Migration pattern of Raika pastoralists of Marwar region in India

Abstract

Pastoralists of India are facing various challenges due to degraded and shrunken pastures in their native places as well as limited availability of feed and fodder resources throughout their migratory routes. Therefore, the present study was conducted in the six villages of Pali and Jodhpur district of Marwar region of Rajasthan among the 120 Raika pastoralists to map and document their migratory pattern. Study revealed that Raikas of Pali district migrated for eight months from October to May and covered almost 900 km towards Madhya Pradesh and used nine halting points. Whereas pastoralists of Jodhpur district had more dispersed migration towards Uttar Pradesh and Haryana by covering more than 1000 km and spent 8-11 months with 11 transit halts. Necessary interventions like rejuvenation of degraded pastures, animal and human health camps etc. may be arranged at the identified migratory routes and halting points to secure sustainable livelihood of the Raika pastoralists of Rajasthan.