Chapter 7 Land-Man Ratio - a reservoir of Indian...

Chapter 7 Land-Man Ratio

198

Chapter - 7

Land–Man Ratio

Land and people are the two basic constituents of all forms of state.

They are the most important natural resources that are mutually inter-related

and inter-dependent for their sustainable development. Though land is a fixed,

scarce, tangible and an immovable resource but being degradable and

transferable entity it could be sustainable only if properly used by the human

population which unlike land is in a continuous flux, growing with geometric

progression.

In order to understand the population-resource relationship in any

geographic region, it is imperative to understand the distribution and density

of the population. Although the concepts of distribution and density of

population are not identical but being very intimately related to each other

there is a genuine reason to discuss the two simultaneously1.

It is always a difficult task to define the spatial differentiation and

organization of human activity and the human usage of the physical

environment. With the passage of time, as knowledge grows and culture

advances, the relationship between man and his land also changes. However,

since land is fixed and immovable, therefore, it is the size of population and its

growth-trend which have a direct bearing on the economic development, social

well-being, cultural values and political stability of a region2.

1 There is distinction between population distribution and population density. The

distribution of population is more locational, while the density is more proportional. The former refers to the spatial pattern in which the population finds its location such as linear, dispersed, nucleated, agglomerate, etc and the later is concerned with the ratios between the size of population and the area. Therefore, distribution is more concerned with spread of population and density with some kind of man- land ratio. For more details see R.C. Chandana, Geography of Population (New Delhi: Kalyani Publishers, 2007), p. 39.

2 Majid Hussain, Geography of Jammu and Kashmir (New Delhi: Rawat Publications, 2003), p.

111.


199

In the developing countries the rapid population growth has been of

much concern as it reflects the fear of insufficiency in local food production3.

Despite a growing body of literature on the theme of ‘population growth and its

consequences’ much of the discussion in the third world countries is based on

simplistic notions regarding the relationship between population growth and

its consequences for agricultural production4, thus bringing in focus the

relation between man and land. According to Thomas Malthus, the economic

progress of a state has negative relationship with the growth of the population.

Towing the same line classical growth theorists consider population growth

and diminishing returns to labour as the forces limiting all economic progress5.

Contrary to this, the most representative argument is that of Ester Boserup

(1965) who states that population pressure might drive farmers towards the

innovation of new land-use practices and mitigate resource degradation6.

Giving a very different treatment to the population factor, she argues that

population growth tends to be the stochastic variable, with variation in the rate

resulting from a host of natural, climatic, and biological forces as well as

variation in economic conditions7. In her view, the economic problem for most

societies is how to adopt agricultural technology and land-use for population in

the best possible way, given the supply of land and other factors8. In other

words, factor proportions and income per capita follow from population growth

in relation to the land available, not the other way around9. The shifts from

primitive slash and burn agriculture to short- fallow rotation and ultimately to

3 For details see, Lee, R. E., Arthur, W. B., Kelley, A. C., Rodgers, G., and T. N Srinivasan

(eds.), Population, Food and Rural Development (Clarendon: Oxford, 1988). 4 J. I. Uitto, (1995). Population, land management and environmental change: The genesis of

PLEC within the United Nations University programme. Global Environmental Change 5: 267-270.

5 Warren Robinson and Wayne Schutjer, “Agricultural Development and Demographic

Change: A Generalization of the Boserup Model”, in Economic Development and Cultural Change, Vol. 32, No. 2 (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, Jan., 1984), pp. 355-366.

6 For details see, Ester Boserup, The Conditions of Agricultural Growth: The Economics of

Agrarian Change under Population Pressure (Chicago: Aldine Publishing Co., 1965) 7 Warren Robinson, Agricultural Development and Demographic Change: A Generalization of

the Boserup Model, op. cit., p. 356. 8 Ibid.

9 Ibid.


200

settled annual cultivation are, in her model, the responses of society to

population pressure10. The basic point of view is optimistic and stresses that

most rural societies have an unrealized potential for further technological

adaptation, if and when population pressure does begin to build up. Boserup's

theory derives agricultural development in many pre-industrial societies from

population growth: "population growth is regarded as an independent variable

which in its turn is a major factor determining agricultural developments"11. A

steadily increasing population within a given land area necessitates new

agricultural techniques and more intensive land use in order to feed the

expanding population.

Notwithstanding the fact that there are both pessimistic and optimistic

views regarding the ‘population growth and its consequences’ but it would not

be out of place to mention that land-man relationship had historically been

highly uneven which could generally be attributed to the availability of arable

land and water, age of civilization, accessibility of places and restrictions of the

national boundaries. Therefore, in order to study the Land-Man relationship of

any state, it is obligatory to study the physical features of its land, and the

growth, pattern and density of population; and then the relative study of both i,

e the analysis of each with respect to the other.

