Ghera Sinhagad Van Sanrakshan Samiti was set up jointly by the government & villagers to ensure conservation but has benefitted locals in various ways
Members of the Ghera Sinhagad Van Sanrakshan Samiti that works to protect the Sinhagad fort and forest. Photo: Shekhar Paigude _ Until a decade ago, Lahu Pawar depended on income from fishing and seasonal agricultural labour to sustain his family of five. These are the traditional livelihood avenues for his community, the nomadic Katkari tribe of the Sahyadri mountain range in Maharashtra. “There was no financial stability and on many nights, I slept without food. I could not even think about educating my children,” said Pawar, a resident of Donaje village in Pune district.
However, after joining the Ghera Sinhagad Van Sanrakshan Samiti (Sinhagad forest conservation committee) as a guard, Pawar was able to improve his quality of life. “This work allowed me to enrol my children in school. We have been able to build a better house and buy a two-wheeler and mobile phone,” he said.
Since August 15, 2008, some 33 paid volunteers from villages like Donaje, Aatkarwadi, Sambarewadi, Thoptewadi, Duragdara and Mordari surrounding the Sinhagad fort have found work as guards with the Samiti, set up jointly by the forest department and villages' residents. Their aim is to ensure conservation of the fort, a tourist attraction 29 km from Pune city, and its surrounding forest. The guards maintain order and cleanliness in the fort and manage visitor traffic on weekends, apart from ensuring there is no encroachment or vandalism. The committee charges visitors a fee of Rs 50-100 to enter the fort, which serves as revenue for its activities, including the volunteers' compensation.
The committee also maintains more than 2,623 hectares of forestland around the fort, said forest guard BS Waikar. “Guards from different communities have been appointed based on their traditional forest knowledge. They protect the area from wildfires, poaching, wood cutting, encroachment and illegal plantations. During the week, the guards keep a check on the forest area of their respective villages. At the end of each winter, they also participate in a fire-line campaign to save the forest from summer fires,” he said.
The Samiti also aims to reduce loss of forest resources, such as indiscriminate use of wood as fuel. In 2017-19, it distributed 90 liquefied petroleum gas cylinders and stoves to targeted residents. “Earlier, we had no option other than wood. It was hazardous. The cylinder lasts a month before refilling and is a relief from the smoke of the burning wood,” said Savita Vithhal Pachange, a daily-wage worker from Golewadi village.
The Samiti has also distributed 55 sewing machines to women in 2021. Kavita Vithhal Tambe of Donaje village, said, “After my husband's death, I had to take up various different jobs. The sewing machine has improved my earnings.”
The story first appeared in the November 1-15, 2023 print edition of Down To Earth.
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