Land-Use Management and Wet-Rice Cultivation (Jebi Aji) by the Apatani People in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

The traditional knowledge and expertise of the Apatani group of villages in the Ziro valley of Arunachal Pradesh in north-east India were evaluated in terms of the cultural and social cohesiveness associated with managing the land, water and agro-biodiversity. Unlike other tribal communities in north-east India, who mainly practise shifting cultivation, the Apatani depend mainly on perennial wet-rice cultivation. They successfully grow 16 varieties of rice in the waterlogged paddy fields by means of organic farming and appropriate use of diverse natural resources. The traditional wet-rice farming system is functional even today and is modified by the community as and when required. Apatani land-use management is conducted using well tried traditional land law systems, and land is classified into 10 major categories on the basis of traditional uses. The paper also highlights the traditional irrigation technology and techniques for maintaining soil fertility and storing grain.