Economy

Economy of Uttaranchal

Uttaranchal’s 90 per cent of the population depends on agriculture. The net cultivated area in the State is 12,61,915 hectares. The State is rich in mineral depositys like limestone, rock phosphate, dolomite, magnesite, copper greyphyte, soap stone, gypsum, etc. Most of the industries in the state are forest-based. The State has excellent potential for hydropower generation. There are a number of hydro-electric projects on the rivers Yamuna, Bhagirathi, Ganga, Ramganga and Sharda, generating electricity. Out of 15,669 villages, 12,315 villages have been electrified. It is estimated that about 75% of the state lives on subsistence agriculture, and 70% of the state population is below the poverty line.

The state of Uttaranchal has tremendous potential of developing tourism industry due to the beautiful landscape, religious places, trekking trails, national parks, mountain peaks and historical and archeological sites. Most of the rural population is engaged in agriculture. Doon Valley, Nainital district, Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar districts produce large quantities of food grains. The state has immense potential for the development of horticulture crops. Apple, orange, malta, pear, grapes, peach, plum, appricot, litchi, mango, guava are widely produced fruits. The region also promises a good future to the developing herbal pharmaceutical industry owing to the abundance of medicinal plants. Due to its water resources, the state has the capacity to generate many mega watts of power. There are 17 hydro-electric projects and various power projects including Tehri Dam, which has recently been constructed in the Tehri-Garhwal region.

Uttaranchal is a beautiful place lying in the lap of the mighty Himalayas. It comprised of two regions, the western half known as Garhwal and the eastern region going by the name of Kumaon, the two having different chieftains in history and different lingual and cultural influences due to proximity and neighbourhood of different cultures. Inseparable and complementary nature of their geography, economy, culture, language and traditions, however, have formed strong bondages between the two regions. The place is bless with nature, you can find so many gorgeous landscaping, enchanting rivers, magnificent countryside, exotic hill stations a and honest and hospitable people.

Location - Uttaranchal became the 28th state of the Republic of India on November 9, 2000. Uttaranchal is attached with China in the north and Nepal to the east, and it shares it boundaries with Himachal Pradesh in the west and Uttar Pradesh in the south. In past this state was a part of Uttar Pradesh. The region is traditionally referred to as Uttarakhand in old literature and scriptures which derives from the Sanskrit for North Country.

The provisional capital of Uttaranchal is Dehra Dun which is also a rail-head and the largest city in the region. The small hamlet of Gairsen has been mooted as the future capital owing to its geographic centrality but controversies and lack of resources have led Dehra Dun to be the provisional capital. The High Court of the state is in Nainital. Uttaranchal is a region of outstanding natural beauty. Most of the northern parts of the state are part of Greater Himalaya ranges, covered by the high Himalayan peaks and glaciers, while the lower foothills were densely forested till denuded by the British log merchants and forest contractors after independence. Recent efforts in forestation, however, have been successful in restoring the situation to some extent. The unique Himalayan ecosystem plays host to a large number of animals (including bharal, snow leopards, leopards and tigers), plants and rare herbs. Two of India's mightiest rivers, the Ganga and the Yamuna take birth in the glaciers of Uttaranchal, and are fed by myriad lakes, glacial melts and streams in the region.

Tourism industry is the back bone of Uttaranchal's economy. Corbett National Park and Tiger Reserve and the nearby hill-stations like Nainital and Bhimtal and several other hill-stations such as Mussoorie, Almora and Ranikhet being among the most frequented destinations of India.

To this region also belong some of the holiest Hindu shrines, and for almost 2000 years now, pilgrims have been visiting the temples at Haridwar, Badrinath, Kedarnath and Jageshwar in the hope of salvation and purification from sin. Rishikesh near Haridwar has the major spiritual and yoga centers of India. Gangotri and Yamunotri, the sources of the Ganges and Yamuna also fall in this region and are revered by many. Besides these most popular pilgrim centers, the state has an abundance of temples and shrines, references to most of which can be found in Hindu scriptures and legends. The architecture of most of these temples is typical of the region and slightly different from other parts of India, the ancient temples at Jageshwar being the most popular for their architectural importance.

Recent developments in the region include initiatives by the state government to capitalise on the burgeoning tourist trade as well as tax incentives to lure high-tech industry to the state. The state also has big-dam projects, controversial and often criticised in India, such as the very large Tehri dam on the Bhagirathi-Bhilangana rivers, conceived in 1953 and about to to reach completion.