Castration

Castration

Castration is one of the most feasible means of controlling the reproductive ability of cattle. Breeding through inferior bulls causes deterioration in the genetic potential of the progeny. Therefore, elimination of undesirable male calves, not required for breeding, through castration is commonly practised all over the world. In India, where other channels of eliminating inferior animals are not available, castration is perhaps th eonly means of checking their indiscriminate breeding. During the 1971-72, 6,517cattle were castrated in the district.

Control of Menance of Wild and Stray Cattle. – An aspect of the problem of surplus cattle is the menance of wild and stray cattle. In order to control this menace, the State Government launched the Wild and Stray Cattle Catching Scheme in 1962-63. Under the scheme, cattle-catching parties have been organised to round up wild and stray cattle.

Gosadans. – This scheme was introduced to remedy the seriousness of the problem of surplus and uneconomic cattle. It envisages the segregation of useless cattle so as to avoid their further multiplication and the resultant damage to crops. There is no gosadan in the district.

(i) Area under Fodder Crops

The food of animals may be broadly grouped into concentrates, that is grain, oilcake, cotton seed, etc. and roughages (fodders). The concentrates are more nutritious than roughages. Jowar, Berseem, senji, turnips, oats, guara and bajra constitute the main fodder crops grown in the district. The following table shows the area under fodder crops in the district from 1967-68b to 1971-72 :-

Area under Crops in the Gurdaspur District, 1967-68 to 1971-72

Fodder Crops			Year		(Area in	Hectares)
Fodder Crops		1967-68	1968-69	1968-70	1970-71		1971-72
Kharif Crops
Jowar	..	16,957	16,485	15,037	19,582		20,117
Guara	..	..	114	..	..		..
Other fodder	..	3,202	3,073	2,996	2,524		4,121
Total	..	20,159	19,672	18,033	22,106		24,238
Rabi Crops
Berseen	..	13,178	10,582	16,909	14,015		14,013
Senji	..	2,289	1,882	1,741	1,256		2,080
Oats	..	..	..	80	104		79
Other fodders (turnips)	..	1,178	2,309	1,867	804		147
Total	..	17,185	14,719	20,597	16,188		16,319
Grand Total	..	37,344	34,391	38,630	38,294		40,557

(Source : Deputy Commissioner, Gurdaspur)

(ii) Diary Farming.

Buffalos and cows constitute the main source of the supply of milk. There are also a good number of sheep and goats, but their milk yield is small and is of no commercial importance. In 1972, the number of cattle and buffalos in the district was about 3,51,400 and 2,58,200 respectively

Dairy farming can be a quite remunerative occupation with milch cattle of good quality provided there is an outlet for sale of milk. Economically unviable small farmers can advantageously go in for cattle yearing on exclusive bases while on large and medium farms, dairying can well be a subsidiary of supplementary occupation. With the setting up of a milk plant at Gurdaspur and a chilling centre at Kalanaur dairy farming is getting more and more popular.

There is no regular dairy farm in the district, but a large number of people in villages and towns maintain small dairies for supply of milk to the townfolk.

(iv) Sheep Breeding

A Sheep Breeding farm has been establish in Dhar Area of the district to meet the requirements of rams in the semi-hilly areas.

During 1972, the number of sheep and goats in the district was about 26,900 and 32,500, respectively.

(v) Poultry Farming

The Government Poultry Farm, Gurdaspur, is the oldest poultry breeding farm in the state. It is under the control of the assistant poultry develoment officer, Gurdaspur. The main activities of this farm are to supply day-old chicks of proven performance; to provide technical know-how to the poultry farmers; to supply poultry birds under the applied nutrition programme to the various blocks in the Amritsar, Firozpur and Gurdaspur districts, and to assist the poultry farms in the developments of the poultry industry in the state. During 1971-72 1,37,859 chicks were produced, 13,482 kids (1-8 weeks-old) were supplied to the various blocks under applied nutrition programme, and 1,248 persons were trained in poultry at this farm and other poultry centre.

There are five Poultry Extension Centre in the district at Batala, Pathankot, Dharkalan, Kahnuwan and Srigobindpur.

