nainadevi fair is held in August. Some of the devotees cover the entire distance to the temple by lying prostrate each time they take a step.

Fulaich

In the monsoon month of Bhadrapada comes the festival of flower-watching (ukhyang) in the Kinnaur valley. This festival is also known as Fulaich and it commemorates the dead. But it is not an occasion to weep and wail. The fair opens with animal sacrifices and soon the entire village collects on a hill top and looks for the ‘Ladra’ flower. People serve rice wine and food to the dear departed ones on a mound of bricks.

These are later distributed to the poor and the Harijans in the village. Afterwards the people of the village reassemble at the house of the ‘Dhangaspa’ family and garland all the family members of the clan. The villagers also welcome the team that had gone up the hills to look for flowers. Sacrifices are made into wood nymphs and at many places. Dancers perform ritual dances with ancient weapons.

Holi

The festival of Holi comes in the full moon day in the month of Falgun. Some women in the village offer special Puja during Holi. Small twigs of the ‘Kamal’ tree are painted in red and yellow and then laid out in little bamboo baskets (khartoo) along with thread, kumkum, jaggery and roasted grams. The women carry this basket and little pots of coloured water in their hands and go for the Puja. This is first offered to an elderly man (Dandochh) and then the Holi is played.

The next day the entire village plays Holi. The day prior to Holi, when the moon comes out, the Holi bonfire is built and set to fire. There is a scramble during this among the younger men to touch the Holi flag first. He who touch it first, is considered lucky. Special Kadah Prasad (sweet gruel) is also cooked and distributed.

The Holi melas at Palampur, Ghughar, Paprola, Baijnath, Jaisinghpur and Sujanpur also have an attraction of their own. The Holi festival of Sujanpur traces its colourful history back to the glorious days of king Sansar Chand. This fair has been declared as a state festival by the Himachal government. The fair lasts for five days during which various processions of deities are taken out. Folk dances and traditional folk theater forms are also presented. Clay pots are also sold and the entire valley seems to reverberate with the joyous sounds of the traditional Holi songs.

Chaitti

According to the vikrami calendar the new year begins in the month of Chaitra. The first day of this month (Chaitra Sankranti) is considered very important and is celebrated all over the state. Two colourful festivals are celebrated during this month . One is Navratri and the other is Ralli Puja. In some corner of the house which faces east a plant is covered with soil and sown with barley seeds, coconut, symbolising the goddess Bhagwati is also placed near it. For nine days the ritual ‘puja’ is performed there and on the tenth day (Dashami) the barley shoots are distributed all over the village. These shoots are known as Riholi and they are said to symbolise the goddess Durga Bhagwati.

In Ralli Puja, the young unmarried girls in the village make little statues of the lord Shiva and his wife Parvati and place these on a plank and offer prayers to it throughout the month of Chaitra. The entire ritual is strange and beautiful. All the young unmarried girls gather early in the morning in the house where Ralli is going to be worshipped and afterwards they go to the local lake singing songs.

There they bathe and fill small metal pots with water and come home and bathe the deities with this and offer them flowers. At the end of the month a ritual wedding between Ralli and Lord Shiva is enacted. On the Baisakhi day Ralli is brought out ceremoniously in a palanquin and taken to a river bank. There she is immersed in the water and as it is being done the girls cry and weep. On the day of the wedding, people are invited for Bhat (ritual feast) and the girls pray to the goddess to bless them with a husband as good as her own.

Chaitraul

Chaitrual is a popular festival of the Sirmaur area. It is celebrated in the month of Chaitra on a certain day in the bright fortnight of the moon. On this day the walls in the house are cleared, painted and decorated with figures of male animals and crops symbolising plenty. It is also known as festival of pictures.

The Harijans are fed and the family deities are taken out into the fields where the people cook a special delicacy known as Poltu. Sometime people place the deity in the middle of the fields and cook a special savoury gruel as offering. As they are driven back, the wheels of the chariots of the gods are brushed with thorny twigs. At some places clay pots are broken to chase away evil spirits.

Some other features of this festival are indicative of primitive customs. One such custom is ‘Khore’. It is said to symbolise the compromise between the gods and the demons (the Aryans and the non-Aryans). In this a man from a specific family dresses up in special robes and puts on a demon mask (Khor). Cloth phallus is hung near his neck and a cloth vagina (chhunchhuni) below his waist.

The young men in the village bring a phallus-shaped stick from their homes known as Chaitral-Shid and tickle the ‘khone’ uttering obscene remarks. This continues throughout the night obscene jokes are also cracked with women. At the end of the night the khone returns to the temple, having first gone around the village with drummers.

