Hill Area Development Programme (HADP)

Let’s begin with a simple truth: Hills are beautiful but challenging.
While they enrich our biodiversity and culture, they also present unique developmental hurdles that are quite different from the plains.

To address these distinct needs, the Government launched the Hill Area Development Programme (HADP) with a philosophy: “Development should respect geography.”

Importance of Hill Areas in India

• 18.6% of India’s total landmass is made up of hills.
• Around 12% of the country’s population resides here.

But these aren’t homogenous hills. The programme divides them into two broad categories:

1. Entire Hill States or UTs

• Example: Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and the North Eastern States
• These are often classified as Special Category States
  • Their development funding is mostly through Central assistance
  • For coordinated development, the North Eastern Council was formed in 1971

2. Hill Districts Within Larger States

• These are hill areas located within otherwise composite states:
  • Assam – Karbi Anglong, North Cachar
  • Uttarakhand – Pauri Garhwal, Chamoli, Tehri, etc.
  • West Bengal – Darjeeling

Why Hill Areas Need Special Planning

Hill regions aren’t just geographically different—they are also culturally and economically distinct. Here’s why planning cannot be one-size-fits-all:

• Difficult terrain
• Scattered population
• Fragile ecology
• Poor connectivity
• Tribal populations and shifting cultivation (e.g. Jhum)

So, the approach must be region-specific, based on:

• Natural resources
• Socio-economic profile
• Cultural context
• Political and administrative realities

Core Principles of Hill Area Development

The development strategy for hills must prioritize:

1. Basic life-support systems
   • Food, water, fuel, fodder, and income
2. Judicious use of natural resources
   • Forests, minerals, water, and biodiversity
3. People’s participation
   • Especially women’s involvement
   • Concept of “social fencing”:
     → Voluntary local control over resources to prevent overuse

In essence, the programme blends ecological sensitivity with human development.

Key Developmental Strategies in HADP

Now let’s decode the practical interventions promoted under HADP:

1. Agriculture & Horticulture

• Terrace farming and soil conservation
• Development of orchards (apple, grapes, banana)
• Focus on marketing linkages, not just production
• Promotion of plantation crops like tea, coffee, spices

2. Jhum Rehabilitation

• In tribal areas of NE India, shifting cultivation (Jhum) degrades forests
• Strategy: Replace Jhum with settled agriculture
  • Plantation schemes (coffee, rubber)
  • Jhumiyas made owners of the new plantation estates

3. Animal Husbandry

• Must be tailored to:
  • Pasture availability
  • Type of livestock
• Support through:
  • Scientific breeding
  • Animal health care
  • Marketing & processing of produce

4. Forestry and Allied Activities

• Agro-forestry & social forestry
• Production forestry for economic value
• Utilization of genetic resources like medicinal plants, orchids, and rare fruits

5. Industry & Cottage Enterprises

• Hills are ideal for pollution-free, skill-based industries:
  • Electronics, watchmaking, optical glass, medicines
• Promotion of handicrafts, carpet weaving, handlooms
• Support for rural tourism as a major economic driver

6. Environmental Conservation

• Protection of biodiversity through:
  • Biosphere reserves
  • National parks
  • Gene sanctuaries
• Emphasis on eco-sensitive planning at all levels:
  • Regional, sub-regional, block, and even settlement level

Scientific Planning for the Hills

For meaningful development, accurate baseline data is essential:

• Mineral occurrences
• Soil characteristics
• Watershed hydrology
• Vegetation types
• Biodiversity mapping

A perspective plan must be drafted to include both short-term and long-term goals, down to the block and village level.

Also, while legal protections for the environment are necessary, people’s cooperation through awareness and involvement is far more effective in the long run.

Summary: Development Must Be Respectful, Inclusive, and Ecological

To truly uplift hill communities, development planning must focus on:

Water, Food, Work, Fodder, Feed, Fuel, Fertilizer

And since hill lands are best suited for perennial crops, a special suggestion has been made:

Build small foodgrain storage units locally to ensure year-round availability. This can encourage farmers to give up Jhum and shift to sustainable settled farming even on steep slopes.

✅ Final Takeaway

The Hill Area Development Programme is not just a development blueprint—
it is a sensitive, area-specific, and participatory approach designed to respect the ecological fragility, cultural uniqueness, and economic potential of India’s hill regions.

In simple terms: Hill development must rise from the hills themselves—not be imposed from the plains.