Jungle Suraksha Vahini (Forest Protection
Force) Jungle Suraksha Vahini (Forest Protection
Force)
In collaboration with BROEDERLIJK DELEN of Belgium LAMP has been running a
programme of
Joint Forest Management in 30 villages of Bangriposi Block of
Orissa. The villages are mostly tribals, who are children of forests, which need
not only conservation, but also development. These work has been entrusted
to
the local villagers who are also the beneficiaries. The most rewarding aspect
of
the programme is cultivation of "Tasar"- a kind of non-mulberry silk is the
cocoons of the silk are hosted in a particular variety of forest plant, called
Arjun. Tasar is a valuable cash crop and the rich harvest goes a long way in
supplementing the meagre earnings of the forest dwellers. The villagers
especially women, have shown commendable interest in the programmes. They are
being given necessary training for the work, through meeting and workshops.
The
coverage of the host plants is being increased every year. Besides "Tasar"
cultivation other components of the programme include re-forestation of waste
lands, use of smokeless ovens consume a much smaller quality of fire-wood,
raising gardens for herbal medicine plants, prevention of erasion and denudation
of forest land etc. Cultutal functions of the tribal people, in which their
traditional music songs and dances are played are arranged occassionally. All
these naturally have a good impact on the villagers, among whom local leadership
is also developing. This would help sustainability of the project.
Orientation Training on Nursery Raising for women’s employment at Bankura.
Community based People’s Organisations:
In order to
strengthen the community based people’s organisations in the target 30 villages
and to promote people’s participatory approach in managing the forest and
environment by creating awareness and initiating practice and practical means of
livelihood with a view to reducing denudation of forest land and at the same
time to enrich the forest through proper development, 30 women committees and 30
Youth committees have been formed in each of the target villages.
 |
| Rally of school students for forest protection at Shyam Sundarpur |
IEC MATERIAL
DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLICATION :
Experience of the field-staff, village/level volunteers, writers,
Artistes and actor/actresses have been incorporated and some “Booklets” on
motivation and awareness songs, one-act plays, essays etc. and “Audio-Cassettes”
have been published.Moreover, booklets on medicinal plants, mushroom
cultivation, various income generating cottage and small scale industries along
with entrepreneurship development have been published in Oriya language.
Environmental Awareness
Camp :
In each of the target 30 villages awareness camp on Environmental
Conservation and Eco-development has been organised. In these camps the
following problems have been identified:
i)
Deforestation and lack of fuel wood;
ii)
Many useful medicinal plants and species have become rare in the nearby
jungle;
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 |
|---|---|
| Plantation programme by students at Bangriposi High School | |
iii)
Small wild animals and birds, which are eco-friendly, are decaying;
iv)
Change in climate conditions,
variation in weather temperature, etc. arising out of deforestation;
v)
Increase of various uncommon diseases;
vi)
Degraded land area is increasing day-to-day;
vii)
Diminition of the yeilding capacity of soil etc.;
viii)
Poverty, illiteracy, lack of awareness, superstitions, lack of poetntial skills
which are barriers to adoption of new ideas and eco-friendly income generation
activities;
ix)
Non-availability of IEC materials in remote rural areas as well as in the
locality
 |
Nursery raising for Social Forestry work at Bangriposi, Orissa |
Alternative means of livelihood
:
Workshops have been regularly organised on Joint Forest Management system and rights of tribal people over land, water and forests. In these workshops tribal writers and Artists chalked out plan of actions to disseminate informations on the issues among tribal people by developing IEC materials, publishing booklets, performing cultural activities, like dramas, etc.
Workshops were also organised by mobilising village-level tribal medicinal practitioners where discussion was focussed on both the preventive tribal medicines, naturopathy, and conservation of medicinal plants especially for the endangered species.
For developing training materials on mushroom
cultivation a workshop was also organised and potential women and youth village
leaders participated in the workshop. A training manual is published in
Oriya.
Mushroom has good nutritive value of human food. It has good demand in market and it has export market potentialities too. LAMP, Orissa Sate branch successfully orgnised one mushroom cultivation training programme for the women SHG members, and after training of the members of seven women SHGs under the JFM project area, 200 bottles of seeds were distributed to the passed-out trainees. Most of the women trainees cultivated the mushroom in groups, but due to some unavoidable circumstances the quantity of production was not fully achieved. However, the women self-help groups sold part of their products in the local market and part of their production was consumed by themselves.
Tank excavation work had been started in the month of June, 2003 and now it has been completed. The size of the tank is 100 meters long and 100 meters wide in plot no 670 of Dasmat Hansda at Gahirapal village. During the reporting year, the beneficiaries have earned Rs. 500/- by cultivating fish in this in-completed tank and deposited ths money into their group fund. Under the watershed development programme the activities were done by the local beneficiaries and after the completion the beneficiaries will be benefited in the of water scarcity for the Kharif cultivation. About 25 acres of land will be irrigated through this programme.