Basoa or Bishu

On the first day of the month of Baisakh the aboriginals and the farming folk celebrate the Basoa festival. Three days before the festival, people make little cakes with Kodra (a coarse grain) flour and wrap them up in leaves. After three days the cakes ferment, then on the morning of the festival day people invite the married daughters and other relatives and break and eat these cakes with honey and sweet water flavoured with jaggery. A ritual song is sung on this occasion.

In Chamba some Jataras take place in memory of queen ‘Sui’. Chamba city is filled with the sounds of music and dancing on this occasion. The sad songs about the queen Sui revive old memories in the hearts of the people.

In Kinnaur this festival is known as Bishu. People cook a savoury gruel known as Doon on this day and eat it together. In villages which do not celebrate Chaitrual, Bishu marks the beginning of the new year. On this day the gods are dressed up in special finery. The brass masks of the gods are cleaned and polished.

Power in Himachal Pradesh

Himachal is extremely rich in hydel resources. The state has about 25% of the national potential in this respect. It has been estimated that about 20,300MW of hydel power can be generated in the State by constructing various major, medium, small and mini/micro hydel projects on the five river basins.

The state government has been giving the highest priority for its development, as hydel generation can not only meet the growing need of power for industry, agriculture and rural electrification, but can also be the biggest source of income to the state by way of sale of electricity to the neighbouring states.

The most prestigious and major project on river Sutlej in the state is the Nathpa Jhakri (1500M.W). It is constructed in collaboration with the central government. The project is funded by the World Bank.

The foundation stones were laid of 300MW Chamera II Hydel Project in June 1999, of 2051 MW Parbati Hydel Power Project in December 1999, and of 800 MW Kol Dam project in June 2000. Other major ongoing projects are : Bhaba Augmentation Scheme, Ghanvi Hydro Electric Project (22.5 MW), Larji Hydel Project (126MW) and Khauli Hydro Electric Project (12MW).

The state government has given eight hydel projects for private sector participation. These are Baspa Hydro Electric Project (300MW), Holi Hydro Electric Project (231 MW), Dhamwari Sunda Hydro Electric Project (70MW), Project (15MW), Allian Duhangan Hydro Electric Project (192 MW), Swara-Kuddu (162MW) and Budhil (70MW).

The state has electrified each one of its 16,807 inhabited villages. It is very impressive, looking at the location of its villages in far off areas and their isolation.

The water resources also provide valuable food in the shape of fish. A national fish seed farm and fish farmers development agencies have been set up. A pilot project is being set up with Norwegian assistance for commercial trout farming in Kulu valley.

Forest in Himachal

Forest in Himachal cover an area of about 21,325sq.km. i.e. about 38.3 of the total area of the state. The state government is aiming to provide green cover to 50% of the total area. Earlier forests were considered the main source of income of the state.

Now the stress has shifted from exploitation to conservation. Forests have been completely nationalized. Felling of trees and sale of timber is now conducted by the State Forest Corporation. The Forest Department mostly concerns itself with planting and conservation of forests.

A World Bank assisted Social Forestry Project has been launched. This project aims at raising fuel, fodder and small timber species to meet the basic necessities of the people so that they do not resort to depletion of forests for fulfilling these needs.

An Enforcement Organisation has been set up to check the illegal felling of trees and smuggling of timber. An integrated water shed department project for Shivaliks is under preparation. Another project for the afforestation of barren ‘Kandi’ areas has been undertaken with the help of the World Bank. Steps have also been taken to intensify preservation and management. Hunting has been banned.

Animal Husbandry

Animal husbandry plays a vital role in the development of agriculture, specially in Himachal where cattle are the main instruments for ploughing and other agricultural operations. Indigenous breeds of cows, buffaloes and sheep are of poor quality.

A number of schemes for cattle development, cattle health and disease improvement in wood production, poultry development, feed and fodder development, dairy improvement, milk supply schemes and veterinary education have been undertaken to improve the livestock in the state.

The many veterinary hospitals, dispensaries and outlaying dispensaries in the state provide veterinary aids and also take measures against various contagious diseases. A number of mobile dispensaries are also in operation. Thus the state has remained free from animal scourge.

Recently, Angora rabbits imported from West Germany were introduced in the Pradesh. Now seven units for their propagation have been set up in Kangra district.

Milk production has increased due to these measures. Milk chilling plants with a capacity of about 55 thousand liters have been set up at about 2 dozens places and departmental milk supply schemes are operational in half a dozen towns.

Industry of Himachal Pradesh

Ecology has been given an important place in the state during the last few years. Industries which cause water or air pollution are not encouraged. Every industrial project has to obtain the clearance of the Environment Protection Organization before its establishment.

