FOREST PROTECTION FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY

By, 1968, the forest of Kundadain South Bihar, India, was in a very bad condition. Most standing trees were felled, the roots extracted for fuel wood, leaving only a stony ground cover. In 1972, the neighbouring villagers held a meeting, where they discussed their needs of forest products and urged for forest protection.

A few local leaders initiated the community movement for forest conservation in each area. Each village formed groups, which would contact other people and persuade them to join the forest protection activities. The members of forest protection community met once a week to organize the forest patrols and discuss problems. Patrolling is compulsory duty within all villages, men women, boys and girl from every household participated. Each village gives its forest guard, uniform to make them look like official guards. The concepts of forest protection committees spread to more than 34 villages, mostly during social interaction at festivals, or through articles in local magazines and through inter village meetings.

To facilitate good relations among the presidents and secretaries of all the committees in 1979, a historic meeting was held with approximately 500 villagers from 32 villages. a co-ordination committee, Adarsh Gram Vikas Samiti (Ideal Village Development Committee) was established as a follow up of the meeting. To sustain forest resources, villagers have planted local fuel wood species on their backyard, development check dam, and created water reserve in the forest. Thus, a village community if helped by Panchayats and local authorities can go a long way to save their local resources and benefit their environment through cooperation and consciousness for protecting their natural surroundings.

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