Tribal Development through Social Forestry among TribalDistrict of Gujarat-India

Arvind Rathod

Assistant Professor,

Agriculture Cooperation Banking and Marketing Polytechnic,

Navsari Agricultural University.

Waghai-Dang-

Gujarat-India

Mobile No:919428200197

Email-Id-aprathod@nau.in

Working As an Assistant Professor in Navsari Agricultural

University in tribal District of Gujarat state of India. My

Area of Reasearch mainly focuses on Tribal Development,

Economics of Migration Workers, Weather Insurance and Weather

Derivatives, Value Chain finance and Financial Access. My

Teaching area covers Cooperative Management, Agricultural

Finance and Cooperative Credit, Cooperative Law and

Administration in India.

Abbreviation

IFDP:- Integrated Forestry Development Project

OECF:-Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund

USAID:- United States Agency for International Development

JBIC:-Japan Bank for international Cooperation

GLOSSARY

District:- The principal administrative unit below the State.

Panchayat:- Village Council.

Taluka:- A subdivision of a District larger than a block.

Gram:- Village

Gauchar:-Fertile Land for Animal Husbandry

Van Mahotsava:-Forest Festivals in Forest Region

Shibirs:-Conferences

AbstractSocial forestry forms a major component in India's strategy to

deal with ecological balance and socio-economic crisis. More than

half of India - the poorer half - depends for its sustenance

needs

Of fuel wood, fodder and small timber on the forests and other

common lands which have become increasingly denuded and degraded

over the years. In the state of Gujarat which is the developed

state of India comprise 15 % Tribal people who mostly live in

Forest of north eastern and South Gujarat. There are 11 Districts

in which Tribal population is more than 50 % of the total

population. Government of Gujarat active role in the promotion of

social Forestry programmes which uplift the socio-economic

condition of tribal people.

Keywords:-Tribal Development, Social Forestry, Natural Resources, Socio-economic development,

IntroductionForest and tribes are intrinsic to each other. Most of the

forest areas particularly along the borders of Maharashtra,

Madhyapradesh and Rajasthan have sizeable number of tribal

population. These people are highly depended on their basic

needs of fuel wood, fodder, small timber for making houses and

agriculture implements; they also supplement their income

through the collection of Non timber forest Produces such as

Timru leaves, mahuda flowers & seeds, and various types of

other products. The forest department has its reach up to the

most interior areas of the state and thus has a great

responsibility to look after the welfare of the tribal people.

The department has implemented many tribal welfare schemes for

the upliftment of these people.

Gujarat state has 11.645 sq.kms. of forest area in tribal area

which constitute 60% of the total forest area in the state.

These area mostly lie in the eastern hilly track having the

valuable forest areas in the district of Dangs, valsad, surat,

Bharuch, vadodara, Narmada, panchmahals,sabarkantha and

Banaskantha.The per capita forest area in this track is 0.2

ha. Which is far higher than the states averages of 0.06 ha.

Forests are in important natural resources in the region

conferring a variety of tangible and intangible benefits on

mankind. They are the catchments areas of various rivers and

streams and store houses for ground water. Further, they are

the compact and largest units of depositories of bio

diversity, necessary for substance of mankind. However, the

forests in general have suffered greatly from the biotic

pressure such as illicit cutting, encroachment, grazing etc.

five incidences have also been common and the forests as well

as the regeneration have been adversely affected. Due to

adverse biotic factors some areas have degraded and denuded

causing soil losses through soul erosion.

If we look at the geographical mapping of the areas of

Gujarat, the EASTERN BELT of Gujarat i.e.from Ambaji to Dangs

it is predominantly inhabited by tribal. Tribal area

comprising of eleven districts namely Dangs, Valsad, Surat,

Tapi, Navsari, Bharuch, vadodara, Narmada, Pandhmahals,

Sabarkantha and Banaskantha have a tribal population of 50.80

lakhs out of the total tribal population of 61.12 lakhs in the

state, constitutes 14.92% of the total population of the

state. The tribal’s have marginal land holdings which are not

productive due to the hilly track and also adoption of

primitive agricultural practices. Tribal economy is

interlinked and dependent on forests for variety of purposes.