Moreover, under the scheme of watershed development, LAMP arranged 2-days training programme on Sabai grass cultivation at Gahirapal on 2.6.03 and at Khadikasole on 3.6.03 . Through this program, LAMP has been successful to make the local people aware that by cultivating sabai grasses cultivable land can be protected against natural erosion and the land holder can earn a considerable amount through Sabai cultivation.
 |
Construction of Watershed at Joka, Mariyuribhanj,
Orissa |
LAMP has also successfully implemented medicinal plants cultivation programme in several places of Bangriposi Block named Shyamsundarpur, Manda, Pindorgarin Masinovilla, Kaliami and Bangriposi High School, for regenerating the tribal medicinal system.
Arjun trees plantation have been undertaken in three villages for ‘Tasar' cultivation.
Training & Construction of Smokeless Wood stove (Chullah) have been successfully undertaken. Requests for supply of stoves is on the increase as housewives have now realized their usefulness.
 |
Observation of World Forest
Day by following Santal tribal rituals |
FORMATION OF WOMEN
SELF -HELP GROUPS :
Self-help groups (SHGs) have been also organised in almost
all villages involving hundreds of women, so far. The Self-help
Groups member-women are being trained through regular group meetings by the
coordinators. The SHGs are expected to work in a more organised way in the
village so that they can attain leadership and give voice to their problems,
resentments and aspirations.
  |
Tribal Fair at Bangriposi,Mayurbhanj,Orissa,inaugurated by Shri
C.P. Majhi, former Union Minister of India and Governing Body Member of LAMP, with Shri Bhado Hansda, Chairman, Mayurbhanj Zilla Parishad, as Chief Guest. |
Formation of
Network of village youth, women, FPCs :
The impact of project activities and motivational programme have
created an environment or atmosphere for self-assessment of village people
regarding protection of rights and forest resources from rapid destruction and
conservation of forests, medicinal plants, endangered species of plants. All the
youth and women groups SHG members and forest protection committee members have
been mobilized under an united platform and organised “JANGAL SURAKSHA VAHINI”
(JSV) as a network of village level committees in different blocks in Mayurbhanj
district. Executive Committee of JSV has been formed under the Chairmanship of
Sri Chaitanya Prasad Maji, Sri Shambhunath Behera and Sri Sankar Murmu are the
Joint Convenor. Environment Protection Activists and grassroot level peoples
organisations of other blocks of Mayurbhanj district like Moradi, Sarisapal,
Rairangpur have also come forward to join their hands and enrole them for
strengthening the activities of JSV. Under the leadership of JSV Memorandums
have been submitted to the Range Officers, District Collector and DFO of the
Mayurbhanj District. Protection and conservation of forest resources and
establishing the rights of forest-dwellers, tribal and other indigeneous
community people over land, water and forests is the principal objective of the
JSV.
Once the people of the area were very much associated with
depletion of forest resources. Now they are protecting the forest resources and
finding out way to preserve the forests through JFM. They have together
organised the “Jangal Suraksha Vahini” with the active cooperation from LAMP and
undertaking programmes for using the forests as means of empowerment and income
generation by using the non-timber forest products.
The formation of “Jangal Suraksha Vahini”, the network of village
local committees is the reflection of aspiration, motivation of the target
people for protecting their rights and forest resources.
For socio-economic empowerment of the members of the Forest Protection Committees and Jungle Suraksha Vahini, LAMP has been providing with skill training , demonstration and income generation support . In this connection, women self help groups have been promoted and linked with micro lending facilities.
Mass rally in the villages, block and district level have also been organised for sensitization of local people regarding necessity for protecting forests and natural resources. Seminars at block and district level have been organised. Environment education and awareness programmes have also been successfully organised by involving school authority and students of Bangriposi block. For alternative means of livelihood of the poor people in the forest fringe villages, LAMP extended support to the target groups for sabai grass cultivation, medicinal plants cultivation, mushroom cultivation etc.
LAMP successfully organized one district level mass demonstration from Maa Ambica Temple to District Collector's office (about 3.5 kilometers), on 21.10.03 , at the Mayurbhanj district head quarters – Baripada, to make the people aware about the needs of forest protection, and after completion of the mass rally , LAMP submitted a memorandum to the Conservator of Forests, with a copy to the Chief Minister of Orissa, about the degraded situation of the Simlipal Bio-sphere.
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| LAMP-Orissa State Unit receives "PRODRUTI MITRA"
award from |
Considering the growing importance of the tribal cultural issues, language and the marketing of products manufactured by tribals LAMP's, Orissa State branch organised one tribal fair at Bangriposi High School ground on 27 th & 28 th February, 2004. Different Government departments, NGOs and school children took part in this fair with their exhibits. Most of the exhibits were shown in the fair, made by the women self-help groups, formed by the LAMP. The high school children presented different modules about the environment protection. In the first half of both the days, resource persons like DFO, Forest Ranger, P.P. DRPA, DWO, Range Officer, Headmaster, Principal of local college & other important personalities delivered their valuable speeches about tribal & forest issues, self-help group formation, different income generation Programme etc. In the second half of both the days, local village people, school children, college student participated in different types of tribal cultural programme, e.g. dance, drama based on tribal & forest issues etc. LAMP's Orissa State unit awarded them as per their performance of different activities (dance, drama etc.) . In this fair, LAMP's women SHG groups sold their products to the people most of the SHG members exchanged their ideas and experiences through visiting each other's exhibition counter.
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