(viii) Animal Diseases and Veterinary Hospitals
Animal
Diseases
Although a comprehensive effort has been made to control and
reduce the incidence of veterinary diseases, these continue to reduce the
vitality and working efficiency of the livestock. The common animal diseases
prevalent in the district are haemorrhagic septivaemia, black-quarter,
foot-and-mouth disease, and parasitic diseases. Haemorrhagic septivaemia cause
heavy losses among the livestock. It occurs in the low lying and marshy areas
after rains in August, September and January. All the animals are vaccinated as
a prophylactic measure before the rains to ward off the incidence of the
disease. Prophylactic vaccination has proved very successful in controlling the
outbreak of this disease. The outbreak of black-quarter is controlled with the
black-quarter serum and vaccine. The foot-and-mouth disease generally breaks
out in the threshing seasons of the crops and is cured by resorting to local
treatment. Rinderpest is a highly fatal disease amongst the cattle. The
Rinderpest Eradication Scheme, launched during the Second Five-Year Plan, aims
at eradicating the disease by immunizing the entire cattle population through
mass-scale vaccinations and inoculations in the villages. It has been almost
completely eradicated from this district.
Three veterinary hospitals were started in the district
in 1907-08. Their number rose to 4 in 1915-16, 6 in 1921-22, 11 in 1930-31, 14
in 1942-43, 18 in 1950-51 and 23 in 1960-61. Five permanent outlying
dispensaries were started in 1936-37, and their number rose to 8 in 1942-43, 10
in 1950-51 and 18 in 1960-61. There was (as on March 31, 1968) a network of 30
veterinary hospitals, each under a Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, 32 permanent
outlying dispensaries, each under a Veterinary Compounder, and other veterinary
institutions as under:
Veterinary hospitals and permanent outlying dispensaries in the Amritsar District, as on March 31, 1968
|
Veterinary hospitals |
Permanent outlying dispensaries |
||
|
Zila Parishad |
Municipal Committee/ Panchayat Samiti/ Government |
Panchayat Samiti |
Provincial |
Tahsil Amritsar |
|||
|
1. |
Hathigate, Amritsar (maintained and run by the Municipal Committee, Amritsar) |
1. Naushehra Nangali 2. Fatehpur Rajputan |
|
|
2. |
Chatiwind, Amritsar (maintained and run by the Municipal Committee, Amritsar) |
3. Thande 4. Bundala |
|
|
3. Jandiala Guru |
|
5. |
Bhoewal |
|
4. Tarsikka |
|
6. |
Verka |
|
5. Rayya |
|
7. |
Basar Ke |
|
6. Butala |
|
8. |
Dhulka |
|
7. Kathunangal |
|
|
|
|
8. Tahli Sahib |
|
|
|
|
9. Majitha |
|
|
|
|
10. Mahta |
|
|
|
Tahsil Tarn Taran |
|||
|
11. Tarn Taran |
|
9. |
Bhail Dhaiwal |
|
12. Naushehra Pannuan |
|
10. Kairon |
|
|
13. Chohla |
|
11. Bhuchar Dhala |
|
|
14. Atari |
|
12. Naushehra Dhala |
|
|
15. Fatehabad |
|
13. Dera Sahib |
|
|
16. Jalalabad |
|
14. Dhotian |
|
|
17. Kasail |
|
15. Kang |
|
|
18. Panjawar Kalan |
|
16. |
Shahbazpur |
|
19. |
Khadur Sahib (run by the Panchayat Samiti) |
17. |
Sirhali Kalan |
|
20. |
Pandori Sidhuan (run by the Government) |
18. |
Nagoke |
Tahsil Patti |
|||
|
21. Patti |
|
19. Burj Deva Singh |
|
|
22. Valtoha |
|
20. Narli |
|
|
23. Bhikhiwind |
|
21. Sabhra 22. Sugga 23. Bhangala 24. Gharyala 25. Minhala Jai Singh 26. Rahoke 27. Sur Singh 28. Algon 29. |
Khem Karan |
Tahsil Ajnala |
|||
|
24. Ajnala |
|
30. Vachhoha |
|
|
25. Ramdas |
|
31. Saurian |
|
|
26. Raja Sansi |
|
32. Sarangdev |
|
|
27. |
Gagomahal (run by the Panchayat Samiti) |
|
|
|
28. Chogawan |
|
|
|
|
29. Chetanpura |
|
|
|
|
30. |
Jasraur (run by the Panchayat Samiti) |
|
|
(Source:
District Animal Husbandry Officer, Amritsar)
The whole of the Amritsar District and a part of the Gurdaspur
District fall under the jurisdiction of the Divisional Forest Officer,
Amritsar. He is assisted by an attached officer, one Head Assistant, 5 Forest
Rangers, 6 Deputy Rangers, 19 Foresters and other Class III ministerial staff
and 102 Forest Guards in Class IV, besides other miscellaneous staff.
