Geography · Ch 14 — Planning and Sustainable Development in Indian Context
Target Area Planning
Target Area Planning
The core idea behind target area planning is simple: not all regions develop at the same pace. After about fifteen years of planned development in India, planners noticed that the gap between prosperous and backward regions was actually widening. Even areas rich in natural resources sometimes stayed poor because development also needs technology and investment. To stop this growing imbalance, the Planning Commission introduced two focused approaches: target area programmes (for specific geographic regions) and target group programmes (for specific sections of society).
Programmes for Target Areas and Target Groups
Several major programmes were launched under the target area approach:
- Command Area Development Programme – focused on areas with irrigation potential
- Drought Prone Area Development Programme – for regions frequently hit by drought
- Desert Development Programme – for desert regions
- Hill Area Development Programme – for hilly and mountainous regions
Under the target group approach, two important programmes were:
- Small Farmers Development Agency (SFDA)
- Marginal Farmers Development Agency (MFDA)
During the Eighth Five Year Plan, special area programmes were designed to build infrastructure in hill areas, the north-eastern states, tribal areas, and other backward regions.
Hill Area Development Programme
This programme was launched during the Fifth Five Year Plan. It initially covered 15 districts: all the hilly districts of Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand), Mikir Hill and North Cachar Hills of Assam, Darjeeling district of West Bengal, and Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu.
In 1981, the National Committee on the Development of Backward Area recommended that all hill areas in the country with an altitude above 600 metres and not covered under the tribal sub-plan should be treated as backward hill areas. Plans for these regions were drawn up keeping in mind their unique topographical, ecological, social, and economic conditions. The main aim was to harness local resources, especially through the development of horticulture, plantation agriculture, animal husbandry, poultry, forestry, and small-scale and village industry.
Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP)
This programme was launched during the Fourth Five Year Plan. Its objectives were:
- To provide employment to people in drought-prone areas.
- To create productive assets.
Initially, the programme focused on labour-intensive civil works (like building roads, canals, etc.). Later, the emphasis shifted to:
- Irrigation projects
- Land development programmes
- Afforestation
- Grassland development
- Creation of basic rural infrastructure — electricity, roads, markets, credit, and services
The National Committee on Development of Backward Areas reviewed the performance of DPAP. Observations showed that the programme remained largely confined to agriculture and allied sectors, with a major focus on restoration of ecological balance.
A key challenge
Growing population pressure forces society to use marginal lands for agriculture, causing ecological degradation. Therefore, there is a need to create alternative employment opportunities in drought-prone areas.
Strategies for Development of Drought-Prone Areas include adoption of integrated watershed development at the micro-level, and restoration of ecological balance between water, soil, plants, and human and animal populations as a basic consideration in the development strategy.
- The Planning Commission of India (1967) identified 67 districts (entirely or partly) as prone to drought.
- The Irrigation Commission (1972) introduced a criterion: areas with 30 per cent irrigated area were demarcated as drought-prone.
Broadly, drought-prone areas in India spread over the semi-arid and arid tracts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Western Madhya Pradesh, the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, the Rayalseema and Telangana plateaus of Andhra Pradesh, the Karnataka plateau and highlands, and interior parts of Tamil Nadu.
Protected areas
The drought-prone areas of Punjab, Haryana, and north-Rajasthan are now largely protected because of the spread of irrigation in these regions.
Case Study: Integrated Tribal Development Project in Bharmaur Region
Bharmaur is a tribal area in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. It was notified as a tribal area on 21 November 1975. The region is home to the Gaddi community, a tribal group that has maintained a distinct identity in the Himalayas. Traditionally, the Gaddis practised transhumance (seasonal migration of livestock) and speak the Gaddiali dialect.