Forestry provides them employment though harvesting of

forests, raising of plantations, collection and processing of

minor forest product and other development works. The forests

also supply fuel, fodder and a variety of minor forest product

for subsistence needs of the tribals. Thus, forests are an

integral part of the tribal economy forming the basic support

system. The survival and maintenance of forests are also

equally dependent on tribal. Thus there exists a symbiotic

relationship for mutual benefit between forests and tribal.

Further, the tribal areas are cut off from the main stream of

development requiring infrastructure facilities employment

assurance infrastructure facilities employment assurance

programme and socio economic development programme. Although a

wide range of activities are included in social forestry, five

main components can be distinguished in India. With

variations, they are:-

1. farm forestry (tree growing on private land),

2. farmer leasehold or tree pat/a,

3. village woodlots or community forestry,

4. strip plantations alongside roads, canals, railways, etc.,

and

5. reforestation or rehabilitation of degraded forest areas.

Farm forestry is tree planting undertaken by individual households

on their own land or land they have rented from others. Tree

seedlings may be planted in blocks (small plantations), on

field boundaries. or around homesteads. They may be intermixed

with agricultural crops in several forms of agro forestry, or

they may be planted alone on either agricultural land or

uncultivable wastelands. Farmer leasehold or tree palta denotes a

kind of farm forestry in which poor farmers or landless

labourers are given leases to tracts of public land on which,

with varying degrees of public support, they are constrained

to grow trees. Village woodlots are small plantations on communal

or government lands, operated by or on behalf of the village,

for the benefit of the village as a whole although there may

be special arrangements which provide preferential treatment

to the under-privileged. Strip plantations are relatively narrow

areas along the sides of roads, canals, railways, and rivers,

established by the Government (usually the Forest Department)

with the intention of providing the benefits of forest

products to local people and to serve as demonstration areas.

The reforestation or rehabilitation of degraded forests refers to large

plantations on public lands which have been

Severely degraded and which are often in environmentally

critical areas. Such plantations may or may not be considered

a form of social forestry depending on whether or not there is

significant involvement of local communities.

The objectives of social forestry

necessarily differ by component. While all social forestry

aims to increase tree production and reduce environmental

degradation, the nature of the product, the type of

management, and the distribution of benefits depend on the

type of social forestry involved. Farm forestry is designed to

help rural households better meet their own needs, whether

through the direct production of fuel wood, fodder, and poles

for their own use or through the production of a commercially

marketable crop of poles or pulpwood. Tree patta forestry is

similarly designed to increase the incomes of poor households

through the sale of forest products and at the same time to

help satisfy their need for fuel wood and fodder. Village

woodlots are intended to provide tree products, particularly

fuel wood and fodder, for the community as well as (in many

cases) income to the local village panchayat. Strip

plantations and reforestation are designed to provide local

communities with some of their fuel wood and fodder needs and

to conserve and improve the environment. To a varying degree,

each of these components has features which deliberately

target benefits towards the poorest and most under-privileged

sections of society, including rural women who are frequently

those hardest hit by the growing scarcity of tree products.

However, these poverty-alleviation objectives and those

related to production are often confused and this contributes

to the widespread controversy surrounding the social, economic

and environmental effects of social forestry.

Background

According to the National Forest Policy (India) 1988, one –

third of the geographical area of the country should be

maintained as forest. But Gujarat has only 9.69% of its

geographical area declared as forest. More than 60% of the

population resides in the rural area, which is directly

dependent on forest resources for their fuel wood, fodder,

small timber for the agriculture and other requirements. Due

to these reasons, regeneration, maintaining the productivity

level and sustainability of the non-forest lands, particularly

the common lands has become imperative for the state for a

continuous supply of rural needs. Promotion of tree planting

on non forest land, through Social Forestry programme has,

therefore, been considered to be the only answer to improve

the green cover in Gujarat state. With this background, as

early as 1969-70, Gujarat Forest Department launched a “Social

Forestry Programme” for planting trees on non-forest lands and

became a pioneer and leading state in this field.

