Foresters in South Rajasthan Ahoy!!
March 2014. Low hillocks with vertical rows of vegetation radiating from the top. Is this soil conservation or territory demarcation? What about the cacti hedges? The hills are bare and brown. Flame of the forest adds spots of color. On the road side hill, there are low stone walls – are they there to prevent mudslides onto the highway? The area now boasts of some vegetation --- palm and other trees and fields too. At one place, I spotted three hovels amidst green fields, probably the field workers. Beyond them was a hillock which was fairly green with bushes and trees and a kothi of stone that looked like that of the owner, as it had a temple close by on the top of the hillock. Many of the hills show young trees amidst many stumps and large stones. Are these the result of the afforestation drive during the Rajiv Gandhi era? At that time, the Dungarpur area was dotted with pits dug by the peopl...