(vi) Piggery

Pig being prolific breeder and quick grower, can solve the shortage of protective foods to some extent. In order to improve the indigenous pigs through cross breeding, a Pig Breeding Farm was establish at Gurdaspur in August 1969. There are 60 male and 127 females pigs in the centre.

During 1972, the number of pig in the district was about 1,800.

(vii) Fisheries

The District Fisheries Officer, Gurdaspur, is incharge of the fisheries Department in the district from June 1974 when his office started functioning. He is under the administrative control of the Assistant Director of Fisheries, Amritsar Circle, Amritsar. Prior to March 1973 the administration of the Fisheries Department in the district was under the control of the Assistant Director of Fisheries, Jullundur Division, Jullundur.

Under the district Fisheries Officer Gurdaspur, there are five Fisheries Officers one each at Pathankot, Batala, and Dera Baba Nanak and two at Gurdaspur.

The Gurdaspur District has the natural gift of vast riverine and confined resources for fisheries exploitation and pisciculture. The river Beas comprises a total approximate length of 48 kilometres and the river Ravi of about37 km. in the district. Alongwith two rivers the total canal water length is about 176 km. in various regions of the district.

In 1971-72, the area stocked with the fish in the district was 28 hectares and the income from fisheries during the year about Rs 24,000.

The different varieties of the office found in Gurdaspur district are mention in chapter I, ‘General’, in its section on ‘Fauna’.

(viii) Animal Diseases and Veterinary Hospitals

Animal Disease.- Animals suffer from a number of diseases such as mogh wah (rinderpest), muh-khur (foot-and-mouth disease), gal ghotu (haemorrhagic septicemia), phar sujan (black-quarter) and parasite diseases. Of course, rinderpest is the most destructive virus disease of cloven-footed animals such as cows and buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs, etc. The disease is usually spread by contaminated feed and water. The foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious disease of cattle and buffaloes, and breaks and out in the threshing season of the crops. Its spread very commonly by direct contract or indirectly, throw infected water, manure, hay and pastures. Haemorrhagic septicemia is an acute and most serious infectious disease of cattle and buffaloes. The disease is mostly prevalent in low-lying lands subject to periodical inundation. Black-quarter is an acute, infectious and highly fatal disease of cattle. It generally appears during the monsoons season.

Veterinary Hospitals.- The district is fairly well served by 21 veterinary hospitals, 19 permanent outlaying dispensaries and 3 artificial in semination centres, as per details given below.

Veterinary Hospitals, Permanent Outlaying Dispensaries and Artificial Insemination Centres in the Gurdaspur District as on March 31, 1972

	Veterinary Hospitals						Permanent Outlying Dispensaries			Artificial Insemination Centres
	Zila Parishad	Municipal Committee		Government		Panchayat Samiti			Government
						Tahsil Gurdaspur
1.	Gurdaspur				1.	Mamichak Ranga				1. Gurdaspur
2.	Dorangla				2.			Bhaini Mian Khan
3.	Kalanaur				3.			Bhattyan
4.	Kahunwan				4.			Nowsherah Majjar Singh
5.			Dinanagar		5.	Talibpur Pindori
6.	Dhariwal				6.	Kanjar
7.					Bahrampur
						Tahsil Batala
8.	Batala				7.			Madrah		2. Batala
9.	Bham				8.			Dhandoi
10.	Willa Bajju				9.			Ball-Purian		3.Fetehgarh Churian
11.	Dera Baba Nanak				10.			Udanwal
12.	Fetehgarh Chunian
13.	Ghaniya Ki Bangar
14.			Qadian
15.			Balewal
16.	Salahpur
17.	Srigobindpur
						Tahsil Pathankot
18.	Pathankot				11.	Gharota
19.	Narot Jaimalsingh				12.	Shahpur Kandi
20.	Dhar Khurd				13.			Dunera
21.	Tarhari				14.			Ranipur
					15.			Sarti
					16.			Pharwal
					17.			Bhanguri
					18.			Dhoong
					19.			Sujanpur

(Source : District Animal Husbandry Officer, Gurdaspur)

(e) Forestry

The Gurdaspur District falls under the jurisdiction of the Divisional Forest Officer, Gurdaspur Forest Division, with headquarters at Pathankot which was established on May 7,2968. The Divisional Forest Officer is assisted by 1 Attached Officer, 5 Forest Rangers, 2 Deputy Rangers, 17 Foresters, 66 Forest Guards, and other ministerial Class III and Class IV staff.