Man-land ratio provides an important element in such analysis. The

simplest measure, Crude Density of Population, is the number of people per

square kilometer or per unit area and is most useful for small units such as

districts and blocks rather than national states or continents, where internal

environmental conditions vary markedly12. This concept of the number of

persons per unit area is particularly important in marginal regions where

production of crops is precarious, however, it cannot be treated as a measure of

population pressure on land because it merely spells out a simple quantitative

10

Ibid. 11 Boserup Ester, The Conditions of Agricultural Growth, op. cit., p. 11

12 Majid Hussain, op. cit., p. 114.


201

relationship between man and land, both of which may be of widely varying

quality13. Moreover, as neither the whole population of a region is dependent on

land for its livelihood nor all land available in a particular area is cultivated,

therefore, the ratio which emerges from dividing population by total land area

is misleading. Therefore, with an objective to arrive at a better understanding of

the population-resource relationship geographers, demographers, economists,

sociologists and statisticians have devised various other types of densities, Viz.

physiological density, agricultural density and economic density, having a

varying degree of utility in different situations. The Nutritional or Physiological

density is the ratio between total population and the total cultivated area and is

expressed in terms of persons per sq km of cultivated land or persons per unit

of cultivated land14. Though it gives rather a concrete picture, yet it again fails

to convey the true picture of population pressure as all population of the area

may not be dependent on land for their livelihood15. In an overwhelmingly

agricultural region like Jammu and Kashmir the pressure of population on land

can thus be better expressed if the ratios are established between agricultural

population and total agricultural land16. It is known as agricultural density17.

Projecting deep into the heart of Asia, the state of Jammu and Kashmir is

the North-western state of India. The state, richly endowed with natural

resources and competitive advantages, covers a total geographical area of

2,22,236 Sq. km, stretching from 320 17/ to 360 58/ N latitudes and 730 26/ to 800

30/ E longitudes.18 However, the original area of the state has undergone a

considerable change as about an area of 120849 Km2 are under the unlawful

occupation of China and Pakistan, leaving thereby an area of 101387 km2 on this

13

Chandana, op. cit., p. 42. 14

Ibid. 15

Ibid. 16

By Agricultural land is meant the net area sown and the Agricultural population comprises of both the cultivators and the agricultural labourers.

17 Chandana, op. cit., p. 42.

18 Techno-Economic Survey of Jammu and Kashmir (New Delhi: National Council of Applied

Economic Research, 1969), p. 1.


202

side of the Line of Control.19 Area wise the undivided state of Jammu and

Kashmir ranks 6th among the Indian states, but the area of 101387 Sq. Km on

this side of the Line of Control /Ceasefire Line places the state 11th in order.20

Morphologically the state of Jammu and Kashmir can be divided into

three main distinct physiographic units– Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh which

differ from each other not only in topography but also in culture. These regions

are also referred to as Sub-Himalayan Jammu; Himalayan Kashmir and the

Trans- Himalayan Ladakh.21 The spatial distribution of population in Jammu

and Kashmir is highly uneven. The distribution and density of population differ

from district to district and from micro to meso regions.22 In general, about 85

per cent of the total population of the state is occupying the Jammu plain and

the Kashmir valley (Jhelum floor), and 14 per cent is sprinkled in the Kandi

(lower hilly slopes) areas and the side valleys within 2000 m above the sea level,

while remaining one percent is sprinkled in the high latitudinal zones of

Himalayas, Zanaskar, Ladakh and Karakoram Ranges.’23

The physical factors like terrain, topography, slope, climate

(temperature and precipitation), drainage soil, natural vegetation, mineral

resources and accessibility have largely controlled the distributional pattern

and density of population in the state.24 Taking into account the total area of

the state on this side of the cease fire line and the figures of population

according to 1971 census, the density of population worked out to be 33 per

sq.km was the lowest among the states of India except that of Nagaland and

was very low as compared to the all Indian average25. However, the figures may

19

Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Economic Survey of Jammu and Kashmir, 2006-07 (Srinagar: Directorate of Economics and statistics), p. 8.

20 Ibid. p. 8.

21 A. R. Khan, S. A. Bhat, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh: A Geographical Study (Srinagar:

Gulshan Publishers, 2001), p. 12. 22

Majiid Hussain, op. cit., p. 112. 23

Ibid. p. 110. 24

Ibid. 25

N.S Gupta and Amarjit Singh, Agricultural Development of States in India, Vol. 1: Jammu and Kashmir (New Delhi: Seema Publications, 1979), p. 48.