Geography and Challenges
Bharmaur lies between 32°11' N and 32°41' N latitudes and 76°22' E and 76°53' E longitudes. It covers about 1,818 square kilometres, mostly between 1,500 m and 3,700 m above sea level. The region is surrounded by high mountains: the Pir Panjal range in the north and the Dhaula Dhar range in the south. In the east, the Dhaula Dhar meets the Pir Panjal near Rohtang Pass. The river Ravi and its tributaries — the Budhil and the Tundahen — drain the area, carving deep gorges. These rivers divide the region into four physiographic divisions: Holi, Khani, Kugti, and Tundah.
The climate is harsh. Winters bring freezing temperatures and snowfall. The mean monthly temperature in January is 4°C, and in July it is 26°C.
Socio-Economic Backwardness
According to the 2011 census, the total population of Bharmaur subdivision was 39,113, giving a density of just 21 persons per square kilometre. Historically, the Gaddis have faced geographical and political isolation and socio-economic deprivation. The economy is largely based on agriculture and allied activities like sheep and goat rearing. It is one of the most economically and socially backward areas of Himachal Pradesh.
The Tribal Sub-Plan and ITDP
The development process for the Gaddis began in the 1970s when scheduled tribes were included in the planning framework. Under the Fifth Five Year Plan, the tribal sub-plan was introduced in 1974, and Bharmaur was designated as one of the five Integrated Tribal Development Projects (ITDP) in Himachal Pradesh.
The plan aimed to improve the quality of life of the Gaddis and narrow the development gap between Bharmaur and other parts of Himachal Pradesh. The highest priority was given to:
- Development of transport and communications
- Agriculture and allied activities
- Social and community services
Infrastructure Development …
Figure 6.1 is a composite plate of six black-and-white photographs, all taken in the Bharmaur tribal region of Himachal Pradesh. The images are arranged in a grid, each with a caption that identifies a specific aspect of life and landscape in this area. Together, they give a visual summary of the themes the textbook discusses: the region’s physical setting, its traditional economy, and the cultural identity of the Gaddi community.
The top-left panel is labelled ‘Terrace Farming’. It shows stepped hillside fields carved into a forested slope. This is the dominant form of agriculture in Bharmaur’s mountainous terrain — the terraces prevent soil erosion and allow cultivation on steep gradients. The image directly illustrates the region’s resource base: limited flat land, but a landscape that has been adapted for subsistence farming.
Next to it, the top-right panel is ‘Traditional method of extracting wheat’. Here, cattle and people are threshing grain beside a house. This is a pre-mechanised, labour-intensive technique. It reinforces the textbook’s point that crop cultivation in Bharmaur is still done with traditional technology, even as cash crops have increased.
The middle-left panel is ‘People engaged in primary activity’. It shows herders with livestock on rocky ground. This captures the pastoral component of the Gaddi economy — sheep and goat rearing, and the transhumance (seasonal migration) that has historically defined their way of life. The rocky, sparse ground also hints at the fragile environment and low resource base mentioned in the text.
The middle-right panel is ‘Settlements in Bharmaur Region’. It depicts a cluster of houses on a mountain slope. The houses appear to be built close together, likely reflecting the village settlement pattern in the river valleys (Holi and Khani areas) that have benefited most from infrastructure development. The steep slope again emphasises the challenging topography.
Below these, the bottom-left panel is an unlabelled view of a hillside settlement. It shows another angle of a village or hamlet perched on a mountainside. The lack of a label may be intentional — it reinforces that this is a typical, recurring scene across the region, not a single named location.
Finally, the bottom-right panel is ‘Traditional Dress’. It shows a Gaddi woman in traditional attire standing on stony ground. This image highlights the distinct cultural identity of the Gaddi community — their clothing, their connection to the land, and the fact that they have maintained a separate identity in the Himalayan region, as the textbook notes.
The figure has no arrows, diagrams, or relationships between panels. It is a simple photo essay. Each image stands alone, but together they illustrate the three core themes of the Bharmaur case study: the physical environment (terrace farming, settlements on slopes), the traditional economy (threshing, herding), and cultural identity (traditional dress). The unlabelled panel is the only one without a caption — it simply repeats the settlement theme, perhaps to emphasise how widespread this pattern is. …
The map is a detailed topographical-cum-administrative sketch of the Bharmaur Tribal Region, the case study area for the Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) discussed in the chapter. Its purpose is to show you exactly where this region lies, how it is divided internally, and what physical features define its geography — all of which explain why it was chosen as a target area for special planning.