Table 1 various programmes of State Department for Social

Forestry

Year Programmes1969 -

70 to

1979 -

Social Forestry Plantations carried out through the

State Scheme.

801980 -

81 to

1984 -

85

Word Bank Phase 1, first phase of Social Forestry

called “Community Forestry Project” was implemented

with assistance from the Word Bank.

1985 -

86 to

1992 -

93

Word Bank Phase 2, second phase was implemented with

assistance from the Word Bank and USAID.

1993 -

94 to

1995 -

96

Social Forestry plantations were undertaken under the

state schemes.

1996 -

97 to

2001 -

02

Integrated Forestry Development Project (IFDP) with

assistance from the OECF (Japan)

2002 -

03 to

2003 -

04

Social Forestry plantations were undertaken under the

State Scheme

For a decade (1970 to 1980), the state government had made

budgetary provisions for implementation of the Social Forestry

works. A separate Social Forestry Wing was also created in the

Forest Department to look after this activity. Subsequently,

external funding from the World Bank was sought for extending

the Social Forestry programme in a massive way. The Social

Forestry Wing was further strengthened during the World Bank

aided projects. In fact, Gujarat state has been recognised

nationally and internationally for its successful

implementation of the Social Forestry programme during

eighties.

Table 2 Area and Population under Tribal Area Sub Plan (2009-10)

Sr.N

o

District Population (2001 Census)

Total Schedule

Tribe

Percentage

1. Sabarkantha 679580 394930 58.112. Banaskantha 274499 145276 52.923. Panchmahal 1636433 11825

09

72.26

4. Vadodara 817077 67316

1

82.39

5. Narmada 514404 40165

4

78.08

6. Bharuch 440287 262213 59.567. Surat-I 719634 60111

4

83.53

8. Surat-II 1039115 627333 60.379. Navsari 745717 503679 67.5410. Dangs 186729 175079 93.7611. Valsad 1228941 742478 60.42Source:DCHB,Ahmedabad (State Capital-Gujarat-India)

Table 3 Forest Types According to Revised Classification

Sr.No Forest Types Occurrence

1. Moist Deciduous

Forests

Dangs and Valsad Districts

2. Slightly Moist Teak Forests Dangs,Valsad,Navsari and

Tapi Districts3. Dry Teak Forests Drier parts of Bharuch

District and

North and East part of

Sabarkantha District 4. Dry Deciduous Scrub Forests Vadodara, Panchmahals and

BanasKantha and Sabarkantha Districts

5. Dry Deciduous Forests Western and Southern part

of Sabarkantha District 6. Dry Mixed Deciduous &

tropical Forests

Vadodara, Panchmahals

Districts.

Southern part of

Banaskantha District 7. Desert Thorn Scrub Forests East,North & West part of

Banaskantha District 8. Mangrove Forests Navsari, Valsad, Bharuch,

Surat, Vadodara

Source:-Gujarat State Forest Development Corporation Ltd

Objectives of Social Forestry

Afforestation in lands outside forest areas

Increasing the number of trees in Gujarat

Promote the participation of institutions and people in

the field of growing of trees.

Increasing the yield of timber and other non-timber

forest produce like fruit, firewood, fodder, etc to

ensure easy supply to people.

To put less fertile and unproductive land to productive

use

Augment the income of people by tree planting.

Increase the employment opportunities of rural poor.

Implementation of Social Forestry ProgrammeThe Social Forestry Programe which has got its impetus with

funding from World Bank US-AID and JBIC along with internal

funding of Govt of Gujarat is at present implementing the

following schemes.

