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The rights to the common lands and their governance are considered very important for most of the livelihoods in rural India (Meenakshisundaram, 2017). Grasslands are one such common lands in the rural India which has been used extensively for livestock rearing. Grasslands have been diminishing extensively and especially in Karnataka in a more faster pace (Vanak, 2013). One such grassland in the dry arid areas of Karnataka which is losing its area are called kavals. Kavals are a vast stretch of dry grassland which have been used extensively by the people around for livestock grazing, fuel wood collection and NTFP (Non-Timber Forest Products). The kavals are not any Protected Area (PA) like others. These kavals have been owned either by the Animal Husbandry dept. as Amruth Mahal Kavals or others by the forest dept., or village panchayaths. These lands were very much as common lands to the villagers. So people's perception with the access to the commons should be perused before changing the ownership (Karanth and Nepal, 2011). The main intention of this paper is to estimate the changes observed after transformation of the common lands.
The Amruth Mahal cattle breed which can flourish in such kind of grassland not only by grazing but also by breeding. Amruth Mahal breed is considered as best all-round drought animal in India (Kulkarni, 1953). There are around approximately 230000 individuals remaining and among them pure species of about 105000 exist (Breed survey, 2013). This must have changed when the grazing lands are no more available.
Historical evidence shows that these cattle were once flourishing in large numbers since the ages of Vijayanagara Kingdom until the independence of India. Post-independence, these grasslands or the kavals ownership changed from one department to the other, and finally settled some kavals with the Dept. of Animal Husbandry especially for the Amruth Mahal cattle and some with forest department or under the control of village panchayaths. Once there were four lakh acres of Amruth Mahal Kavals and now reduced to just above 60 thousand acres which are distributed in the six districts of Karnataka (Saldanha, 2013). The kaval lands are also shared by sheep, goat and other breeds of cows along with wild animals like Blackbuck, Jackals, Wolves, Great Indian Bustard and many more.
Encroachments and degradation are the main threats to kavals and the shrinking was in process since ages, but in 2009 a large piece of land from the Amruth Mahal kavals was earmarked for the “Science City” in Challakere. Around these Amruth Mahal kavals there are particularly pastoral communities like Kurubas, Gollas along with nomadic communities like Lambanis and Akkipikkis; and also the Nayaka tribes were all dependent on these lands. The livestock population was always increasing when observed from past 50 years (Roy et al., 1970) In Challakere more than 70 villages depend on these Kavals (Saldanha, 2013). “Challakere Kambli” (Blanket woven by wool by the locals of Challakere) is very popular. People are also indulged in other works like weaving basket from the palm fronds and other products from grasses and reeds which are collected from these kavals.
Figure 1. Challakere Kambli (Blanket) weavers at work
In 2009, nearly 10,000 acres of grasslands of Challakere which was under the control of Amruth Mahal Cattle Breeding Center was given to many Government and private institutions like Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Karnataka Small Scale Industrial Development Corporation (KSSIDC) and Sagitaur Ventures Pvt. Ltd.