The main map is framed by latitude marks from 32°11′N to 32°41′N and longitude marks from 76°22′E to 76°53′E, covering roughly 1,818 sq km. A north arrow orients the map. The entire region is drained by the Ravi River and its two major tributaries, the Budhil River and the Tundahen River. These rivers cut deep gorges through the landscape, and they are the key to understanding the map’s most important feature: the division of Bharmaur into four labelled physiographic areas.
These four areas are:
- TUNDAH AREA (north-west, drained by the Tundahen River)
- KUGTI AREA (north-east, drained by the Budhil River)
- KHANI AREA (central, along the Ravi River)
- HOLI AREA (south, also along the Ravi River)
The map shows that the Ravi River flows roughly through the middle, with Holi and Khani areas on its banks, while Tundah and Kugti lie in more remote, higher tributary valleys. This layout directly matches the textbook’s point that villages in Holi and Khani have benefited most from infrastructure development, while those in Tundah and Kugti remain underserved.
A legend lists four types of boundaries:
- District Boundary (the outer limit of Chamba district)
- Tehsil Boundary (internal administrative divisions)
- River & Boundary of Physiographic Region (the rivers themselves also serve as boundaries between the four areas)
- Village Boundary (individual settlement limits)
A 10–0–10 Km scale bar allows you to measure distances. The map is criss-crossed by many such boundaries, showing a dense network of administrative and physical divisions.
In the bottom corner (or a separate panel) is an inset map titled 'BHARMAUR REGION IN CHAMBA'. This smaller map shows the shaded Bharmaur region within the larger Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, with a note that it adjoins Jammu & Kashmir to the north. This inset gives you the regional context: Bharmaur is a small, mountainous pocket in the far north-west of Himachal, bordering another state.
What this map teaches you about the topic:
First, it makes concrete the idea of target area planning. Bharmaur is not just a name in a textbook — it is a precisely bounded, mapped territory with coordinates, internal divisions, and a clear physical geography. The map shows why it was designated a tribal area: it is isolated by high mountains (Pir Panjal to the north, Dhaula Dhar to the south) and drained by a single river system, creating a distinct, hard-to-reach region. …
Bharmaur tribal area comprises Bharmaur and Holi tehsils of Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. It is a notified tribal area since 21 November 1975. Bharmaur is inhabited by ‘Gaddi’, a tribal community who have maintained a distinct identity in the Himalayan region as they practised transhumance and conversed through Gaddiali dialect.
Bharmaur tribal region has harsh climate conditions, low resource base and fragile environment. These factors have influenced the society and Economy of the region. According to the 2011 census, the total population of Bharmaur sub-division was 39,113 i.e., 21 persons per sq km. It is one of the most (economically and socially) backward areas of Himachal Pradesh. Historically, the Gaddis have experienced geographical and political isolation and socio-economic deprivation. The economy is largely based on agriculture and allied activities such as sheep and goat rearing.
The process of development of tribal area of Bharmaur started in 1970s when Gaddis were included among ‘scheduled tribes’. Under the Fifth Five Year Plan, the tribal sub-plan was introduced in 1974 and Bharmaur was designated as one of the five Integrated Tribal Development Projects (ITDP) in Himachal Pradesh. This area development plan was aimed at improving the quality of life of the Gaddis and narrowing the gap in the level of development between Bharmaur and other areas of Himachal Pradesh. This plan laid the highest priority on development of transport and communications, agriculture and allied activities, and social and community services.
The most significant contribution of tribal sub-plan in Bharmaur region is the development of infrastructure in terms of schools, healthcare facilities, potable water, roads, communications and electricity. But the villages located along the river Ravi in Holi and Khani areas are the main beneficiaries of infrastructural development. The remote villages in Tundah and Kugti areas still do not have sufficient infrastructure. …