Thousands of residents from nine villages in the Shahpur forest division are reaping the fruits of their hard work and dedication of over a decade in restoring greenery on 5,000 hectares of barren land.
“The forest cover on the 5,000 hectares was virtually wiped out by people to fulfil the need for firewood,” says Mangal Ganju Bhakre, a resident of village Bhagdal. “After the trees were gone, we suffered a lot. But today, after protecting the forest for over a decade, we have started getting the benefits.”
Residents had even dug out tree stumps and their roots for firewood. “The area had become barren, severely affecting rainfall in and agriculture,” said range forest officer (RFO), Shahpur, Dinesh Singh.
In 1993, villagers from Kalgaon volunteered to join hands with the state forest department and formed the Joint Forest Management (JFM) committee. Locals from eight other villages — Baoghar, Bhagdal, Dahivali, Lenad, Thile, Chinchavali, Ambivali and Tembhre — followed, and pledged to protect the forest.
“Today, we are in much better situation. Everyone has work and a steady source of income as our agriculture is rejuvenated and the forest around us has started growing again,” says Kisan Ichite, president of the JFM committee of Thile village. “The forest has given us everything we need, be it drinking water, rainfall for agriculture and jobs for every hand.”
The village recently got a grant of Rs1.5 lakh from the state forest department. It also got Rs10,000 as advance for the timber auctioned recently, Ichite said. Being part of the JFM committee, villagers are entitled to forest produce like edible gum, mahua, kuda leaves, tubers and bamboo. They are also entitled to 50% of the income the department earns by auctioning timber.
The efforts of the 4,000-odd villagers has resulted in wildlife returning to the area. “There has been a remarkable increase in the numbers of peacock, cheetal, blue bull and leopards,” said Rajendra Pawar, forester.
People in Bhagdal have decided to stop using timber as fuel. “We have understood the importance of the forest,” said Vitthal Barku Bhoir. Villagers had asked the forest department to assist them in getting LPG connection, so that wood is no longer used as fuel. The department accepted the proposal and even agreed to bear half the cost for the connections, Bhoir said.
Ichite has many plans for the village’s development. “We are planning to construct concrete roads and make arrangements for agricultural irrigation from the money earned from the JFM,” he said.