The Forest Department is actively engaged in the maintenance and development of forests for the requirements of agriculture and industries, furniture, constructional timber, industrial raw material and firewood, as well as protection against soil erosion. Plants are also supplied to the public at subsidised rates and technical assistance is given to carry out the plantation work

(i) Importance of Forestry in the Economy of the District. – The forests in the district not only provide timber for the various small wood-based industries, such as pawa making, tonga frames, sports, tanning, packing cases, phatties, cots, furniture, charcoal, etc. but also provide resin from cheel trees and katha from khairtrees to the industries. In addition to these, large quantity of firewood from Shahput Kandi forests is supplied to the military at Pathankot and to the local people. Other minor products, i.e. kana, grasses, mango fruit, leaves of mulberry, medicinal plants and leaves of date-palm are also supplied from the local forests. The forests also play a vital role in the conservation of soil and water resources, ameliorating climatic conditions, stabilization of soil, reduction in silt discharge and protection to the defence forces along the border of the country.

(ii) Area under Forests. –The forests in the district are classified, according to the legal status, into Reserved, Protected and Unclassed which are mentioned below :

Reserved Forests

The name of these forests is Rakh-Nehar-ki-Bir and these are situated on either side of the Upper Bari Doab Canal, about 6-8 kilometres southwest of the Pathankot town. These forests are permanently dedicated either to the production of timber or other forests produce and in them no right whatsoever is admitted except the right of way and water for the public.

Protected Forests

These forests are situated along the roads, rails, canals and bunds and have been declared as protected forests under Section 29 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. These are mostly man made forest and mainly comprise trees like shisham, kikar, mulbarry, mango, willow, etc. The protected forests also include demarcated protected forests and undemarcated protected forests. The demarcated forests are situated in the Dhar Block of Pathankot Tahsil and are commonly known as Shahpur Kandi forests. The legal status of these forests is that the soil supporting the vegetation belongs to the local people and the spontaneous vegetation growing over the tract belongs to the Government. The rights of the local people are admitted in the settlement of these forests and the principal rights admitted are grazing, trees for building and other purposes, i.e. agriculture and domestic implements, marriages, funeral, ceremonies; cutting of brush wood for fencing, collection of fuel, stones and medicinal roots, etc. The undemarcated protected forests are also situated in the protected forests of Sahapur Kandi. The only difference between these forests is that the demarcated protected forests have been demarcated with suitable boundary pillars and the condition of the growing stock is comparatively poor, being situated mostly near the habitations.

Unclassed Forests

These are mostly those forests which have been raised on the areas recently transferred to the Forests Department from the revenue and Rehabilitation Department. These plantations mostly comprise trees like shisham, eucalyptus, kikar, mulberry, poplar, etc.

As a result of the re-organization of the erstwhile Punjab State on November 1, 1966, the forests wealth of the present Punjab State received the greatest set-back as practically all the good natural forests have gone to the share of the Himachal Pradesh. The forests have further being subject to discriminate felling due to the process of consolidation of holding and widening remodeling and extension of various roads, canals and bunds. Under the Grow More Food campaign most of the culturable waste land has been reclaimed and brought under plough. Thus, there had been a great pressure on the forest wealth whatsoever was left after the re-organization of the State.

To meet the ever increasing demand of timber as well as firewood, the State Government have lunched special skills for increasing the production of wood. The main concentration is along the roads, railway lines, canals and bunds. All out affords are also being made to develop Block Forests by introducing economical species like cheel, khair, bamboos, etc.

The area under forests in the district, in 1971-72 was as under:

	Particulars		(Area in Hectares)
(i)	Reserved Forests	..	123.84
(ii)	Protected Forests	..	3,667.73
	Rain-strips	..	874.93
	Road-strips	..	534.65
	Canal-strips	..	2,258.15
(iii)	Demarcated Protected Forests	..	3,135.46
(iv)	Undemarcated Protected Forests	..	8,134.88
(v)	Unclassed Forests	..	615.55
(vi)	Area closed under section 38 of the Indian Forests Act, 1927	..	166.33

(iii) Forests Produce.- The Forest produce is classified into major and minor produce. The major produce includes timber, bamboos and firewood whereas minor produce includes rosin, grasses, kana, fruit, bark and leaves of various trees.

