Global IssuesAGRICULTURE: INDIA: Ropeway a Boon to Hill Farmers
Agriculture and allied activities are the main source of livelihood of the people of the hilly state of Uttarakhand, located in the northwestern part of India and one of the country’s most enchanting regions. But difficult terrain and lack of road connectivity is a major problem for most farmers to transport their local produce to the market.
For farmers like Chunnilal of Teenya village in Uttarkashi district (one of the largest districts in the state and situated in the northwest), navigating the tough mountain terrain with heavy loads on their back has been a way of life for decades. But all that has dramatically changed with the installation of a ropeway that carries produce from high-altitude areas to an area accessible by roads, cutting transportation costs by over half and perceptibly easing their workload.
'The ropeway is a lifeline for us; now I only spend Rs 15 (about 0.30 dollar) for one bag of potatoes compared to Rs 40 (approximately 0.82 dollar) per bag earlier,' says Chunnilal, whose village is situated at a high altitude. Growing potatoes on his land for sustenance, he confesses that 'it is not possible to carry sacks of potatoes manually the entire distance from such a high altitude, so I used to hire mules for transporting my produce. This was not only costly; it also damaged the potatoes during transportation.'
Transporting goods via the ropeway maintains the quality of the crop and fruit, says Jananad, who lives in another village, Pauladi. 'Before, I had to rely on mules to carry peas, which I grow in my fields, but the animals damaged most of the vegetable. Because of this, farmers stopped growing peas,' he recounts. 'But ever since the ropeway came into being, farmers have started growing more peas as a commercial crop,' he adds.
Though the state government had repeatedly promised to provide connectivity using ropeways for the hill farmers, such promises had remained on paper. That’s when a local non-governmental organization decided to step in and take matters in its own hands.
The Himalayan Action Research Centre (HARC), based in the state capital Dehradun, has been actively working with the farmers of Uttarkashi, helping them to establish a farmer’s federation for promoting planned production and strong marketing systems.
In 2007, as part of its rural technology promotion project, HARC installed a gravity-based ropeway in Dhari Kafnaul area in the district to facilitate transport of fruit and vegetables from high-altitude areas to accessible roads. The village of Dhari Kafnaul was selected, being the most remote in the district and given that the main source of livelihood of its residents was agriculture, with each family having an average one-hectare land.
'The total cost of installation and construction of the ropeway system was around Rs 7.28 lakh (approximately 14,000 dollars),' says Chhaya Kunwar, HARC’s senior programme coordinator. The task was accomplished with financial support from the New Delhi-based Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India through the Rural Technology Action Group in Dehradun, and technical support from the Department of Industrial and Mechanical Engineering of the Indian Institute of Technology in Roorkee.
The ropeway technology has not only economically enhanced the lives of the hill farmers, it has also proved to be energy-efficient and environment-friendly. When compared with other transport methods, such as road or rail, its impact is low on environment. The technology is based on the optimum use of gravitational force in the absence of any external power and the ropeway consists of two trolleys that roll on support racks, explains Chhaya.
Bachni Devi of Teenya village marvels at the time saved with the installation of the ropeway. 'We had to pay Rs 50 (around 1 dollar) for hiring mules to carry 80 kg of produce and it took three hours to bring the goods to the roadside,' she says. 'Now, with the ropeway, 40 quintals of produce can be transported to the roadside within an hour and at only a cost of Rs 20 (about 0.41 dollar) on every 80 kg of produce.'
Bachni, like others in her village, grows peas and potatoes along with seasonal crops. A good portion of her earnings were sunk in transferring manure from the village to her fields. 'This used to cost Rs 400 (roughly 8 dollars) per quintal, but with the ropeway I only pay Rs 50 (around 1 dollar) for 50 kg,' she says, beaming.
'In the past, we couldn’t adequately spread cow dung in our fields because of the high transportation costs, but thanks to the ropeway, I can now get much more quantity of manure at reasonable rates,' adds Sarojini Devi of Manad village.
Over 2000 families have invested in a technology that is paying them rich dividends. The farmers produce roughly 1,000 tonnes of apples and potatoes annually. According to Mahendra Singh Kunwar, HARC secretary, in the first year, 4,800 cartons of apples were transported through the ropeway and in the second 5,200.
The farmer’s federation charges Rs 5 (about 0.10 dollar) per carton from the farmers. This money is used for giving honorarium to the two persons who are engaged in operating the ropeway and for its maintenance, observes Kunwar.
The success of the ropeway has prompted the state government to announce that it will replicate the efforts in other districts. Dr Rajendra Prasad Dobhal, director of the Uttarakhand Council of Science and Technology, says the council is planning to establish ropeway technology in Chamoli district, bordering China. 'Farmers’ access to technology can make them capable to grow quality produce, so we want to promote this technology in the remotest areas of Uttarakhand,' he says.
During the season, both women and children were engaged in bringing apples and potatoes from their farms to the nearest roadside.
'My children had to skip school because I needed their help in carrying our fruit and vegetables. Now that all the transportation is done by the ropeway, I have more time to tend to other chores and my kids don’t need to bunk school,' she says proudly.
© Inter Press Service (2009) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service