203

be misleading as a vast area of the state is mountainous and unfit for

habitation- the district of Ladakh for example occupies 70 per cent of the

geographical area of the state and habitats only 2-3 percent of its population26-

therefore, causing the uneven distribution of population in the state. The

following table shows the uneven distribution of the population in the state:

Table 7. 1

Density of Population of Different Districts of the State, 1971

District Density of

population per

km2 on

geographical area

Density of

population per

Km2 on cultivated

area

Percentage of

cultivated area to

total area.

Anantnag 155 616 25

Srinagar 275 1052 26

Baramulla 104 592 16

Ladakh N.A N.A N.A

Doda 29 618 5

Udhampur 74 567 13

Jammu 231 648 36

Kathua 104 435 24

Rajouri 81 545 15

Poonch 103 724 14

Source: Census of India 1971 (Jammu and Kashmir), Director of Census Operation, Jammu and Kashmir.

The table clearly reflects that the density of population had been more

in those districts which had more percentage of land under cultivation. The

high population density of Srinagar and Jammu was however, the cumulative

26

According to the 1971 Census the District of Ladakh accounted for about 70% area of the state and accommodated only 2.3 % of its population, Government of India, Report of the Census of India, 1971.


204

impact of the higher percentage of cultivated land as well the districts being the

administrative headquarters of the respective regions.

Demographically the state of Jammu and Kashmir had a much

checkered history. Prior to 1921, the population of the state grew at a very slow

rate. The beginning of the twentieth century i.e. the decade 1901-11 witnessed

breakout of cholera three times in the Kashmir division, followed by

pneumonia, both of which took heavy toll of life27. It also witnessed three

floods and eight earthquakes. In the Jammu Division plague, enteric fever and

famine remained active throughout this period.28 The following decade also

witnessed four dangerous epidemics Viz. influenza, cholera, and smallpox in

Kashmir and plague and small pox in Jammu. During the decade 1921-31, the

state experienced severe famine in Jammu division followed by cholera,

smallpox and plague in the state.29 After 1931, the population of the state

increased steadily, however the increase in population was not the result of any

improvement in the standards of living- the people continued to be poor,

malnourished and there was no decline in the death rates- but can be

attributed to the decline in the frequency of famines, epidemic, floods and

earthquakes.30 However, it was after 1961 that the population of the state

increased at a very fast rate. In fact, the year 1961 can be termed as the year of

great divide in the demographic evolution of the state31. Between 1961 and 1971,

the state registered a growth rate of 29.65 percent as compared to 24.80 percent

for India32. The same was the case during the decade 1971-81 with the growth

rates of population being 29.69 per cent and 24.66 per cent for the state of

Jammu and Kashmir and India respectively. The following table depicts the

growth-trend of population in the state:

27

Government of Jammu and Kashmir, State Development Report (New Delhi: Planning Commission of India, September, 2003), p. 25.

28 Ibid.

29 Ibid.

30 Ibid. p. 25.

31 M.L Misri and Bhat M.S, Poverty, Planning and Economic Change in Jammu and Kashmir,

(New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, 1992), P. 25. 32

Ibid.


205

Table 7.2

Decadal Population Variations in Jammu and Kashmir

Year Population Absolute

change

% Decadal

variation in

Population J&K

% Decadal

variation in

Population India

1901 2139362 0 0 0

1911 2292535 153173 +7.16 (1901-11) 5.75

1921 2424359 131824 +5.75(1911-21) -0.31

1931 2670208 245849 +10.14(1921-31) 11

1941 29466728 276520 +10.36(1931-41) 14.22

1951# 3253852 307124 +10.42( 1941-51) 13.31

1961 3560976 307124 +9.44( 1951-61) 21.64

1971 4616632 1o55656 +29.65(1961-71) 24.80

1981 5987389 1370757 +29.69(1971-81) 24.66

1991* 7718700 1731311 +30.34(1981-91) 23.86

2001 10069917 2351217 +29.98(1991-01) 21.34

Source: Census of India, Part: Jammu and Kashmir

#. There was no census in 1951. The figure given by the Census Department is the mean value of the 1941 and 1961 populations.

*. The 1991 census was not held in J&K. The population of India includes the projected population of Jammu and Kashmir as on 1. 3. 1991 made by the Standing Committee of Experts on population projections (Oct.1989).The projected population of J&K excludes the population of area under occupation of Pakistan and China.