Strip Plantation

Unused patches on the sides of roads, canals and railway

tracks have been put to afforestation since 1970. So far

100907 hectares of area has been brought under tree cover

under this activity. Grass growing in the area is given free

to local people. Apart from creating aesthetic environment and

creating assets¸ the strip plantations have been helpful in

controlling dust pollution and sound pollution, and make the

journey of the travellers more pleasant. On maturity these

plantations are harvested and fifty percent of the net profit

generated from such plantations is passed on to Taluka

Panchayat for their development works.

Village Woodlots

Gujarat State has about 18600 villages and over 13000 village

panchayats. The village panchayats have a very low level of

income which makes it very difficult for them to carry out

developmental activities in their village. On the other hand

many panchayats have gauchar lands not put to any productive

use. Continued grazing on these lands have further reduced the

productivity of these lands. With a view to increase the

productivity of these gauchar lands and to increase the income

of panchayats¸ the activity of planting village woodlots was

initiated in 1974. Under this activity a maximum of four

hectares of area of gaucher land in a village is planted by

the Forest Department if panchayat makes a resolution to that

effect. The plantation is carried out by Forest Department and

handed over to Gram Panchayat after five years. Where water is

available, woodlots are provided support irrigation also.

126390 Ha. area has been covered under village woodlots.

Panchayats have to maintain and protect the woodlots till

maturity. These village woodlots, when mature, are harvested

and 75% of the profit generated is given to the concerned Gram

panchayat and 25% amount is redeployed for afforestation works

in the village.

Rehabilitation of Degraded Farmlands

A maximum of 1 Ha. land is planted under this scheme.

Depending on the choice of the owner of the land, planting is

done in block or on the boundary of the farm. If the owner

wishes, the planting activity can be carried out by him

instead of getting it done by the Forest Department. An

incentive of Re 1 per living plant is given to the owner of

the land after one year and at the rate of Rs 0.50 per living

plant after two years. The ownership of the trees and benefits

accruing there from rests with the owner of the land.

Environmental Plantation

Environmental plantations are carried out in public places

like schools, Govt. campuses, colleges, religious places etc.

The protection work of this plantation is handled by the

organizations in whose area the plantation has been carried

out. A total of 2724 Ha. area has been covered under this

activity.

Decentralised School/Kisan Nursery

Small and marginal farmers, families below poverty line,

landless labourers and schools are involved in nursery

activity under this activity. Interested owners have to make

an application to that effect up to 31st August of the

concerned year. On finalization of the application applicants

has to execute a written agreement for carrying out the work.

Payment for raising seedlings is given in three installments

after assessing the works carried out and success achieved by

the beneficiery. This activity is run as a part of Van

Mahotsava programme.

Van Mahotsava

Trees play a number of roles for the betterment of life of

people. Percentage of geographical area under forests in

Gujarat is far less than the envisaged 33% area as per the

National forest policy 1988 and is also much less as compared

to the National Average 22%.

Van Mahotsava was conceptualized by the great visionary of

Gujarat, late Mr. K.M Munshi so that people should orient

themselves to planting trees. He initiated this drive when he

was the Union Minister of Agriculture in 1949. By this

programme people have been motivated and roped into tree

planting activity.

At present awareness programmes are held and shibirs are

organized to increase the awareness of people for planting

trees. Initially seedlings were given to people free of cost.

Nurseries have been established in far flung locations to help

people get quality seedlings within short distance. To prevent

improper use and wastage of resources a small price is being

charged though the seedlings still are heaving subsidized.

People are encouraged to plant trees in all lands such as

unused land in the vicinity of their homes, village common

lands, schools, colleges, hospital compounds etc. Van

Mahotsava is organized at State¸ District and Taluka levels

with good number of people participating in the programme so

as to plant large number of trees by people. Folders pamphlets

and other literature on Forestry extension is also distributed

to educate and motivate people. People are motivated to have

their own nurseries by taking advantage of Decentralized

farmer/ school/Women nurseries. This is helpful in the

extension of nursery technology in rural areas along with

augmenting the income of lower economic strata of people.

