Dehradun, Oct. 8 -- As many as 6,282 people have reverse migrated to their villages or nearby areas in the last eight years, the latest report by the state migration prevention commission said. Among 13 districts, the maximum (1213) have returned to Pauri Garhwal, followed by Almora (976), Tehri Garhwal (827), Chamoli (760), and Uttarkashi (448). The report said 169 returned from abroad, 4,769 from across the country, 1,127 from different districts of the state, 217 from their nearby towns within the district. Of the 6,282 people who have returned, 2,440 are engaged in agriculture-horticulture for their livelihood, and 1,348 tourism-service (such as homestays, guide and hospitality). "Reverse migration, return of people to the rural areas of the state, is a positive sign," the report said. Migration of people from villages is one of the major issues faced by the Himalayan state, with roots in economic disparities, declining agriculture, low rural incomes and a stressed rural economy. Uttarakhand government constituted the Rural Development and Migration Commission in August 2017 to examine all aspects of the problem, evolve a vision for the focused development of the rural areas of the state and submit recommendations to the government on how to stop migration. The commission had submitted its first state-wide report on migration in 2018 and has released 25 such reports so far. The commission's first report stated that over 3,83,726 lakh people have left their villages temporarily in eight years (2011-2018). While 1,18,981 migrated permanently during this period. Another report released by the commission in March 2023 had stated that 3,07,310 migrated temporarily in five years (2018-22), while 28,531 people migrated permanently. The permanent migration between 2011 and 2018 affected 3946 gram panchayats, while it impacted 2067 gram panchayats between 2018 and 2022. The temporary migration affected 6338 gram panchayats between 2011 and 2018, while it impacted 6436 gram panchayats between 2018 and 2022. 734 villages were deserted between 2011 and 2018, while 24 villages were uninhabited between 2018 and 2022. Around 3.50 lakh had returned to their villages or nearby areas during the first wave of the Covid since its outbreak in March 2020 and 1.15 lakh returned during the second wave in 2021. But almost all returned, the commission said. In July 2022, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had issued directions for the constitution of a committee under the chairmanship of then additional chief secretary Anand Bardhan (now chief secretary) for better implementation of the recommendations of the state migration prevention commission. Uttarakhand migration prevention commission vice chairman Sharad Singh Negi said, "We carried out a survey from April to August, 2025 for the preparation of our 25th report. It is our first report on reverse migration."...