Severe winter forces Himachal’s tribal shepherds to migrate
By ANIThursday, December 16, 2010
MASHOBRA - With the arrival of the winter season, the tribal shepherds of the Gaddi community have begun to migrate from the hills to the plain areas in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur District.
Due to snowfall in the hilly regions, sheep get little grazing area, as the grass and leaves dry up.
“It is very cold in the month of December in the hills, due to which we have to migrate to the plain area in Bilaspur. On the hills, it is very cold and we have to be out with the sheep herds round the year,” said Kehar Singh Negi, a young tribal shepherd.
“Due to snowfall on the top, grass and leaves dry up so we move to the plains as there is greenery,” he added.
Tribal shepherds spend half the year in the plains in winters, and other half in the hills during summers.
Dayal Singh, a Gaddi shepherd, said that environment has changed a lot, with far less rainfall.
“There are no rains, due to which we do not get enough leaves to feed the herd. So, we have lot of problems,” said Singh. By Hemant Chauhan (ANI)