The lower rates of population growth prior to 1961, besides the natural

disasters, were the offshoot of high mortality rates caused by the cumulative

effect of overall economic backwardness, natural calamities, lack of elementary

medical facilities, poverty of large segments of the population, high incidence

of fatal diseases and above all, illiteracy33. The spurt in population growth since

33

Ibid.


206

1961 has been caused by a number of factors which according to the census

report of 1971 included34:

i) Eradication of epidemics like cholera, small pox, plague etc. which in

the past were a recurrent phenomena taking a heavy toll of human

lives;

ii) Quantitative dispersal and qualitative improvement in the medical

facilities ;

iii) General economic prosperity and social change registered during the

post- independence era;

iv) Sizeable immigration of such elements as displaced persons, different

categories of labor working on various central and state

developmental projects, service personnel of all kinds, etc;

v) Lesser impact of family planning programme in the state; and

vi) Improved census methodology and techniques ensuring complete

coverage of the population.

Besides, the aforementioned factors the increase in population of the

state resulted as a consequence of the decline in the mortality rates and

constant high birth rate35. The improvements in the levels of living, access to

food, education and medical facilities even in the remote areas had also

reduced the mortality rates considerably36. Furthermore, in comparison to

other states of India the state of Jammu and Kashmir had a younger

population- a demographic situation (characterized by high percentage of

young population)37 which could have been turned out into an extraordinary

opportunity had the state trained and educated its youth to fit the demographic

gap that had opened up in the developed world (characterized by aging

population). But instead of acting as productive asset– contributing to

34

Government of India, Census of India, 1971: Jammu and Kashmir, Series 8, p. 73. 35

Misri M. L., op. cit., p. 25. 36

Ibid. p. 25. 37

Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir: Fifty Years (Srinagar: Department of Information, 1998), p. 282.


207

economic growth, more level economic distribution and poverty alleviation-

the Youth Bulge in the state in combination with urbanization, lack of

professional education, lack of industrialization and high unemployment acted

as a suitable ground for social unrest.

In the absence of other suitable alternatives the population of the state,

therefore, became increasingly dependent on the agricultural sector– thereby

increasing the pressure on the land. Here it is pertinent to mention that being

hilly and mountainous and with a major area under thick forests the state had

very little cultivable land. The impact of population increase on agriculture of

the state can be gauged from the table below:

Table 7.3

Physiological and Agricultural Densities in the State of Jammu and

Kashmir, (1951-52 and 2001-02.)

Year Total

population [TP]

Net Area Sown [NAS]

(000)hectares

Agricultural Population

[AG]

NAS per capita of Agricultural population [NAS/AGP]

Land-Man ratio

[NAS/TP

Agricultural Density

AGP/NSA [Agricultural persons per

Sq km]

1951-52 3253852* 596 N.A- Can’t be

determined

0.4579

acres

Can’t be

determined

1961-62 3560976 660 1171820 1.40806 acres 0.4633 177.5

1971-72 4616632 700 931924 1.87783 acres 0.3790 1.33.1

1981-82 5987389 718 1547819 1.15969 0.2997 215.57

1991-92 7803900* 734 N.A- Can’t be

determined

0.235138 Can’t be

determined

2001-02 10143700 748 1837935 1.01744 0.18 245.57

Source: i) District Census Handbooks for Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag.

ii) Land Commission Report, 1968, Government of Jammu and Kashmir

iii) Digest of Statistics (various issues), Department of planning and

Development, Government of Jammu and Kashmir

iv) Indicators of Regional Development, Directorate of Economics and

Statistics, Jammu and Kashmir


208

From the table above, it is very much clear that there had been a

significant difference between the rate of increase of population and the

corresponding increase in the Net Area Sown- the population of the state

increased by about 119% between 1960-61 and 1991-92 where as the Net Area Sown

increased by only 23% during the same period- leading to the continuous decline

in the land-man ratio, availability of cultivated land per capita of agricultural

population and increase in the agricultural density during the period 1950-2001

except for the decade of 1961-71. The land-man ratio decreased from 0.45 acres

in 1951-52 to 0.18 acres in 2001-02, which means that there had been a decline of

about 61 % during the period under reference, while as the Net Area Sown per

agricultural person decreased a bit slightly- it was 1.4 acres in 1961-62 and

1.01744 in 2000-01. The unusual trend in the per capita Net Area Sown during

the decade of 1961-71 was the result of a large scale conversion of non-

agricultural lands into agricultural land through the development of irrigation

facilities, introduction of tractors and high yielding varieties of crops38.