This office was established in 1945. The main functions
of the department are to undertake the plantation of fuel-trees and to conserve
forests. The department also grows plants along drains and bunds. It plants
trees along roads, canal and railway strips, and protects the old reserve
forests of Serai Amanat Kahn, Bhoru, Gagewal and othlan. The areas lying
alongside the Ravi River the bet areas
and the gullied areas along the right bank of the Beas River are also being
acquired for plantations.
(i) Importance
of Forestry in the Economy of the District:-
There are no regular forests in the district with exception of the
following four old reserved forests in the district with the exception of the following
four old reserved forests, i.e. rakhs, covering 9.64 square kilometers:
|
Name |
Area
in sq.km. |
Located in |
|
1. Rakh Serai Amanat Khan |
4.95 |
Tarn Taran Tehsil |
|
2. Rakh Bhoru |
2.38 |
Ditto |
|
3. Rakh Gagrewal |
2.11 |
Ditto |
|
4. Rakh Othtan |
0.20 |
Ajnala Tahsil |
|
Total |
9.64 |
|
(Source:
Divisional Forest Officer, Amritsar Forest Division, Amritsar)
The Rakh Serai Amanat Khan was transferred to the Forest
Department by the civil authorities in 1946. It mainly contains shisham-trees raised
by supplying canal irrigation during the early fifties. There are large patches
of highly saline and alkaline soils which do not sustain any growth of useful
trees.
The Rakh Bhoru is situated along a natural drain and the
area is subject to inundation during the rainy season. The area contains a
patchy growth of shisham-trees, and recently eucalyptus has been introduced
into the areas waterlogged by rains to improve the tree-stock.
The Rakh Gagrewal is situated on the right bank of the Beas
River near the village of Gagrewal. Kikar-trees were raised in this rakh in the
early fifties by the direct sowing of seeds.
The Rakh Othtan is a small patch of forest near Ajnala.
It contains a good growth of shisham-trees and mesquite-trees.
The process of the consolidation of holdings has further
led to the cutting of trees in large number. Under the grow-more-food campaign,
most of the culturable waste-land has also been reclaimed and brought under the
plough. To augment their income, the village panchayats have been eager to
bring the culturable commons undr cultivation. Thus, areas which are quite poor
and where cultivation does not appear to be economical are given to the Forest
Department for afforestation.
The indiscriminate cutting of trees has been the main
cause of the scarcity of fuel in the country side. The rural population has
perforce to meet their domestic needs for fuel by using cow dung cakes which,
if used as manure, would increase considerably the fertility and productivity of
the soil.
After the partition of 1947, there arose an acute
shortage of fuel in the State. Steps were taken to bring more Government land
under the control of the Forest Department for raising fuel and economic
plantations thereon. Consequently in 1951, the railway and national highway
strips, and in 1956, the PWD road-strips and canal-strips were transferred to
the Forest Department for plantations. In addition to controlling the spread of
desert and adopting other soil-conservation measures, the Forest Department
aims at increasing the timber, fuel and fodder resources by afforesting the
Government and private land. During the Vanmahotsava Week in the second week of
July every year, a large number of fruit-trees, timber-trees and other trees
and planted.
The
forests in the district are considerable importance. The areas include rail,
road and canal strips. The area under forests in the district is classified,
according to legal status, as ‘Reserved’, ‘Protected’ and ‘Unclassed’. Reserved
forests are permanently assigned either to the production of timber or to other
forest reduce and in these the right of grazing and cultivation is seldom
allowed. In protected forests3, these rights are allowed subject to
certain restrictions.
The
protected forests cover 63 square kilometers and include all rail strips, road
strips and canal strips in the district where shisham and other species of
trees are being raised for timber and fuel-wood.
3The forests were declared protected vide Punjab
Government Notification No.1122-Ft-58/1195, dated the 3rd May, 1958.
