Chambalravinestowitness influxoffarming&tourists

NEW DELHI: The ravines of the ChambalGwalior belt, once the hideouts of the dreaded dacoits because of a unique geographical feature of the gullies up to 15-20 feet deep, are planned to be turned into grassland for agriculture and a hub of the ecotourism.

The Agriculture Ministry has decided in collaboration of the World Bank to ready within a month a plan to convert a large area of the ravines into arable land. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who hails from Madhya Pradesh, is taking personal keen interest in bringing the three lakh hectares of the rugged land not cultivable today under agriculture purpose. He is also in talks with the road transport and tourism ministers to build a Chambal Expressway to pass through the area to promote an overall development of the region. Some deep gullies in the ravines will be left untouched as they can become a foreign tourists’ attraction.

Minister Tomar has already held virtual meetings with the World Bank officials as also officials of the Madhya Pradesh government, scientists, the vice-chancellor of the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior, and other stakeholders to bring them in the loop. He said Adarsh Kumar, the India representative of the World Bank, assured him his bank was keen on working in Madhya Pradesh for the project.

The ravines consisting of sharp, steep mud hillocks stretch across three states —MP, Rajasthan and UP. It covers the districts of

Baran, Kota, Sawai Madhopur, Karauli and Dholpur in Rajasthan, parts of Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Auria and Jalaun districts of UP and Bhind, Morena and Sheopur districts of MP. This is not for the first time a plan has been floated to cull out something useful from the ravines as earlier also the Centre had launched a mega ravine reclamation project in 1971 but nothing heard about it now.

Till 1980s, the “baghis” — local parlance for dacoits — were the law of the land with guns a way of life to dictate to people. Names and deeds of Maan Singh, Malkhan Singh, Lala Ram, Vikram Mallah, Phoolan Devy and Nirbhay Gujjar are still spoken in awe in the region. Their dread and frequent droughts made it impossible for the poor to undertake farming that was impossible.

Dreaded dacoits — Maan Singh, Malkhan Singh, Lala Ram, Vikram Mallah, Phoolan Devy, Nirbhay Gujjar and Paan Singh Tomar — once ruled the Chambal land.