Himachal has to face many difficulties in the advancement of Industries. Lack of adequate and dependable means of transport was one of the main drawbacks. Other handicaps were the poor mineral resources of the state, non-availability of infrastructural facilities, shortage of capital and equipment, absence of modern skills and lack of entrepreneurship among the locals and over emphasis on cottage industries. One of the advantage was the availability of ample electricity. It is attracting entrepreneurs from the neighbouring states which are starved of power.

With a view to develop industrialization, a new industrial policy was adopted by the government providing various incentives such as cheaper power, 25% subsidy besides easier credit facilities through the State Finance Corporation and the nationalised banks for setting up new industries. Land was made available on 99 years low rate lease basis and new industries were exempted from sales or purchase tax and from octroi both on raw material and finished goods for 5yrs.

Concession was given on freight charges for transport of raw materials from the nearest railhead outside the state besides provision of other marginal benefits such as assistance in the preparation of project reports. These concession helped in establishing industrial houses in the state.

Industrial areas have been established at Pauranoo, Barotiwala, Baddi, Paonta Sahib, Mehatpur, Shamshi, Nagrotu Bagwan, Bilaspur, Reckong-Peo and Sansar Pur Tera. As the dust free and cool climate of Himachal is extremely suitable for the establishment of electronic and precision industries, many electronic complexes have been set up at Solan, Mandi, Hanurpur, Shogi, Raga-Ka-Bagh, Chamba, Ambi, Taliwala and Keylong, like watch manufacturing units, thermometers, microscopes, hospital and laboratory equipment.

Facilities available for setting up electronic industry for which a subsidy up to 50 lakhs is given, has encouraged manufactures to set up TV sets, tape recorder, video-cassettes, electronic toys and computer parts industries. Furniture making, rope making, bamboo products, manufacturing and specialized wood based industrial units have also been set up.

Two vanaspati ghee plant have been set up where limestone exists in plenty, cement factories have come up in public and private sectors. Private sector industries are doing well. But in the public sector, with the exemption of country liquor bottling plant and turpentine factories, others are running at a loss. (more…)

Agriculture in Himachal Pradesh

Agriculture contributes over 45% to the net state domestic product. It is the main source of income and employment in Himachal. Over 93% of the population in Himachal depend directly upon agriculture which provides direct employment to 71% of its people.

However agriculture in the state suffers from certain limitations, specially in the production of food grains. One of the reason is that the area under cultivation cannot be extended to any appreciable extent. Reclamation of land on slopes of hills for cultivation of food grains is neither economical nor beneficial. The farmers can profit more by raising cash crops suited to the agro-climatic conditions. Another reason is that reclamation of land from the hills increases the menace of soil erosion.

The main cereals grown are wheat, maize, rice and barley. Kangra, Mandi district and to some extent Paonta valley of Sirmur district are the major producers of the 1st three cereals, while barley is mostly grown in Shimla district.

Although the state is deficit in food grains, it has gained tremendously in other spheres of agricultural production such as seed-potato, ginger, vegetables, vegetable seeds, mushrooms, chicory seeds, hops, olives and fig especially vegetables and seed potato which is disease free and good quality are providing a good source of income to the farmers. Seed-potato is mostly grown in Shimla, Kulu and Lahaul areas.

Fruit cultivation is another field which has proved to be an economic boon to the farmers. There are vast tracts of land in Himachal suitable only for growing fruits. Fruit cultivation does not add to the problem of soil erosion and its employment potential is much more than that of conventional farming. The yield pre acre in terms of money is also much higher.

Economy of Himachal Pradesh

The era of planning started in Himachal in 1948 along with the rest of India. The first five year plan allocated Rs.5.27 crore to Himachal. More than 50% of this expenditure was incurred on road construction since it was felt that without proper transport facilities, the process of planning and development could not be carried to the people, who mostly lived an isolated existence in far away areas. Efforts were also made to involve people more in the process of economic and social advancement.

The community development programme launched in 1952, in certain selected areas of Himachal was later extended to the entire rural area. New ideas and forming techniques suitable to different areas and climatic zones were introduced bringing a new awareness amongst the people about the production possibilities of there respective lands which for centuries were using the ancient time worn methods.

In Mandi and Kangra districts package programmes were undertaken in collaboration with the West German government for popularising modern techniques of cultivation among the farmers. Suitable agricultural machinery and good breeds of cattle, sheep and poultry were introduced in these areas. Well equipped soil testing laboratories, dairy farms and agricultural workshops were established at various centres, besides an Agriculture University at Palampur.