Afterwards the trend continued as before with the pressure on agriculture

growing with the growth in population. Moreover, the increase in population in

the state besides leading to sub-division and fragmentation of landholdings had

also a direct bearing on the land use pattern of the state. According to the

Economic Reforms Committee Report 1998, the total reported area, area under

forests and other uncultivated land excluding fallow land had declined by 0.12%,

1.19 % and 27% respectively between 1965-66 and 1987-88 and area not available

for cultivation and net area sown had increased by 5.3% and 0.59% during the

same period. The following table showing the land use pattern in the state

depicts the same situation39:

38

Tractors played a key role in bringing the uncultivated lands under cultivation and the high yielding varieties worked as a main motivation for such a change. For more details on the impact of new technologies refer to the chapter Technological Changes in agriculture.

39 The concepts and definitions used are the same as prescribed by the Union Ministry of

Agriculture. For the sake of the proper understanding of the problem the different land categories are introduced as under:

Total area according to Village Papers: Area according to the village papers comprises of the reported area or the cadastrally surveyed area i.e. the area for which data on land use classification are available. The estimates of the reported area are prepared by the village


209

Table 7.4

Land use Pattern in Jammu and Kashmir,

Area (000 hectares)

Year

Total area

according to

village papers

Area

under

forests

Area not

available for

cultivation

Other

uncultivated

land excluding

fallows

Fallow

lands

Area under

Permanent

pastures and

Grazing lands

Area under

Miscellaneous

trees

1955-56 2397 566 730 283 204 132 132

1960-61 2416 678 549 413 119 121 130

1965-66 2418 671 547 392 133 125 121

1970-71 2419 669 560 393 91 133 110

1974-75 2415 665 560 389 113 125 109

1980-81 2414 658 565 374 102 124 103

1985-86 2415 658 571 362 93 126 72

1990-91 2416 658 586 337 103 127 73

1995-96 2416 658 582 374 103 126 72

2000-01 2416 658 582 338 90 126 72

Source: Compiled from Different Issues of the Digest of Statistics, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Government of Jammu and Kashmir

The overall increase in the Net Sown Area, during the period 1960-61 to

2000-01 as shown in the table 7.3 can therefore, be attributed to the decline, as

patwari. It does not correspond to the total geographical area which is not fit for habitation. The area maintained by the forest department also does not form a part of the reported area.

Area under forests: They cover the berun-line forests viz. The forests falling outside the forest area, demarcated by the Forest Department for maintenance

Area not available for cultivation: It consists of two categories of lands, i) land put to non-agricultural uses – consisting of entire land occupied by buildings, rivers, canals and other lands put to use other than agriculture. ii) Barren and un-culturable lands- this category consists of lands like deserts, mountains and lands which cannot be brought under cultivation except at an exorbitant cost.

Fallow lands: This includes all lands which were taken up for cultivation but are temporarily out of cultivation for a period of not less than one year and not more than 5 years. Area under permanent pastures and other Grazing lands: All grazing lands whether they are permanent pastures and meadows or not, are categorized as permanent pastures and other grazing lands. It also includes the common grazing land in the village. Area under Miscellaneous tree crops etc.: This constitutes the cultivable land which is not included in net area sown but is put to some agricultural uses. For example, the land under thatching grasses, bamboo bushes and other groves for fuel etc not included under orchards fall under this category.


210

shown in table 7.4, in the Area not available for cultivation, Fallow lands, Area

under pastures and grazing lands, Area under miscellaneous trees and

cultivable waste, and Area under forests which were brought under cultivation.

The introduction of new technologies like fertilizers, high yielding variety of

seeds, tractors and other modern implements also played a key in bringing such

lands under cultivation40. This is a dangerous trend as besides impeding the

pastoral activities it also has a direct bearing on the ecological balance of the

region.

The increase in the population had not only drastically reduced the

availability of the per capita cultivated land but had also led to the large scale

fragmentation and sub-division of landholdings, which had enhanced in the

presence of the prevailing law of succession.41 It is worth to mention here that

the size of landholding and fragmentation of holdings have a direct bearing on

the agricultural practices, cropping patterns and yield per unit area42.

Moreover, the problem of operational holdings in Jammu and Kashmir had

been more severe as compared to other states of the India, hence proving

detrimental for the development of agriculture.43 The following table

substantiates the fact:

40

For more on the technological changes in agriculture, see the chapter “ Technological Changes in Agriculture”

41 There are other causes of the sub-division and fragmentation of the holdings like laws of

inheritance –it leads to the division of the parental property between the children, the farms get split up further and further with every passing generation, decline of joint family system – in the past land was held together even if the members of the family increased from generation to generation but the breakup of the joint family system as a result of modernization and other socio-economic factors led to sub-division and fragmentation of holdings with each passing generation. All of these factors can be seen in operation in the state of Jammu and Kashmir throughout the period under reference.