Distribution of Solar cookers

In order to save firewood, beneficiaries are given solar

cookers using sunlight for cooking A register is maintained at

the ranges level for distribution of solar cookers and the

same are distributed on first come first served basis taking

into account the target fixed. Preference is given to small

and marginal farmers and families below poverty line. One

beneficiary is given only one solar cooker and only once. The

distribution of solar cooker to scheduled caste beneficiaries

is done under special component plan.

Bio-Gas

Demand of fire wood in Gujarat is high. People are constrained

to use animals dung for fuel to the kitchen. This dung could

otherwise have gone as organic manure to increase the

productively of agricultural lands. In area where animal

husbandry is in practice, biogas plants can conveniently be

used by cattle owners. The cattle excreta are allowed to be

kept in a tank made of bricks and cement and allowed to rot.

In the process the gas generated is transported through pipes

and is used for lighting and cooking purpose. The residual

rotten substance is a good quality manure and is used in the

agricultural fields. The use of biogas ultimately reduces the

pressure on firewood.

The improved cook stove has a scientific design to economise

on firewood consumption. One cook stove per family is given to

a beneficiary.

Improved Crematoria

Improved crematoria are installed in villages under Social

Forestry scheme and also under special component plan.

Improved crematoria save about 40% of firewood during

cremation. On an average a human dead body requires about 400

kgs. of firewood for cremation whereas improved crematoria

needs only about 250 kg of firewood. Saving of firewood

ultimately results in less number of trees cut.

Improved crematoria are given by Forest Department free of

cost to those villages where village cremation places have

sheds. It is restricted to one crematorium per village. After

the crematoria have been fitted in place, the maintenance is

taken care of by the panchayat/organization concerned.

Improved crematoria are allotted to villages on their request.

In villages where schedule caste population is at least 250 or

more, the crematoria are supplied under special component

plan.

Table No 4:-Out Turn of Timber and Fuel Wood

Sr.N

o

Year Teak Timber

(00 C.M.)

Other

Timber

Total

Timber

Fuel

WoodRound

Wood

Sawn Wood (00

C.M.)

(00

C.M.)

(00

C.M.)1. 2006-

07

165.76 5.15 166.27 337.18 1700.33

2. 2007-

08

138.85 16.69 196.72 352.26 973.91

3. 2008-

09

200.61 2.62 169.36 372.59 1311.53

4. 2009-

10

76.03 9.96 184.57 270.56 998.64

5. 2010-

1182.91 0.49 103.22 186.62 790.79

Source:-State Forest Department-Gujarat-India

Forest and environment department of Gujarat order that there

should provide the fuel woods at concessional rate to Ashram

shala, Tribal Development committee and Boarding’s for tribal

students for their mess purpose. This scheme is implemented in

the Tribal Regions of eastern part of Gujarat. The regional

social welfare officer and Forest conservation officer make an

arrangement on the basis of availability and production of

fuel woods. Following is the details of fuel woods provided to

various schools.

Table 5 Fuel wood Provided to Various School for mess purpose

in Tribal Regions of Gujarat

Sr.N

o

Year No of Schools Quantity (Quintal)

1. 2007-2008 60 15907.002. 2008-2009 72 15099.003. 2009-2010 126 13689.004. 2010-2011 74  5430.285. 2011-2012 106 13458.00Source: District School Department of Gujarat-India

Supply of Bamboos to KotwaliasThe Forest and environment department make a special provision

for Vansfodia /Kotvadia family who are a bamboo skill worker

reside near the forest area. Under this provision the Forest

department provide the Bamboos at concessional rate to this

skill worker after making the necessary adjustment for

domestic tribal people and various government department.

Those Kotwalias who reside in the forest they get the 800 Qt

of Bamboo ( 100 Qt at Rs.100) in a year and those kotwalia who

reside outside forest get the Bamboo at 100 Qt at Rs.125. This

benefit also available to various cooperative Societies

working in forest area.