The
area under the control of the Forest Department under different categories in
the district during 1967-68 was as under:-
|
Particulars |
Area
in sq.km |
|
(i) Reserved Forests |
10 |
|
(ii) Protected Forests |
63 |
|
Rail Strips |
8 |
|
Road Strips |
11 |
|
Canal Strips |
44 |
|
(iii) Unclassed |
--- |
|
(iv) Area notified under section 38 of the Indian Forests Act, 1927 |
--- |
|
(v) Area notified under section 4-5 of the Land Preservation Act, 1900 |
--- |
|
Total |
73 |
(Source:
Divisional Forest Officer, Amritsar Forest Division, Amritsar)
(ii) Forest Produce:- The
forest produce is classified into major and minor produce. The major produce includes
timber and firewood which are auctioned periodically, whereas the minor produce
includes grasses tan-bark, leaves, etc. The annual income from the sale of
forest produce in the district during 1955-56, 1960-61, 1965-66 and 1967-68 was
as under:
|
Year |
Major produce
(Rs.) |
Minor produce
(Rs.) |
|
1955-56 |
240038 |
2530 |
|
1960-61 |
380026 |
33704 |
|
1965-66 |
384780 |
26411 |
|
1967-68 |
773876 |
56703 |
(Source: Divisional Forest Officer,
Amritsar Forest Division, Amritsar)
Floods
are a common feature of the district. Water, usually from the Gurdaspur side,
collects and flows into this area. Three big drains, each 90 feet wide, have
dug and arterial drains have also been dug to fall into these big drains. The
drains help to remove the flood water easily. Before the construction of these
drains, floods used to cause havoc to crops, etc. and large sums had to be
spent for giving relief to the flood-stricken people. The following table shows
the damage caused by floods and heavy rains in the district from 1961 to 1968:
|
Year |
Number of villages/
towns affected |
Areas affected (sq.km) |
Number of human
lices lost |
Number of cattle lost |
Number of private
houses damaged |
Damage to crops |
||
|
Area affected
(hectares) |
Produce damaged
(’00 quintals) |
Value of damage
(‘000’ rupees) |
||||||
|
1961 |
762 |
754 |
9 |
32 |
9815 |
75278 |
578 |
21413 |
|
1962 |
1202 |
4898 |
30 |
450 |
59727 |
181154 |
10289 |
50178 |
|
1963 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
|
1964 |
457 |
1259 |
22 |
322 |
10547 |
64618 |
4729 |
27613 |
|
1965 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
|
1966 |
864 |
1541 |
16 |
48 |
26689 |
55485 |
6258 |
47425 |
|
1967 |
26 |
10 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
644 |
34 |
576 |
|
1968 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
(Statistical Abstracts of Punjab,
1967, 1968 and 1969)
The
Amritsar District is one of the most well-developed districts in the Punjab and
it has the maximum irrigation facilities. So the chances of famine are remote,
am account of scarcities in the past is, however, given below:
The Scarcity of
1868 and 1869 caused much distress in the south of the district, particularly
among the mental classes for two successive seasons. The presence of the
Amritsar city increased the difficulties of the district, for its reputed
wealth made it a centre to which the distressed persons were attracted and
there were at one time many thousands of immigrants in the city and its
neighborhood, subsisting wholly upon charity. Relief measures such as the construction
and repair of roads from Tarn Taran to Jandiala Guru, Vairowal, and the Harike
Ferry, and from the city to Ajnala were adopted and the famine rates. Houses
from which the poor could be fed were opened in the Amritsar city and at the
tahsil headquarters. The work of filling in the great ditch, from which the
materials for the ramparts had been excavated, and which was a fruitful source
of disease, was begun. Nearly 3,000 labourers were employed each day in this
work alone. The work was brought to a close in April 1869 after the winter rain
had removed the chief fear of famine, but had to be restarted in August when
the monsoon rains failed again. This time, the Ahluwalia Dhab, a morass in the
centre of the city, was the relief work and from the first to last day, bearly
a lakh of labourers were employed to fill it up. The prove of wheat rose to 9 ½
seers a rupee. At that time, it was remarked that the attraction of high prices
might tend to denude the district of stocks, and leave a tract naturally rich and
self-supporting in a bad way when the famine would come. Amritsar may now
suffer from scarcity; which may react in the cattle on which so much depends,
but it is not likely with its present advantages ever to suffer from actual
famine.
The
District Generally Safe from Famine:- Since the scarcity of 1868-69, there
have been other years of scarcity, such as 1899-1900 and 1907-08 when the
failure of rains resulted in a serious shortage of fodder and the price of
wheat and other principal staples rose very high. This is liable to happen in
any year, but even in the worst years famine was never proclaimed and is never
likely to be so, as the district is so well protected by canal and well
irrigation. In fact, Amritsar may be regarded as a district from which large
supplies can be exported in case of famine in other parts of India, not only
from local produce but from the huge imported stocks always held in the city.
The unprotected area of the Ajnala Tahsil, which lies beyond the Sakki Nala, is
the tract most quickly affected by a shortage of rains and, consequently, is
most liable of famine, but despite its isolated position and lack of
communications by rail and road, even here any serious famine need not be
apprehended.