42 Majid Hussain, op. cit., p. 176.

43 Although the New agricultural technology had exploded the concept of large farms and

large productivity yet there is no denying the fact that there is a minimum size of farm below which farming becomes unprofitable, whatever the technology may be. Also the sub-division and fragmentation of land leads to the wastage of land- sometimes the land holdings become so low that cultivation becomes extremely difficult and the land remains uncultivated, land is wasted in drawing boundaries and hedges as, difficulties in modernization especially mechanization, difficulties in land management, disputes over boundaries etc, for more details on disadvantages of sub-division and fragmentation. For more details see, S. K. Misri and Puri V. K, Indian Economy (New Delhi: Himalayan Publishing house, 24

th edition, 2006), p. 323.


211

Table 7.5

State-wise Average Size of Operational Landholdings

State

Number of

operational

holdings

Estimated area of

operational holdings in

000 Hectares

Average size of an

operational holding

(hectares)

Andhra Pradesh 5420 13585 2.51

Assam 1964 2883 1.47

Bihar 7577 11480 1.52

Gujarat 2433 10000 4.11

Jammu &Kashmir 979 916 0.94

Kerala 2305 1593 0.70

Madhya Pradesh 5299 21194 4.00

Maharashtra 4951 21179 4.28

Tamil Nadu 5314 7709 1.45

Orissa 3407 6449 1.89

Punjab 1375 3974 2.89

Rajasthan 3727 20341 5.46

Uttar Pradesh 15639 18158 1.16

West Bengal 4216 5062 1.20

Remaining states,

union territories

814 1854 2.28

Karnataka 3551 11368 3.20

Haryana 913 3447 3.78

Himachal Pradesh 609 931 1.53

All India 70493 162124 2.30

Source: Agricultural Census, 1972

The valley of Kashmir, nestled in the north-western folds of the

Himalayas is a transverse valley– surrounded on all sides by high mountain

ranges, characterized by snow covered lofty peaks. In the opinion of Lydekker,

the Kashmir Valley is distinctly basin– shaped , and that it has a length of

about 140 Km(84 miles) and a width varying from 53-55Km (20 to 25 miles)44.

The lowest point in the valley has an elevation of 1600 m (5,200feet) and the

44

Majid Hussain, op. cit., p. 26.


212

mean elevation is 184 m (60,00feet) above the sea level.45 The oval shaped valley

is filled with thick deposits of alluvium which have blanketed even the lower

slopes of the surrounding ranges. On the borders of the Kashmir valley and

even the valley floor occurs extensive elevated plateaus of alluvial and

lucustrine material, locally known as karewas46. Owing to their elevated

positions the karewas cannot generally be brought under irrigation47. Though

the mountains have stood as sentinels guarding the valley, historically they

have the character of no man’s land48. According to Monis Raza, “The Kashmiri

peasant never came to terms with the mountains. They remained alien to him –

the abode of gods and demons, to be dreaded and revered but not to be

assimilated into the tamed environment. Such a negative attitude towards the

surrounding mountains led to squeezing in the peasantry within the restricted

confines of the valley floor”49. Within the valley, there are three important side

valleys, namely: i) The Liddar Valley ii) The Sind Valley, and iii) The Lolab

Valley. Moreover, owing to different topographical features the different

regions of the valley are fit/unfit for different economic activities. The Valley

floor is the ‘rice bowl’ of the valley and hub of commercial activities and the

major urban centres– Srinagar, Sopore, Anantnag and Baramulla fall in the

region50. Horticulture is the predominant activity in the karewa regions while

as the pastoral activity is the predominant activity in the side valleys which also

have a good hydroelectric potential.51

The demographic history of the valley was no different than that of the

state as a whole. There was a tremendous increase in the population of the

valley since 1961– the year marked a watershed in the demographic history of

the state. It goes without saying that the factors responsible for the

demographic changes, Viz. decrease in mortality rates, increase in birth rates 45

Ibid. p. 27. 46

Majid Hussain, op. cit., p. 29 47

Ibid. 48

Monis Raza, The valley of Kashmir: A Geographical Interpretation (New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, 1978), p. x.

