The ICFRE initiative has led to a ten-fold rise in the tribals’ incomes.
Proving that Maoism can indeed be won over by developmental work, country’s premier forest research institute has developed a forestry-based enterprise in Maoist-affected villages of Jharkhand, leading to a tenfold increase in income of villagers besides arresting the migration of workers.
The community -based natural resource management project, funded by UND, was started three years ago in ten Maoist-affected forest fringe villages in Khunti district - around 60 km from Ranchi - by a team of 10 scientists of Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE).
Under the project, scientists first trained villagers in scientific tenets of lac cultivation, then planted trees and conserved bio-diversity on the common forest land, formed village-level committees and self-help groups for economic activities by providing loan of Rs2,500 to each family for business or alternative livelihood purposes and then took steps for creation of soil and water conservation.
“It showed people’s confidence can be won back through economic progress. This project’s successful implementation has shown that Maoism can be countered through developmental activities focused on forests, community mobilisation, soil and water conservation,” ICFRE’s director general VK Bahuguna told DNA.
“Due to our project one village youth, who was once a Maoist activist, has returned and is now a panchayat head,” he added.
Bahuguna said they are in talks with Jharkhand government to replicate the model in other parts of the state as well.
Villages like Bari, Jiwri of Khunti district have around 100 sq km of forest with very less agriculture land, very little irrigation facility and water scarcity. Here traditionally non-timber forest products like lac, karanj, tendu and mahuwa are tribal’s main source of livelihood. “But due to circumstances youth had stared migrating in search of income,” Bahuguna said.
“Our scientists planned integrated land use planning and focused on the regeneration of lac cultivation on palash and Kusum tress and Flemengia shrub. In 37 acres spread over ten villages, the production rose from Rs1,74,920 to Rs21,02,320. People, whose average annual income was around Rs5,000-10,000 only, are now earning on average around Rs one lakh per year,” Bahuguna explained.
How the project worked
Under the project, scientists first trained villagers in scientific tenets of lac cultivation, then planted trees and conserved bio-diversity on the common forest land, formed village-level committees and self-help groups for economic activities by providing loan of Rs2,500 to each family for business or alternative livelihood purposes and then took steps for creation of soil and water conservation.
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