The annual income from the sale of forests produce in the district, from 1968-69 to 1971-72, was as under:

Year	`	Major produce (Rs)	Minor Produce (Rs)
1968-69	..	4,68,489	45,807
1969-70	..	3,29,315	54,681
1970-71	..	4,98,750	73,482
1971-72	..	87,874	62,563

(Source: Divisional Forest Officer, Gurdaspur Forest Division, Pathankot)

(f) Floods:

There are caused by over flowing of rivers or by excessive rains. Until recently floods had become almost an annual feature in the Punjab. Their intensity varies form year to year and form place to place. Infect, the floods have proved a major stumbling-block in the overall progress of the state. In the Gurdaspur district, the floods of 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1971 and 1973 had caused extensive damage to life, property and crops.

Damage caused to private property and area under crops, produce, and its value due to floods during rainy seasons in the Gurdaspur District, 1961-1973

					Houses damaged (Number)	Damage to crops
Year	Number of villages/towns affected	Area affected (sq. km.)	Human lives lost (Number)	Cattle Heads lost (Number)	Houses damaged (Number)	Area affected (Hectares)	Produce damaged (‘00’ Qtls)	Value (‘000’ Rs.)
1961	589	672	2	11	1,951	72,877	2,864	10,965
1962	893	1,191	3	45	13,305	87,752	1,183	4,939
1963	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
1964	8	1,147	..	..	29	158	7	42
1965	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
1966	211	101	2	12	2,511	9,664	180	1,789
1967	6	9	..	..	..	23	..	..
1968	2	1	..	..	2,000	..	..	..
1969	..	..	..	..	13	..	..	..
1970	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
1971	689	80	77	26	6,331	8,013	1,113	4,932
1972	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
1973	..	153	11	131	14,933	10,817	..	11,276

(Statistical Abstracts of Punjab, 1967 to 1974)

(g) Famines:

Famines have been known to India from time immemorial. In 1880, the Government, out of the experiences of famine, evolved a famine relief policy for the country. In course of time, the administration has got fully equipped to deal with famines and taken adequate measures to give relief to the famine-stricken people, whenever and wherever the contingency arises.

The Gurdaspur District has never suffered from famines property so-called. The Bharrari of Shakargarh Tahsil (now in Pakistan) was the only really insecure tract in the then district¹⁰.

10. Sir James’ Lyall noted in the orders on the Shakargarh Assessment Report of 1891 that he had himself twice seen something like famine in the Baharrari tract of the Shakargarh Tahsil, now forming part of the Sialkot District of Pakistan. (Gurdaspur District Gazetteer, 1914, pp.158-59)

APPENDIX I

(Vide page-)

Area under principal crops in the Gurdaspur District

(thousand hectares)

Crops		1967-68	1968-69	1969-70	1970-71	1971-72
Cereals
Rice	..	73	79	75	80	82
Wheat	..	123	127	164	141	141
Bajra	..	3	1.8	1.6	2.9	2.9
Maize	..	33	29	32	36	36
Jawar	..	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.1	0.1
Barley	..	11	8.1	8.1	6.0	5.9
Pulses
Gram	..	8	8	7	4	4
Moong	..	0.40	0.97	0.20	0.15	0.17
Mash	..	10.65	11.30	10.23	11.51	9.96
Massar	..	5.02	4.49	4.53	2.56	2.42
Oil Seeds
Groundnut	..	(a)	(a)	0.2	..	(a)
Rape and Mustard	..	3.8	4.0	4.7	4.1	4.0
Seaamum	..	6.6	5.5	4.6	8.3	8.6
Linseed	..	1.6	1.3	0.7	0.7	0.6
Other Crops
Sugarcane	..	21	24	23	21	21
Cotton American	..	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3
Cotton desi	..	3.6	3.1	3.2	3.3	3.4
Potatoes	..	0.5	0.2	0.6	0.3	0.6
Chillies	..	0.01	..	(a)	..	..

(Statistical Abstracts of Punjab 1968 to 1972) (a) Denotes less than 50 hectares

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