madhya Pradesh has set a record by being the first state in the world to implement the new concept of People Protected Area (ppa). Introduced under the United Nations Development Programme (undp), the measure allows for sustainable and effective use of non-wood forest products (nwfp). A 32,000 hectare area land in Sehore district, Bhopal, has already been taken up for the pilot project.
The important aspect of the project is the active participation of the local people who will be trained by experts not only to generate new sources of income but also to protect the biodiversity of the entire region. Moreover, efforts are also being made to increase work towards the processing and improvement of nwfp at the village level. Improvement of marketing strategies for rural gatherers of nwfp and local cottage industries will also be sought.