Pauri and Almora districts are said to be suffering the most from migration. However, three blocks in Pauri district have actually suffered negligibly from the ill-effects of migration thanks of cultivation of potatoes and off-season vegetables.

The Rural Development and Migration Commission (RDMC) is working on district-wise reports on economic aspects of the districts. Its report of the Pauri district is nearly complete and slated to be submitted to the Government next month. According to Government data, Pauri comprises about 10 per cent of the State’s total geographical area and 16 per cent of Uttarakhand’s population but has only 4.23 per cent share in the gross State domestic product (GSDP).

The per capita income in Pauri is Rs 1,09,973 per year compared to Rs 2,54,050 per year in the plain district of Haridwar.

While the State’s average of Below Poverty Line (BPL) residents at the district level is about 16 per cent, it is the highest at 29 per cent in Pauri.

Though most of the 15 blocks in the district are affected by migration, three blocks- Thalisain, Khirsu and Dugadda have suffered very little from this problem.

Traders from Ramnagar in Nainital district provide seeds and enter into contracts with locals in Thalisain to cultivate potatoes.

Similarly, the cultivation of off-season vegetables provides a sustainable livelihood to residents of Khirsu and Dugadda blocks.

The cultivators in these blocks also have access to a market to sell their produce conveniently. This is considered to be a major reason for the problem of migration not affecting these three blocks of the Pauri district.