49 Ibid.

50 Misri, op. cit., p. 236.

51 Ibid. p. 237.


213

and the less frequency of natural disasters etc, in the region/valley were almost

the same as those responsible for the whole state. The increase in population of

the valley and its subsequent impact on the agriculture can be gauged from the

following table:

Table 7.6

Land-man ratio, Land per capita of Agricultural Population, Agricultural

Density in Kashmir valley

Year Total

population

[TP]

Net area sown

(NAS) In acres

Total Agricultural

Population(Cultivars+

Agricultural labourers)

[AGP]

(NAS) per capita

of Agricultural

population

[NAS/AGP]

Land-Man

ratio

[NAS/TP]

Agricultural

density

[AGP/NAS]

Persons/SqKm

1951-52 1712964 NA Can’t be determined - - - NA

1961-62 1899438 814555 acres 636375 1.27 acres 0.42 acre 196.8

1971-72 2435701 859520 acres 493311 1.74 acres 0.35 acre 143.67

1981-82 2774904 848475 acres 810312 1.04 acres 0.30acres 240.38

1991-92 4152400 NA Can’t be determined -- - -- -

2001-02 5476970 NA 742422 - -- -

Source: Compiled from i) Land commission Report 1968, Government of Jammu and Kashmir p. 116 ii) Techno- Economic Survey of Jammu and Kashmir, 1969, table No. 36 iii) District Census Handbooks, 1961, 71, and 81 iv) Digest of statistics (Different Issues)

From the table it can easily be deduced that the rate of the increase of

net area sown in the valley could not keep pace with the rate of the increase of

population. While as the Net Sown Area increased from 8.14 lakh acres in 1961-

62 to 8.48 lakhs acres in 1981-82, the Net sown area per agricultural person

decreased from 1.27 acres to 1.04 during the same period. While comparing the

ratios (of the valley with the whole state) it is found that the pressure of

population on agriculture in the valley was more than it was in the state– the

Net sown area per capita of agricultural population at the state level decreased

from 1.40 to 1.15 acres between 1961-62 and 1981-82 while as in the valley of

Kashmir it decreased from 1.27 acres to 0.30 acres during the same period.


214

Being topographically difficult to access, the valley of Kashmir witnessed almost

the absence of industries and had therefore been exclusively dependent on the

agricultural sector. Furthermore, owing to the uneven distribution of

population in the valley the impact of population on agriculture was not the

same throughout. The valley accounted for 52.39 per cent of the state

population in 1981, with an overwhelming part of the population concentrated

in the valley floor and a very less population in karewas and side valleys and

even lesser in the surrounding hills52. The following table regarding the

distribution of population in the valley highlights the same trend:

Table 7.7

Region-wise Distribution of Population in the Kashmir valley

Region

Percentage of the total

population of the region

Percentage of the total

population of the region

Rural Urban Rural Urban

Valley Floor 66.00 34.00 54.00 94.00

Karewas 98.00 2.00 36.00 3.00

Side valley 94.00 6.00 9.00 2.00

Surrounding hills 97.00 3.00 1.00 0.13

Kashmir valley 74.00 26.00 100 100

Source: M. L. Misri, Poverty, Planning and Economic Change in Jammu and Kashmir, 1994, p. 263.

The table above clearly reflects that the valley floor had been an abode of

the maximum population of the valley. It accommodated 94% of urban

population and 54% of the rural population. This indirectly substantiates the

fact that the valley floor was the hub of the economic activities in the valley.

Notwithstanding the fact that the pressure of population on agriculture

of the state in general and that of the valley of Kashmir in particular grew after

the end of the Dogra rule thereby, making agriculture a mere subsistence sector 52

Misri,, op. cit., p. 237.


215

especially in those regions of the valley which continued with the traditional

cropping pattern, but there is no denying the fact that the pressure of

population on agriculture was not the same throughout the valley and varied

across the different regions. The karewa regions generally had high land-man

ratios in comparison to the plain areas of the valley. The following tables- 7.7,

7.8 and 7.9- highlight the variation in the pressure of population on agriculture

in the different districts of the valley.

Table 7.8

Land: Man Ratio [District Anantnag]

Area (in acres)

Year Population Net Sown

Area

Total Agricultural Population

NAS per capita of Agricultural population

Land-Man Ratio

1961 649120 313798 239206 1.33 0.48

1971 832280 339003 194890 1.73 0.407

1981 1060429 351070 221605 1.58 0.33

2001 1825041 NA - -- -

Source: Different issues of the District Census Handbooks.

