'Poachers' become protectors of forest wealth

By K.N.Reddy

BIDAR, AUG. 25. The successful management of forest wealth by the people in Barur village in Bidar taluk is a shining example how "poachers" can become protectors with the initiative of some committed officials in the Forest Department.

Although there are 18 Village Forest Committees in Bidar District, the Barur Village Forest Committee stands out as a model for other committees in Gulbarga Division.

Barur is a tiny village with a population of 3,000 on the border of Andhra Pradesh. Most of the villagers are agriculture labours. The people had to struggle to make both ends meet as it was difficult to get employment in the village.

So they decided to go to the forest nearby, cut trees and sell them in towns nearby either as fuel wood or make useful agriculture implements such as negilu (yoke), kunte, kodali kaavu (axe handle) etc. and sell them in the surrounding villages.

If the forests fed the villagers, the nearby gomal land of the Revenue Department became the grazing ground for their cattle. This was the scene in the village prior to 1980.

When the gomal land was handed over to the Forest Department for afforestation, the Forest Department officials faced stiff resistance from the villagers as they were against planting saplings in the gomal land used for grazing. Some forest guards were even beaten up by angry villagers.

But the persistent efforts of the then DCF, Mr. Tiwari, and the Range Forest Officer, Mr. Nagaraj, paid off, and the villagers consented to take up afforestation on gomal land. In stages the Forest Department began afforestation from 1981-82 and planted eucalyptus, tamarind, jaali and subabul saplings on 180 acres of land and handed over its management to the villagers in 1984. Since then the villagers are protecting and managing the forest and its wealth.

Initially a 20-member ad hoc committee was formed to manage the affairs of the programme. In 1996, the Village Forest Committee, which is a registered body, with a 10-member executive committee, was formed. An elder from each of the 600 families in the village become members of the committee which is, at present, headed by Mr. Kushireddy.

As Mr. Kashireddy puts it, the main task of the committee is to protect and augment the forest wealth and make judicious use of it for the common good of the villagers. While the committee supplies the fuel wood to the villagers free of cost, it also supplies wood for making useful agricultural implements at a concessional rate fixed by the members.

Mr. Kashireddy proudly says that poaching of trees and other forest wealth has come down drastically after the formation of the committee. The committee has penalised those found guilty of commtting thefts, and in three cases, it collected a fine of Rs.2,500 from the villagers.

When the committee failed to get good returns on the trees grown, the Forest Department officials suggested making barbed poles out of the trees. Around 13,800 poles so prepared were supplied to the Forest Department itself for protecting the social forests in Gulbarga and Bidar districts at a cost of Rs. 15 each. Of the Rs.2,89,483 it received, the committee earned a net profit of Rs.2.28 lakhs as the cost of production of each pole was only Rs.4.

As per the agreement reached between the Forest Department and the committee, out of the net profit, 50 per cent (Rs.1.14 lakhs) was credited to the account of the Forest Department, Rs.57,000 was used for the development of the village and an equal sum for the afforestation programme.

From the funds provided for village development, the committee has purchased two tents, 50 plastic chairs, six carpets, five drums for storing water, etc. so that the villagers can use them for cultural functions. The committee has earned a rent of Rs.10,000 on these items in the last one year.

The Range Forest Officer, Mr. M.L.Bhavikatti, is happy that the committee has created awareness among all the people at Barur about the importance of conserving and augmenting forest wealth for the common good. "Our motto is to make the villagers understand the importance and utility of trees. Besides growing trees on gomal land, we have also encouraged the villagers to plant saplings in their houses and around the village school. Spurred by the success, the Forest Department is thinking of handing over the management of another 15 acres of land to the committee where fruit-bearing trees such as mango, guava, papaya and so on have been planted," Mr Bhattikatti says.

Plans are also being made to take up a drinking water supply scheme, drainage works, road laying ad other employment generation programmes in the village with the involvement of the gram panchayat. Mr. Kushireddy points out that they are also giving importance to making green manure from forest waste, which will be supplied to villagers at a concessional rate. "Moreover, we intend to build two check dams and take up desiltation of a tank in the forest."

Mr. Bhavikatti feels that the committee is poised to earn revenue of Rs.5 lakhs to Rs.6 lakhs from the sale of mature trees.

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