Volume : IV, Issue : V, May - 2015

Sustainable management of natural resources– A lesson from Apatanis

Angkita Sarma, Dr. D. C. Goswami

Abstract :

 Apatanis have been practicing natural resource management informally since the time immemorial. This informal way of land use is part of their community. They utilise their resources for their benefit without harming the  environment. Even jhum cultivation is not found in this valley where forest is destructed for cultivation. The paper seeks to study the traditional forest and agricultural land use pattern and unique paddy cum fish cultivation system of Apatanis with its economic aspect. Forest is  divided into four main types on the basis of ownership like Private eg Bije(Bamboo forest) and Samsung(Pine forest), Kinsman ownership eg  Uru morey(Mixed forest), Clan ownership eg Hallu morey( Pine, Castanopsis and mixed forest) and Village ownership eg Lemba booth(mixed  forest ) and Polung(grazing land ). In addition to this there is sacred forest called Ranthil where religious activity is done and remained undisturbed. Agricultural land also divided into five different types. People use various product of this forest for different activities. The paddy cum  fish cultivation is an integrated farming of paddy and fish together in the same plot. Millets are also produced on the bunds. So they get triple  benefit from single plot simultaneously at a low input cost and with high output. They are pioneer in this field to make possible the integrated  paddy cum fish cultivation at a low input and with high output cost.

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Article: Download PDF   DOI : 10.36106/ijsr  

Cite This Article:

Angkita Sarma, Dr. D.C. Goswami Sustainable management of natural resources� A lesson from Apatanis International Journal of Scientific Research, Vol : 4, Issue : 5 May 2015

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