2. Grasslands known as Kavals in
Chitradurga are rich in both floral
and faunal biodiversity, they are
home to the last remaining
Blackbucks , the great Indian
bustard and the lesser Floricon.
These grasslands for hundreds of
years have held rural life together
by providing meat, milk, wool,
manure, herbal medicines, water
and a host of other eco system
services through which rural
communities have lived with
dignity and celebrated this life
through customs, beliefs and
traditions that have protected
these Kavals since time
immemorial.
3.
4. Why are we losing
grasslands?
India is home to a variety
of grasslands unique to
different climatic
regions. These grasslands
support a variety of flora
and fauna. Less than 1
per cent of grasslands
come under the
protected area network,
making it one of the
most neglected and
abused ecosystems in
the country.
5. Agriculture in India was
once a beautiful symbiotic
relationship with farm
animals. Animals provided
manure, supported farm
labour and agriculture
residues provided the
animal nutrition in addition
to that provided by grazing
pastures that were mostly
grasslands.
6. The Land Acquisition Act
1894 helped acquire
large tracts of land to
increase agriculture.
Green revolution pushed
the acquisition of all
kinds of land including
common grazing and
grasslandsto increase
food production.
7. Tractors replaced indigenous
farm animals and the need to
maintain pure breeds of cattle
and grazing pastures were lost..
Water shed programmes
created in grazing lands
further distanced
communities from using
grazing lands.
8. The reducing green
cover created panic
and resulted in
unmindful social
forestry programmes
deteriorating grazing
lands wiping out the
original grass , herb
and shrub species.
9. Conflicts between wildlife
protection and grazing
communities further
distanced the communities
from access to grazing
pastures
The introduction of hybrid cattle
and fodders under the White
Revolution further decreased the
rearing of indigenous species and
their dependence on grazing
pastures
10. With liberalisation of the Indian
economy and investments, grazing
commons and grasslands became
the target for the big investments
making way for industries through
a variety of gateways , the SEZ
being the more recent.
There have been little effort to
provide security or support, or the
means to adapt and adopt new
livelihoods for pastoral
communities who are being
driven away from such plans.
Unfortunately for non-pastoral
nomads, the situation is much
worse.
11. The pink revolution urged India to cross breed its indigenous cattle
and livestock varieties with those of the West and Australia. Native
varieties have been decreasing in numbers across the country. Our
Native Cattle semen is today imported from Brazil and USA for
crossbreeding as these native cows had been taken as early as the
17th century to many parts of the world because of their superior
features and maintained in their pure form.
12. The Grasslands of Chitradurga
known as Kavals were historically
and traditionally set aside for the
grazing of a native breed of cattle
called the Amrith Mahal Cattle as
they were used exclusively for
military and draft purposes by the
then Maharaja of Mysore. These
cattle were known for their drought
and disease resistant qualities. Over
the years the pure breeds have
dwindled in number and these
pastures have been used by local
village and nomadic pastoral
communities.
13.
14. Nearly 60 villages in Chitradurga depend on the grasslands for their life and
livelihoods. Animal rearing, weaving of blankets, basket weaving, agriculture are the
main livelihoods. Local communities gather firewood, herbs, medicinal plants for
livestock, manure and a variety of other materials from these grasslands. The local
people celebrate the grasslands through a variety of festivities and fairs. Their temples
and places of worship are in the midst of these Kavals. Local women sing their folk
music in praise of the grasslands. The kavals are centres of a rich Bio-Cultural Heritage
15. Beerappa Temple in the
midst of the Kavals
The livestock rearing
communities ‘place of
worhip
16. In 1971, as the native breed
of Amrithmahal cattle had
reduced in numbers, the
Government of Karnataka
set up a sheep farm in these
Kavals to help local
communities with
veterinary, breeding, water
and fodder facilities . The
region is also known for the
native Deccani sheep
breeds.
17. The Government had also
set up a Goshala to help
the cattle rearers in these
villages. The region still has
pure breeds of
Amrithmahal cattle as
Devara dhana (God’s cattle)
reared by certain
traditional communities.
18. Weaving communities shear the wool, process it with a paste of tamarind
seeds that strengthens the wool and the wool is woven by hand into the
well known Chellekere blankets that are supplied to the Indian Army and
cost anywhere between RS.800-2000 in the market.
19. The Lambani communities collect the leaf fronds of the Palm tree to
make Baskets used in Agriculture for a living and wild grasses to
make brooms used in homes and for farming purpose.
20. DRDO’s Drones, BARC’s
Uranium Enrichment centre,
IISc’s synchroton, Defence
Industries on a PPP model,
Housing colonies will soon
change the landscape,
disrupt the water shed,
destroy the wildlife habitat
and wipe out the ecologically
sensitive, traditionally
knowledgeable, self
governed, self sustained rural
economic life of these
regions in an effort to
develop these regions.
