Uttarakhand Migration: Challenges & Solutions

Introduction

Migration has become a serious issue in Uttarakhand for the last several years. Youth are leaving their state for better employment opportunities, due to which the population balance is getting disturbed. To solve this crisis, a Uttarakhand-Migration-Solution is needed to retain the youth and promote sustainable development.

Reasons for Migration in Uttarakhand

In Uttarakhand, almost 1800 villages have become vacant. According to the Rural Development and Migration Prevention Commission, more than 50% of people have migrated due to lack of development and 15% due to lack of education. People are migrating from one place to another.
Most migration is seen in Almora and Puri Garwal of Uttarakhand, and temporary migration happens in places like Haridwar, Dehradun, and Nainital. It is essential to preserve the rural identity and economy of this state through Uttarakhand migration solutions.

There are many reasons for migration in Uttarakhand, of which these 4 categories are major.

• Climate change (जलवायु परिवर्तन)—Not just Uttarakhand but the whole world is facing the ill effects of climate change, and according to the New Delhi-based institute, the number of ghost villages in Uttarakhand will increase manifold in the coming years, as a result of which all the villages will become empty. The people here have been facing climate change for a long time, which includes changing temperatures, melting glaciers, and erratic rainfall.
  

• Lack of employment (रोज़गार की कमी)—In Uttarakhand, unemployment is the main cause of migration. Although farming is the main source of income for the majority of the population, it is extremely challenging in the steep regions. Young people are moving to cities or other states in search of more possibilities for their future development because they are unable to find employment.
  

• Lack of education or inequality (शिक्षा का अभाव या असमानता)—There are schools in many villages, but due to a lack of teachers and unavailability of resources, children are not able to get proper education. Seeing this, parents send their children to other cities like Dehradun and Delhi for better education, and then they themselves migrate there with their families. This is why inequality, lack of education, and lack of opportunities promote migration in Uttarakhand.
  
  
• Lack of Health Services (स्वास्थ्य सेवाओं का अभाव)—Lack of health care, which has a direct impact on human life, is one of the primary causes of migration in Uttarakhand. Even now, getting to a hospital in many Uttarakhand villages can require several hours, especially during inclement weather or during the rainy months.
  If treatment is not available on time, many people lose their lives due to this. People leave their villages and go to other cities in the hope of a healthy life, and this is why the lack of health services is a deep and sensitive reason for migration in Uttarakhand.
  
  

Challenges of Migration in Uttarakhand

Despite the beautiful valleys of Uttarakhand, culture, and nature, it is facing a very serious problem – migration. Every year millions of people are moving to the cities in search of better education, health, and employment. In this, it is necessary to implement the Uttarakhand Migration Solution.

Main Challenges (मुख्य चुनौतियाँ)

• Disaster Vulnerability (आपदा और जलवायु जोखिम)—Uttarakhand is fraught with disaster and climate risks as climate change pushes people towards insecure and precarious lives. This includes landslides, floods and cloudbursts, forest fires, and uncertainty about the future, due to which people have to face challenges.

• Border Security Risk (सुरक्षा और सीमा क्षेत्र का खतरा)—Security and border threat in Uttarakhand is a serious challenge that is often ignored. It is not only related to population, but it is also directly related to national security. Bordering China and Nepal, there is a severe lack of basic roads, schools, health centers, and mobile networks in the border areas of Uttarakhand. In such a situation, people are left with no concrete reason to live, which is one of the main challenges.

• Cultural Erosion (संस्कृति और भाषा का नुकसान)—Loss of culture and language in Uttarakhand (cultural erosion) is a serious but often overlooked challenge of migration as people of Uttarakhand leave their villages and migrate to cities, losing not only their land but also their Sanskrit heritage and language.
  If we have to save the languages, festivals, and lifestyle of Uttarakhand, then it is necessary to stop migration and rejuvenate the villages
  

Solutions to Migration in Uttarakhand

The solution to migration lies not only in returning from the city but also in making the villages livable and peaceful, so today we will tell you about some effective Uttarakhand Migration Solutions that can help stop this growing problem.

• Infrastructure Development (बुनियादी ढांचे का विकास)— To stop Uttarakhand migration, it is necessary to develop infrastructure like roads and transport systems, electricity and water supply, internet, health centers, and the development of educational facilities. If Uttarakhand Migration Solutions will be implemented in villages also and all these facilities will be there, then people will not be forced to migrate to cities, which will be a very easy solution.

• Skill Training for Youth (युवाओं के लिए स्किल ट्रेनिंग)—Skill training for youth in Uttarakhand is the most effective solution to stop migration. When the youth get training for employment in their own place, in their own village, then why should they go to other cities?
  There should be limited employment opportunities in Uttarakhand, which mainly include skill development programs for the youth like eco-tourism and guiding, hotel management, computers, digital marketing, graphic designing, mobile repairing, etc. Skill training is not just a means to get a job; it is the first step towards a self-reliant village and self-reliant Uttarakhand.

• Promoting Local Tourism (स्थानीय पर्यटन को बढ़ावा देना)— Promoting local tourism is a sustainable solution to curb migration to Uttarakhand, which values ​​its natural beauty, culture, folk art, and religion. The mountain villages of Uttarakhand are often naturally religious and culturally rich. Tourism provides employment in homestays, guiding, handicrafts, transportation, food, and cultural programs.
  It gives an opportunity to the local people to earn income at their place. Homestay and village tourism is Local people can give cheap and traditional experiences to tourists by converting their houses into homestays. Due to which women also get source of income and exchange of culture Religious and adventure tourism Uttarakhand has many religious places (Kedarnath, Badrinath, Jageshwar). Besides trekking, river rafting, camping, yoga, and wellness tourism can also be promoted.