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Amaad is one of the 134 villages of Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district that have received Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR). The Gram Sabha of Amaad, located in the core area of the Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, received CFRR over 1,517.49 hectares of forest in 2023.
Ganesh Ram, president of the village’s forest resource management committee, told Down to Earth, “The village residents have got this right after a lot of struggle. We were demanding CFRR for the last 8-10 years. The forest department officials were not in favour of this. But the administration agreed to grant this right, considering our commitment towards forest conservation for the last 20-25 years.”
An 11-member committee manages the forest. The panel has appointed three fire watchers in different parts of the forest, who immediately inform it about any fire. Ram claimed that there has been no incident of fire in the forest since the formation of the committee.
The forest resource management committee of Amaad has constructed 20-22 boulder check dams for water conservation in the forest. Along with this, a strong system of Thengapali has also been put in place. Under this system, four people patrol the forest, keeping an eye on hunting, tree felling and forest fires and inform the committee in case of any disturbance. The 11 panel members meet twice a month and prepare a framework for forest management.
After receiving CFRR, the committee surveyed the forest to find out the variety and number of trees there. In the survey, Mahua, Sal, and teak trees were found in abundance.
The forest resource management committee has divided the forest into nine blocks and named them Bagduma, Bandabari, Baskasil, Bhalka, Bhalu Dongri, Gadaghaat, Gaijharra, Nagarikatel and Loharin. Along with the area of each forest block, their density has also been measured. For example, the Gaijharra forest area has the highest density of 3,606 per hectare. The forest area with the lowest density is Nagarikatel, where the density is 235 per hectare. This exercise has made it easier for village residents to understand the forest areas where work is needed.
After CFRR, the forest has become more secure and the collection of forest produce has increased, Ram claimed. The village residents have got direct benefit due to the stoppage of illegal felling and theft of forest produce. Being in the core area of a tiger reserve, the collection of tendu leaves is prohibited in the village. But there is an abundance of Mahua trees here on which the livelihood of residents depends. Many prepare for the next crop by selling Mahua in March-April.
Each of the 239 families in Amaad collects at least five quintals of Mahua. Some 70-75 per cent of village residents have private Mahua trees. But 25-30 per cent of the families are dependent on the forest for Mahua. Families with private Mahua trees also go to the forest to collect Mahua. There are 17 villages in the core of the Udanti- Sitanadi Tiger Reserve. Of these, the Gram Sabhas of 11 villages have received CFRR like Amaad.
(This story has been published under the Promise of Commons Media Fellowship 2024)