India, Nov. 30 -- Globally, lands sustained by pastoralism form the largest carbon sink

In good news for the pastoral communities in Himachal Pradesh, the state forest department has put a moratorium on tree planting along the migratory routes and halting places of pastoralists in Chamba forest division.

Chamba forest area is home to one-third of the total cattle population of the state and hundreds of Gaddi and Gujjar families practise transhumance or seasonal migration for grazing sheep, goats and buffaloes for their livelihood.

It has been observed that tree planting under various plantation schemes is taken up on the migratory routes and halting places of Gaddis and Gujjars , said Pushpendra Rana, chief conservator of forests, Cham...