We respect the need to conserve the Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary’s biodiversity. Better than anyone, we
understand the importance of the ecosystem because it is has sustained our livestock and our
communities just as we have contributed to its conservation. Our exclusion from the forest has deeply
affected our livestock numbers and is having a negative effect on the forest ecosystem.
B. Gauchar and oran
We have experienced the same fate regarding the shrinkage of gauchar (village communal grazing
lands) and oran (sacred groves attached to temples). These areas have become increasingly diverted for
other economic development projects. It is ironic that we - the very people who for centuries have been
the custodians of biodiversity and whose traditional lifestyles have developed and sustained the
biodiversity of the region - are now being denied access to it based on a limited understanding of the
complex relationship between us, our livestock and the local ecosystem.
C. The combined effect on our animal genetic resources and on the region’s biological diversity
We are deeply concerned about the impacts that our exclusion from previously accessible communal
areas for grazing our livestock is having on areas’ biodiversity, our animal genetic resources and our
future.
Biodiversity: Our exclusion from forested areas is changing the ecosystem and leading to a degraded
ecology. The reduction in grazing is resulting in an excess of grass and foliage on the ground that is
leading to an increase in the prevalence and severity of forest fires. The pits that are dug to inhibit the
spread of forest fires are proving to be ineffective in combating this serious issue due to the dry grass
that has begun to grow in these pits. The excess ground fall is leading to disequilibrium in termite
numbers that can affect the health of the trees.
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