Table 6 Bamboo Distribution at concessional rate to various

group of Tribal People

Source:-Tribal Development of Gujarat-India

Sr

.N

o

Year Kotwali

as

Bamboo

committ

ee

Domest

ic

Tribal

s

Disab

le

Other Departmen

tal

Auction

1. 2000-

01

5,99,00

0

80,000 4,59,0

00

6000 6,80,0

00

--

2. 2001-

02

5,34,00

0

2,10,00

0

5,55,0

00

3000 50,000 --

3. 2002-

03

5,95,00

0

10,000 6,30,0

00

--- 30,000 --

4. 2003-

04

3,61,00

0

17,130 5,38,3

28

500 10,992 --

5. 2004-

05

2,75,00

0

26,396 10,84,

442

--- 98,335 --

6. 2005-

06

4,97,66

5

25,150 4,42,0

30

--- 2,68,0

84

21,261

7. 2006-

07

2,43,05

7

22,345 203,99

5

3,100 1,27,4

38

7,728

8. 2007-

08

20,72,9

4

1,16,63

1

1,89,2

39

1,500 79,370 29,621

9. 2008-

09

1,53,40

0

82,840 1,18,9

80

700 480 67,485

10

.

2009-

10

1,49,44

5

26,090 93,535 300 120 51,870

11

.

2011-

12

29,325 21,960 15,660 700 25,845 ---

12

.

2012-

13

20,000 1000 ------

---

-----

-

--- ---

Conclusion

The most important strength of social/community forestry is

that it can address many on farm problems and real life

situations offering remedial measures in a easily convincing

way, but the programme implementation is complex due to policy

and institutional constraints apart from technological and

socio-economical limitations. Due to consistent improvement in

tree cover in Gujarat, the achievements of the state can be

listed among the best conservation/restoration stories in the

world. Tree cover outside forest- about 7,837 sq. km. (4 % of

geographical area against only 2.8 % in India) and tree

density outside the forest area in Gujarat is the second

highest among the states of India, although major part of

Gujarat falls in semi-arid and arid zones.

The number of trees outside the forest area increased from

about 25.1 crores in 2003 to 26.9 crores in 2009 in the state,

and tree density of 16 trees/ha in the non forest areas is

higher than that of the national average. Four tree rich

Tribal districts- Tapi, Surat, Navasari and Valsad have tree

density above 30 trees/ha.Timber production from trees growing

outside forest in Gujarat is very impressive and annual

economic contribution- (Gross Value Output-GVO) of trees

outside forest (TOF) in form of timber to the state economy

was Rs 4,388 crores in 2008 (Source: Central Statistical

Organisation, sponsored by the Planning Commission of India).

Gujarat was fuel wood and timber deficit state a few decades

ago but it is now surplus in fuel wood production and is well

on the way of reaching near surplus in timber production, due

to social forestry programmes.

References

(1) Gujarat Wood Balance Study – 2005, Forest

Department - Gujarat state

(2) Socio-Economic Review - 2009-10-Gujarat State

(3) Monitoring and evaluation of social forestry in

india-an operational Guide-1986

(4) NATIONAL SOCIAL FORESTRY PROJECT-Agriculture

Operations Division India Department-South Asia Regional

Office

(5) Observations on Centralized and Decentralized

Nurseries: Experiences of an NGO in Gujarat, India-

Harnath Jagawat

(6) People's Decentralized Nurseries: Field-Level

Experiences of the Gujarat Forest Department, India-D P S

Verma

(7) Village woodlots in Gujarat: An experiment in in

Social Forestry- Vikas Pandey & Pankaj Jain-IRMA-Anand-

1991

(8) Conflict in Social Forestry-An Experience in Gujarat

State in india-Madhusudan Mehta-1998

(9) Society for Promotion of Wastelands Development

(1992,) Joint Forest Management: Regulations Update. New

Delhi:

(10) Elusive Goals of Social Forestry- An Indian

experience-D.P.S.Verma,I.F.S-Gujarat Forest Department