"Your land is land for Gods to live in. Its air, its natural scenery, its pure atmosphere,
its sweet water would attract even Gods" Sardar Vallabhai Patel.
Basic Facts of West Garo Hills
West Garo Hills is one of the seven districts of Meghalaya. The total geographic area of the district is 3714 sq.km, with approximate population of 403027. The district stood at an average height of 600m and is characterized by rugged hilly terrain. The main hills are Nokrek range, Arbella and Rangira range. The mean temperature is 27.5°C in summer and 17.5°C in winter. The district receives an annual rainfall of about 1600-4000 mm.
Remote sensing data reveals that the district has good forest cover occupying 56.32% of total geographical area. Shifting cultivation is extensively practice in this part of the region occupying 31.69% with a meager wet cultivation of 7.39%. Grazing land occupies a negligible 0.20% with the wastelands of 1.34%. This region is suitable for various horticultural crops like areca nut, Citrus and Cashew nut. Beverages namely, tea, coffee are also grown in district.
Tucked away in the hills of eastern sub-Himalayas is Garo Hills, one of the most beautiful place in the country. Nature has blessed her with abundant rainfall, sun-shine, virgin forests, high plateaus, tumbling waterfalls, crystal clear rivers, meandering streamlets and above all with sturdy, intelligent and hospitable people.
West Garo Hills is subject to vagaries of the monsoon. The climate varies with altitude. The climate is uniquely pleasant and bracing. It is neither too warm in summer nor too cold in winter, but over the plains of Garo Hills, the climate is warm and humid, except in winter. The sky seldom remains free of clouds.
West Garo Hills from Tourism Point of View
It is overwhelmingly beautiful, where everything is impossibly green and alive. The rolling mists in the valleys, the undulating hills, numerous lakes, waterfalls, caves, sacred forests, exotic flora and fauna, together with the unique and interesting destination. Important places of interest are Tura Peak, Bhaitbari, Kata Beel, Darga of Hazrat Shah Kamal Baba, Nokrek, Mir Jumla’s Tomb, Arbella Peak, Rong·bang Dare, Sasatgre, etc.
Community
The Garo Hills is predominantly inhabited by the Garos, belonging to the Bodo family of the Tibeto-Burman race, said to have migrated from Tibet. The Garos prefer to call themselves as A·chik and the land they inhabit, as the A·chik-land. The Garos had a matrilineal system of inheritance and women enjoy greater equality than their counterparts in non-tribal society. Socially, the community lacks behind in critical areas such as literacy, healthcare and other basic needs. On the economic front, major part of the labor are invested in agriculture particularly jhum cultivation.
Livelihood Support System
About 89% of the total population practices Shifting cultivation with a present jhum cycle of 4-5 years. The main characteristic of Shifting Cultivation is mixed cropping of about 50 crop varieties at one time. A short gestation period with continuous increase in population has exerted tremendous pressure on the existing vegetative cover threatening the existing catchments areas coupled with the problems relating to soil erosion and other environmental complications.
Wet terrace cultivation is also practice in small pockets with mono-cropping once in a year. In recent years, homestead garden and horticultural plantation had mushroomed in some of the villages.
Large-scale felling of trees for fire-wood and commercialization of timbers and bamboo species in this region had resulted in large-scale destruction of existing forest.
Jhumming Calender
January- Removal of jhum stubbles (A·breng danga)/removal of forest stubbles or trees (a∙ba o∙a),
harvesting of Colocassia (ta·a) and tubers (Ta·jong and ta·matchi)
February- Hoeing (A·ba wita), harvesting of sweet potato.
March- Burning the dried stubbles into ashes (A·ba soa), sowing of upland paddy (Mi ge·a).
April- First weeding and protection of crops or fencing (A·ba/A·jakra danga), sowing of vegetable
crops.
May- First weeding continued.
June- Second intercultural operation (Bamil gama).
July to August- Harvesting of paddy, pumpkin, cucurbits, Brinjal, chilli etc.
September- Removal of unwanted paddy straws by cutting.
October- Harvesting of pea, sponge gourd, etc.
November- Harvesting of colocassia, cassava, etc.
December- Harvesting of Ginger, Sesamam, Cotton, etc. and selection of site next year and clearing of
forest tract by cutting down the jungle.
Jhum/Swidden cultivation:
The households of every village are involves in jhum cultivation. The jhum cycle is presently 6 years. Jhum plots are scattered and vary in size depending on capacity of family labour from 0.2 – 0.5 ha. Paddy and ginger are the dominant crops in the cultivation.