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A quarterly newsletter of EPS (Selected articles)
UDYANA TODAY
Articles from October December, 2000 Issue
1- EDITORIAL2- AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES & FARMING SYSTEMS OF MALAKAND DIVISION
- GLIMPSES OF SURAY TANGAYChild labor is a multifaceted phenomenon existing in developed, developing and poor countries alike. P.N Pati has defined Child labor as "labor that involve children under the age of 15 years in work or employment with the aim of earning a livelihood for themselves or for their families." ‘Child labor’ formerly applied to the practice of employing young children in factories, now used to denote the employment of minors generally, especially in work that may interfere with their education or endanger their health. In other words any work which interferes with the physical development and desirable educational and recreational opportunities of children is designated as ‘child labor’. Through out the ages and in all cultures children joined their parents to work in the fields, in the marketplace, and around the home. It was not seen as a social problem but the introduction of the factory system has made people conscious about it. Work by children is essential for training and disciplining, but if work hampers a child’s growth and development or posses threat to his health and safety or deprives him of rest and recreation, then it is certainly "Child Labor", which can not be justified on any pretext.
Now, child labor remains a serious problem in many parts of the world. Studies carried out in 1979, the International Year of Child, show that more than 50 million children below the age of 15 were working in various jobs often under hazardous conditions. Many of these children live in underdeveloped countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Their living conditions are crude and their chances for education are minimal. The meager income they bring in, however is necessary for the survival of their families. Child labor is not, of course, limited to developing nations. It also occurs wherever poverty exists in Europe and the United States. International Labor Organization (ILO) has done a lot to do away with child labor. Being a special agency of the UN it has introduced several conventions inter alia higher and lower age limits for specific jobs, compulsory medical examination and right duty hours etc.
Children do not opt for labor on their own will. Certain factors force them to shoulder the burden of livelihood before attaining adulthood. The causes of child labor vary from case to case and area to area. Poverty is considered to be the most powerful driving force. This holds true in Pakistan, as well. A survey carried out by the Institute of Social Research and Development, published in the Daily Dawn revealed that almost 50% of parents stated that poverty was the main reason for sending children to work. Other causes may include unemployment, absence of social security and non-availability of educational facilities. In Pakistan according to a Child Labor Survey conducted by Federal Bureau of Statistics for the Ministry of Labor in 1996, about 3.6 million children are engaged in labor in Pakistan.
NGOs can play vital role in any program designed for the welfare of working children. NGOs role in planning and implementing activities is carried for safeguarding their rights. Any program must first of all help in identifying forces and activities which shape children’s lives. This should begin from the basic family unit through different institutions of society. For the NGOs the fight against child labor means that they must engage in direct action, first and foremost, and to tackle the problem and protect those children who are already working. The next priority is to rehabilitate those who have been salvaged from the hazardous market place. If this action is to be successful in the long term, NGOs must be facilitated to setup organizational structure within their own system which would help in the sustainability of the program.
EPS conducted a survey about working children in Automobile workshop in the municipality of Mingawara, District Swat. The report determines the need of the education requirements of such children and discovers ways and means of educating such children. In addition, some correlation are also done to see why the children work and what types of children work in the workshops.
Results of the survey show that the literacy rate as well as the education at certain levels is far less among the children working in the automobile workshops as compared to the literacy and education at levels in the city of Mingawara. Non-formal basic education for working children means more than being able to write their names. The need for basic education should be to satisfying other requirements such as to be able to identify their aptitude, their character traits as well as to raise their self-esteem. The objectives of NGOs engaged in providing basic education to working children should be to create options for the working child in terms of rehabilitation and development; as well as to create an environment in the public and private sector where policy options can be debated for bringing about policy change and consolidation of the existing programs within the existing framework.
AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES & FARMING SYSTEMS OF MALAKAND DIVISION
AMJAD KHAN
Malakand Division has the largest area and the third largest population, among the five civil divisions of North West Frontier Province (NWFP). Geographically, it is situated in the North West of the province within 34° to 37° N and 71° to 74° E, coordinates. It has a gross area of about 29875 Km2 (constituting about 44% of the total NWFP).
Table 1: Some basic statistics of Malakand Division.
