226 Abode of Gods
national wealth.
(xiii) >Study of water resources and its use,
(xiv) Horticulture and agriculture in Himalayan context needs
to be studied.
(xv) Prospects of tourism,
At present, there is complete dearth of books on above
subjects; therefore, it is urgently required that a body of experts
on Himalayas should write text books on various subjects
involving above and other Himalayan problems. Having
imparted correct education to the children, we can make a stable
launching pad for our broad based future development plans.
Lack of local involvement
There is complete lack of local involvement in the develop-
mental schemes due to faulty organisational education and local
apathy which is directly connected with the faulty educational
system and illiteracy. We have to evolve such educational
systems which will remove the student alienation and at university
level of education Universities of Garhwal and Kumaon will
have to put the students into inter-disciplinary groups. In fact
N.C.E.R.T. and I.C.A.R. will have to formulate such schemes
which will remove student alienation and drudgery from the land
and involve them in their community integration plans so that
ecological regeneration is achieved.
Low agricultural output
Since vast stretches of land are being cultivated on ancient
pattern of agriculture, and due to fragile nature of terraces,
cultivation is scarce as a result of which the people are forced to
live in small and scattered villages where they carry on cultivation
and other economic activities at a considerable low level of
technology. Frequent shifting cultivation is supplemented by
semi-shifting dry cultivation and some household industry for
supporting daily expenditure, both combined provides them
precarious means of livelihood. Mereover, the number of
personnel employed for cultivation is very high which includes
the women. It fact, women participation jn Uttarakhand is
probably highest in India.
The productivity of the soil varies from place to place and