Table 7.9

Land: Man Ratio [District Srinagar]

Area (in acres)


Area

Total

Agricultural

Population

NAS per

Capita of

AGP

Land-Man

Ratio

1961 654053 185000 93250 1.98 0.28

1971 827697 193382 102775 1.88 0.23

1981 1075590 178842 111659 1.60 0.16

2001 1450100 NA - -- -



216

Table 7.10

Land: Man Ratio [District Baramulla]

Area (in Acres)


Area

Total agricultural

population

NAS Per

Capita of

AGP

Land-Man

Ratio

1961 596265 315757 acres 141500 2.23 acres 0.52

1971 775724 327135 187719 1.742 acres 0.42

1981 998885 318561 209158 1.52 0.31

2001 1820173 - -- -


The comparative analysis of the above three tables reveals the fact that

the pressure of population on agriculture had not been same in all the districts

of the valley. Whereas the cultivated land per agricultural person increased in

the district of Anantnag from 1.33 acres to 1.58 acres during the period 1961-62

to 1981-82, the same ratio in case of the districts of Baramulla and Srinagar

decreased from 2.23 to 1.58 and 1.98 to 1.60 respectively during the same period.

The increase in the land per agricultural person in the district of Anantnag was

most probably the result of the large scale conversion of other category lands

Viz pastures, forests etc into agricultural land. This had been so because the

new agricultural strategy in the state of Jammu and Kashmir had made its

debut in the same district.

Nevertheless, it is important to mention that land-man ratio and

agricultural densities varied within the districts as well. Being less populous the

size of landholdings in the karewa areas of the district had been comparatively

bigger and so were the different types of land-man ratios. However, since most

of the cultivated land in the karewas fell in the un-irrigated category, the bigger

size of landholdings had but marginally helped the inhabitant population. The

following table [7.10] highlights the non-uniformity of population pressure on

agriculture within the Anantnag district. It is pertinent to mention here that


217

the choice of the district is simply based on the availability of data and not on

any other criteria. The trend would have been the same in other districts of

the valley but because of the paucity of datas the variations in other districts

are not tabulated.

Table 7.11

Population pressure on Agriculture in District Anantnag (Tehsil-wise) (1971)

[Area in Acres]

Tehsil

Total

Population

[TP]

Agricultural

Population

[AGP]

Net Area

Sown

[NAS]

NAS per capita of

agricultural

population

[NAS/AGP]

Land-man

Ratio

[NAS/TP]

Agricultural

density

[AGP/NAS]

= Persons/Sq km

Pahalgam 40,692 10889 14097 1.294 0.346 193

Anantnag 274,473 59195 90345 1.526 0.329 163.7

Kulgam 202957 52203 81253 1.556 0.400 160.6

Shupiyan 98,318 24434 47,892 1.960 0.487 127.5

Pulwama 155426 35146 81,536 2.31 0.524 107.76

Tral 60414 13013 23,880 1.835 0.395 136.23

Source: Census of India 1971, District census Handbook, Anantnag District.

The above drawn table shows that the population pressure on

agriculture in the district of Anantnag had not been the same everywhere in the

district. The Net area sown per capita of agricultural population was lowest in

Pahalgam followed by Anantnag and highest in Pulwama followed by Shopian.

The increase in population in the post-Dogra period, however, did not

only lead to the sub-division and fragmentation of landholdings in the state, as

shown in table 7.5, but also created demand for additional housing which in

turn led to the colonization of land. Very fertile tracts of land had been brought

under non-agricultural use especially construction of buildings, thereby

shrinking the agricultural land and increasing the cost of real estates.

Furthermore, the process of bringing in more land under cultivation had

reached its optimum and there were very limited possibilities, both in the state

and in the valley of increasing the production by extending the cultivation


218

without disturbing the ecological balance. Therefore, the state needed (and still

needs) to invest heavily in agricultural research to increase the productivity of

the land so that the growing population’s dependence on imported food and

fibre could be kept under control. Also, in order to keep the population in

control, there is an immediate need to popularize the programme of family

planning.

Nevertheless, it needs to be mentioned that the state had not been

active in legislating new laws to stop the diversion of agricultural land to non-

agricultural practices; the already existing laws in this regard had also fallen

prey to the corrupt revenue officials and it is, therefore, not surprising to see

that lands even under saffron cultivation had been brought under construction

of real estates. The state apathy led to the large scale conversion of otherwise

fertile tracts of lands into residential areas especially in and around the Srinagar

city. Moreover, since the growing population had created demand for

additional housing, therefore, the government had to take initiatives of

providing housing to the people which, however, it did not. It ultimately led to

large scale horizontal expansion of the construction work, consuming the

fertile tracts of land, thereby shrinking the already meagre agricultural space of

the valley. The state needed to take some remedial measures to tackle the

alarming situation by constructing earthquake proof multi-storey buildings as

were seen in the other states of India which, however, is still not in the

priorities of the government.

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