21. These Kavals are severely threatened
from being assigned to a variety of
developmental projects in violation of
all existing laws thereby wiping out
the very life of these communities and
will alter the landscapes irreversibly.
They have been handed over to
various Institutions in complete
violation of the Forest Conservation
Act, Forest Rights Act, Environment
protection Act and the Biological
Diversity Act and in violation of the
High court Order that protects the
Kavals. The institutions have started to
build compound walls in the region
thereby preventing the local
communities access to the grazing
22. Organisation Village Name Sy. No. Extent of land in acres
Defence Research Development Organisation Varavu Kaval and Khudapura 343, 47 4000 and 290 respectively (total
4290)
Indian Institute of Science Khudapura 47 1500
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Ullarti Kaval and Khudapura 1, 47 1410 and 400 respectively
(toatel 1810)
Indian Space Research Organisation Ullarti Kaval and Khudapura 1, 47 473 and 100 respectively (total
573)
Karnataka Small Scale Industries Development Ullarti Kaval and Khudapura 1, 47 250 and 50 respectively (total
Corporation 300)
Sagitaur Ventures India Pvt. Ltd. Khudapura N.A. 1250
Indian Army N.A. N.A. 10,000 (as per press reports)
Total 9273 confirmed + 10000 to be
confirmed
26. The result of not knowing how to
deal with nuclear Waste-Future
Generations
27. With loss of access to the
Kavals, and cost of fodder
too high to meet, the local
village and nomadic
communities are being
forced to sell their sheep.
Women have stree shakti
loans to repay and also
make ends meet. Men have
already started migrating in
search of labour to other
towns and cities.
28. Future of livestock economy
India is one of the largest
producers of milk, meat and
eggs in the world But Indian
meat and wool being low
quality have not been able
compete with the global
market. Livestock sector needs
support as Indian livestock is
not economically,
environmentally or socially
desirable.
29. The affected villages have
submitted several representations
to the DC, held several protests ,
met with several politicians, leaders
and ministers to save their Kavals.
Their voices go unheard. Local
farming members have even
approached the High Court in the
hope of saving their Kavals and
their livelihoods.
30. Protests in Chitradurga
• Members the Karnataka
Rajya Raitha Sangha
staging a dharna outside
the Deputy
Commissioner’s office in
Chitradurga demanding
that the land granted to
the Defence Research
and Development
Organisation (DRDO) at
Kudapura in Challakere
taluk be withdrawn and
instead demanded a solar
power plant to be set up
to ease the power needs
of farmers.
31. There are alternative ways to
ensure these villages in the
backward district get water,
housing, electricity, schools,
hospitals and support for
their traditional livelihoods
and rural economy. Careful
planning with genuine public
participation and creating
innovative local technologies
that are not power and
water intensive can go a long
way in sustaining the existing
traditional pastoral
livelihoods in a region that
lacks major sources of water.
32. Who Owns Natural resources? Who
uses? Who decides? Who benefits?
The people are the owners and the
State is the custodian
However, in practice, the State has
arrogated to itself the power of
ownership.
Movements, struggles and litigations
to reclaim control of natural resources
and commons have been the response
of communities across the country to
save our natural resources for posterity.
33. “The State shall, in particular, direct
its policy towards securing
(a)that the citizens, men and women
equally, have the right to an
adequate means of livelihood;
(b)that the ownership and control of
the material resources of the
community are so distributed as best
to subserve the common good;
(c)that the operation of the economic
system does not result in the
concentration of wealth and means of
production to the common
detriment”
Article 39 of the Constitution of
India.
34. • Right to Life includes Right to Clean
Environment and Livelihood
• Polluter Pays Principle
• Principle of Absolute Liability
• Principle of Intergenerational Equity
• Doctrine of Public Trust
• Precautionary Principle
• Principle of Prior and Informed Consent
35. Legal Provisions that Protect Grasslands,
Biodiversity and Community Rights
• Forest Conservation Act 1980
• The Indian Forest Act 1927
• The Karnataka forest Act 1963
• State/Union Territory Minor Forest Produce (Ownership of
Forest Dependent Community) Act, 2005
• Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (Amended 1990)
• Forest Rights Act 2006
• Biological Diversity Act 2002
• Environment protection Act 1986
• The Untouchability Practices Act, 1955
• The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act, 1989,
36. Time to join
hands with our
pastoral SAVE THE
communities to KAVALS FOR
protect their POSTERITY
experience based DECLARE THEM
knowledge, self-
governed
AS
livelihood, the BIOCULTURAL
rural economy HERITAGE
and save this SITES OR
beautiful bio BIODIVERSITY
cultural heritage. SITES