(Vide page 142)
(thousand hectares)
|
Crops |
1950-51 |
1955-56 |
1960-61 |
1965-66 |
1967-68 |
Cereals |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rice |
28 |
31 |
41 |
68 |
70 |
|
Wheat |
134 |
142 |
139 |
161 |
177 |
|
Bajra |
14 |
11 |
8 |
6 |
8 |
|
Maize |
25 |
27 |
33 |
36 |
49 |
|
Jawar |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
0.2 |
|
Barley |
4 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
6 |
Pulses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gram |
59 |
66 |
42 |
30 |
32 |
|
Moong |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
0.32 |
|
Mash |
1 |
0.50 |
--- |
--- |
0.45 |
|
Moth |
1 |
0.50 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
|
Massar |
3.00 |
2.00 |
5 |
4 |
5.48 |
Oilseeds |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rape and mustard |
22 |
10 |
--- |
12 |
21 |
|
Sesamum |
12 |
6 |
2.50 |
3 |
3.6 |
|
Linseed |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
0.3 |
Other Crops |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sugarcane |
13 |
12 |
13 |
17 |
15 |
|
Cotton American |
--- |
34 |
15 |
18 |
19.5 |
|
Cotton desi |
23 |
7 |
16 |
14 |
13.1 |
|
Potatoes |
--- |
--- |
--- |
1 |
0.8 |
|
Chillies |
--- |
1 |
2.00 |
3 |
3.68 |
(Statistical Abstract of District
Amritsar, 1967, pp. 56-83; and
Statistical Abstract of Punjab,
1968, pp. 62-80)
(Vide page 142)
(thousand tonnes)
|
Crops |
1950-51 |
1955-56 |
1960-61 |
1965-66 |
1967-68 |
Cereals |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rice |
42 |
41 |
67 |
90 |
98 |
|
Wheat |
139 |
132 |
143 |
231 |
274 |
|
Bajra |
5 |
4 |
7 |
4 |
7 |
|
Maize |
14 |
21 |
47 |
44 |
69 |
|
Jawar |
--- |
(b) |
(b) |
--- |
--- |
|
Barley |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
6 |
Pulses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gram |
41 |
48 |
35 |
30 |
25 |
|
Moong |
--- |
(b) |
(b) |
(b) |
0.09 |
|
Mash |
0.3 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.24 |
|
Massar |
2.2 |
1.3 |
--- |
2.2 |
2.90 |
Oilseeds |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rape and mustard |
15.6 |
6.7 |
8.4 |
10.9 |
6.0 |
|
Sesamum (thousand cwt.) |
52.6 |
9.8 |
--- |
26.98 |
1.64 |
|
Linseed |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.20 |
Other Crops |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sugarcane |
24 |
37 |
49 |
62 |
63 |
|
Cotton American (thousand bales) |
(b) |
26.6 |
18 |
20.1 |
25.2 |
|
Cotton desi (thousand bales) |
16 |
6 |
19 |
16.8 |
16.8 |
|
Potatoes |
1.5 |
0.3 |
13 |
12.6 |
11.0 |
|
Chillies |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
3.44 |
(Statistical Abstract of District
Amritsar, 1967, pp. 84-91; and
Statistical Abstract of Punjab,
1968, pp. 62-80)
(b) Denotes less than 500 tonnes
(Vide page 142)
|
Crops |
1950-51 (per acre in
pounds) |
1955-56 (per acre in pounds |
1960-61 (per acre in pounds |
1965-66 (per acre in pounds |
1967-68 (per acre in pounds |
Cereals |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rice |
1363 |
1185 |
1660 |
1339 |
1425 |
|
Wheat |
932 |
837 |
1038 |
1458 |
1570 |
|
Bajra |
320 |
301 |
887 |
667 |
875 |
|
Maize |
498 |
692 |
1435 |
1258 |
1440 |
|
Jawar |
--- |
95 |
171 |
--- |
--- |
|
Barley |
747 |
850 |
857 |
667 |
1000 |
Pulses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gram |
629 |
651 |
857 |
1000 |
781 |
|
Moong |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
|
Mash |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
|
Massar |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
Oilseeds |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rape and mustard |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
|
Sesamum (thousand cwt.) |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
|
Linseed |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
Other Crops |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sugarcane |
1629 |
2604 |
3674 |
3795 |
4270 |
|
Cotton American (thousand bales) |
--- |
122 |
158 |
199 |
232 |
|
Cotton desi (thousand bales) |
106 |
108 |
198 |
216 |
231 |
|
Potatoes |
6720 |
9875 |
18630 |
17000 |
14000 |
(Statistical Abstract of District Amritsar,
1967, pp. 92-99; and
Statistical Abstract of Punjab,
19611966 and 1968)