Team of scientists and technicians from Regional Research Station of Leh of ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) interacted with the farmers of village Kukshow on February 24.

Dr. Dipankar Saha overviewed the experiences of the villagers under the Tribal Support Programme of the Government of India being implemented by the regional station of CAZRI. The aim was to change the livelihood perspective and scenario of local farming.

The team led by Dr. Dipankar Saha along with Mohammad Raza tried to envisage the future course of action with the critical input received from the villagers. They plan for the holistic development of the village through various interventions that may gradually change the livelihood scenario of the village.

The villagers expressed their desire to have the following support services which they opined may change their livelihood status to another stage with not only in terms of supplementary economy regeneration but also ensure their nutritional security. They showed their interest in adopting poultry farming along with crop and vegetable cultivation such as wheat, lentil, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, tomatoes, turnip, carrot, etc. Facilities like pipes for glacier water harvesting, polythene sheets for various agricultural operations, poly-houses to the Kukshow village initially will ensure vegetable supply during harsh winter, thus enriching the nearby villager’s livelihood status as well.

Dr. Saha also briefed about the existing activities carried out in this important regional stations to make it sustainably developed.