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
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