District/Agency |
Population (000) |
Geographical area (000 Ha) |
Cultivated area (000 Ha) |
Irrigated area (000 Ha) |
Chitral |
352 |
1485 |
22.6 |
20.9 |
Dir |
1577 |
528.2 |
85.9 |
57.3 |
Swat |
1805 |
878 |
98.8 |
69.8 |
Bunir |
517 |
184.3 |
55.4 |
14.8 |
Shangla |
429 |
137 |
41.8 |
5.9 |
Malakand |
485 |
95.2 |
45.7 |
34.4 |
Total |
5165 |
3308.5 |
350.2 |
203.1 |
NWFP |
7452.1 |
1746.7 |
741.3 |
Source: Important District wise Socio-economics of NWFP, 1997, and NWFP Development Statistics, 1997. Published by Bureau of Statistics, P&D department, NWFP.
Population growth in Malakand Division is among highest in the country. The economy is predominantly rural with a very low industrial base and per capita income is 3 to 4 times less than the national average.
Most of the Malakand division is characterized by rugged and hilly areas. The mountainous ranges of Eastern Hidu Kush and Western Himalayas and their various off-shoots, shape the valleys, sub-valleys and mountain slopes that provide land for agriculture, forest and animal grazing activities. [There are several mountain peaks with considerable height, for example, in district Chitral there are about 100 peaks with elevations above 6000m, the highest being Tirich Mir with an elevation of 7778m]. Elevations of agricultural lands ranges from 800 to about 3000 meters above sea level. This diversity in topographical conditions cause likewise climatic conditions in the different areas of Malakand Division (Table 2).
In lower Malakand Agency, summer temperatures exceed 40°C, while in the far north, summers are temperate and winters very cold. Wide variation also exist, both in amount and distribution of rainfall. For example, rainfall is scarce in Chitral valley (<150mm in Kharif and upto 300mm during Rabi season), while abundant in some pockets of districts Dir and Swat. (>800mm in Kharif and > 500mm in Rabi seasons). Given these different elevations, temperature and rainfall regimes, the Malakand division can be divided into the following four distinct agro-ecological zones for the purpose of possible fruit and vegetable production and innovative practices:
Table 2: Various Agro-ecological Zones of Malakand Division.
Zone |
Location |
Climate |
Lower Swat, Lower Dir, Bunir and Upper Malakand Agency. |
Hot and humid in summer, cool in winter with frost occurring in December and January. |
|
Malakand Swat, Middle Dir and various pockets of Chitral |
Warm and humid in summer, cool in winter with heavy frost and occasional snow during December and January. |
|
Upper Swat, Upper Dir, Upper Chitral and Parts of Shangla. |
High altitude with temperate climate. Summer is mild and winter has heavy frost and snow. |
|
Lower Malakand Agency (Southern aspect of Malakand mountains, i.e., Pallai to Kout areas). |
Sub-tropical climate. Hot in summer, mild in winter with no frost. |
FARMING SYSTEMS
Agriculture in these uplands is mainly subsistence, characterized by low inputs [one of the features of subsistence farming is that the farmer has to produce in order to live. Consequently, he often resists changing Briefly, the following types of farming systems can be observed at different zones of Malakand division.
In zone 1, on riverine irrigated lands, main kharif season crops are rice, maize, summer vegetables (tomato, squashes, gourds, okra etc.) and orchards, and main Rabi season crops are wheat, onion, cruciferous/winter vegetable and fodder (berseem/shaftal). In the same zone, on barani lands, main kharif crops are mong, mash, maize (rain dependent) and main Rabi crops are wheat, rapeseed, lentil, barley and some drought tolerant peas. In these barani areas orchards and vegetables are also prevalent wherever water from tube well or some other source are available.
In zone 2, on irrigated lands main kharif crops are rice, maize (intercropped with pulses or sole) tomato, potato, summer vegetables, tobacco and orchards, and main rabi crops are wheat, onion, peas and cruciferous vegetable. On barani lands major kharif and Rabi seasons crops are maize, tomato (where rainfall is high), pulses, rapeseed and barley etc.
Predominantly, zone 3 is a single crop area. The major crops are potato, maize (intercropped with pulses) some off-season vegetables (mostly Cole crops) and a few orchards.
Agro-ecologically, zone 4 is a very distinct area since it represents a sub-tropical environment. Tomato and other solanecious vegetables are the major Rabi season crops and thus catch good prices in the market. This area is also valued for its good quality citrus and guava. Other major crops are wheat, sugarcane (on riverine irrigated land), onion, and sweet pumpkins etc.
FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA
Environmental resources are often the only resources available to the poor of the Malakand rural areas. Their top soil, their water, what they are able to grow and what grows naturally, the animal supported by this water and vegetation, form the basis for daily survival and a hope for any economic and social development. Achieving food self sufficiency by cultivating grain crops has not been too successful anywhere in the mountain/uplands. In fact, with the growing population, it may not be feasible at all to make these upland areas self-sufficient in food. However, there is now a clear understanding that mountains can never have a comparative advantage in producing food grains and there is an increasing inclination to achieve food security through enhancing the purchasing power of farmers through cash crop farming.
The different agro-ecological zones present in the mountains/valleys of Malakand division form different niches for a variety of valuable fruits, vegetables, spices and niche will give better returns to upland farming communities. The farmers of the upland mountains receive two-fold benefits from cash crops; the first being agro-ecological, in the sense that particular cash crops can be grown only in particular climates; and the other, the comparative advantage of marketing, in the sense that products do not face competition from farming has not been adopted the importance of mountain agriculture as a source of sustenance for the people is rapidly sinking.
In this context, off-season vegetable, i.e., capsicum, tomatoes, peas, beans, coles crops, potatoes (particularly seed potatoes) and cucumbers can be successfully grown under these conditions, at a time when they are not available in the plains. Some fruit species, for example walnut, pear, quinces, almond and grapes are indigenous to the area. If properly identified, the high yielding, good quality clones of these species can be propagated and distributed at particular places. Beside this, some exotic high value fruits like, cherries, hazelnuts, apples, various types of berries etc., can be profitable introduced at appropriate locations. In addition, a wide variety of plant genetic resources of medicinal plants (e.g., Morels) exists in different mountains environments, with promising potential to become high-value cash crops.
However, worth mentioning, there are certain problems that need to be eliminated to exploit the full potential of crop husbandry in Malakand division.
The following are the main production problems.
The following are the main marketing problems.
Muhammad Imran, B.A. History, G.D.C. Matta
Swat has abundance of historical and archaeological sites. Some of these e.g. at Butkada, Udegram, Nemogram, Ghaligai and Manglawar, are officially introduced and supported and are accessible for the tourists and all. Many others are yet undiscovered and un-excavated. One of these historical sites is known as "Suray Tangay", tunnel gorge.
Suray Tangai is situated in village Baidara (Teh. Matta) near the historical mount of Mandur, about two kilometers to the west of the village. From three sides it is surrounded by hills and fields. A small village of Gujars, is also named after the tunnel.
The tunnel is about a hundred feet long. The opening is very narrow to enter, however, we crept with difficulty and went inside. Its walls are naturally cut through the plate shape stones and so is the roof. We were walking leaning our heads downwards. A small portion of tunnel’s walls is recently collapsed, not by itself but by some treasure hunters. Inside this mysterious tunnel is wider than six feet. The other opening is completely closed due to the collapsing of walls and there live bats now. Those who wish to go inside it are advised to take enough light or torches with them and stay no longer because they may suffer Oxygen deficiency.
A few steps away from the tunnel there is a grand well, which is also constructed of special stones. It seems as if it was dug for purpose of storing drinking water. The well may be deeper than 45 feet but is dry now. Circumference of the well is about 9 feet. Location and structure of this grand well shows that there might have been a large settlement of people living around the well and dependant on it because the area is an oasis and has no stream except a small fountain.
Who created this historical and wonderful tunnel and for what purpose? Why that is so narrow? Why there was dug such a large and grand well?
These are the questions which come to mind but they could be answered only when the government and the Department of Archaeology take interest, and to come here themselves and study the area. Otherwise like many other historical places, the ruins of Suray Tangay shall also fall on wrong hands and people would keep illegal digging of these places for search of coins, "golds" and idols.