After our reportage on the Kerala Forest Department’s efforts to support interior forest communities during the lockdown, the state Forest Department has released a video documenting its efforts.
Meanwhile, we received multiple responses from other state forest departments carrying out similar initiatives.
We spoke to Satovisha Samajder, Divisional First Officer, Balod, Chattisgarh, who is spearheading a Door-to-Door collection system during these unprecedented times.
“Normally at this time, lots of forest products like mahua flower, imli, etc. are collected by forest communities. Before the lockdown, they would go to the haat bazaar, sell their products and make an earning. As a result of the lockdown two things were happening — one, the haat bazaar is not functional, so people were either losing the valuable products they were collecting, or they could not collect any products due to social distancing. Two, there will be middlemen who enter the village, and try to make use of this situation to buy these products at low prices. They will pay INR 5 for something worth INR 50.” she explained.
In light of this, they have initiated a system which included developing a weekly roster for each village with a day assigned to each family. Every morning, the forest guard and chaukidar visit assigned houses with soap and water, wash their hands, and accompany them to the forest. In the forest, they help the families collect forest products, and later buy the products from their doorstep through an instant bank payment. Families wishing to withdraw money are taken to the bank by the forest guard or ranger in a forest vehicle.
When storage of perishable forest produce such as mahua became a problem, Samajder devised a plan to incorporate processing into the system by working with the women in these villages to make achaar out of their produce! The Forest Department has taught women how to make achaar with the mahua flower, and imli in small groups.
Chattisgarh Forest officials work with women in Balod to make achaar from forest produce. Photo courtesy: Chattisgarh Forest Department
The achaar making serves another important purpose ﹘ curbing domestic violence.
Chattisgarh Forest officials work with women in Balod to make achaar from forest produce. Photo courtesy: Chattisgarh Forest Department
“In the lockdown, domestic violence has increased. One of the major causes for that in interior villages is illegal liquor made from mahua. So we made our SHGs go door-to-door and tell women that if we make achaar or non-alcoholic products out of every mahua flower, no alcohol will be produced in the village. Every woman has started doing it now.” she said.
Meanwhile, the state of Rajasthan has a unique problem posed by its arid climate. Due to the heat, forest officials are required to provide drinking water to animals, and extinguish fires that are likely to erupt from the dryness. This is in addition to regular duties such as night patrolling, operations against illegal sand mining, and anti-poaching activities. In the midst of this, they have taken up the task of providing rations to hamlets in the interior of the state.
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Rajasthan Forest Department officials putting out forest fires. Photo courtesy: Rajasthan Forest Department
“They are going about it with a smile. There are men and women out there who have families who are also worried, because there is so much lack of knowledge regarding this pandemic. No one really knows what’s happening, and what’s going to happen. Amidst all this, every government servant has contributed to the CM Relief Fund in terms of five days’ pay.” Arijit Banerjee, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Forest Protection), Rajasthan Forest Department, said.
Since the surge in demand for standardized medical masks, the Rajasthan Forest Department staff have also organized Village Forest Protection Committees to sew absorbent, washable, ready-to-use masks which are used by the staff, and are donated free of cost among all government offices ﹘ police stations, the panchayat office, etc.
SHG members making masks. Photo courtesy: Rajasthan Forest Department
Forest fires are also being monitored closely by Mizoram forest officials, who have been working with local volunteers from villages in Village/Local Level Task Forces (VLTF/LLTF) constituted during COVID-19 to enforce the lockdown.
Moreover, as some members of the VLTF/LLTFs are volunteers without a job during this period, they have been appointed as forest fire watchers, creating “a symbiotic working between forest department and VLTF/LLTF”, according to a report by the Mizoram Forest Department. They are also working to ensure effective enforcement of the lockdown and meet essential needs of local communities, alongside surveillance on issues related to hunting of wild animals and illegal felling of trees.
The West Bengal Forest Department has initiated efforts to provide fringe forest communities with rations and basic necessities such as medicines and soap. The state Forest Department is in regular contact with the communities, having developed a good relationship with them over the past 2-3 years. Hence, they get calls in case of medical emergencies, and send their vehicles.
West Bengal Forest officials distributing rations. Photo courtesy: West Bengal Forest Department
“Apart from the usual challenges faced during the lockdown, all materials are not readily available because food articles are also being hoarded by different people, and we want to procure them on a large scale so we have to involve other district authorities.” said R. P. Badana, Divisional First Officer, Purulia Division, West Bengal Forest Department.
Forest Departments that have taken the initiative to support fringe forest communities have been doing so to the best of their abilities, undeterred by the additional responsibilities it brings.
“At this time, forest work has actually increased in every way. We have to take care of protection, and livelihood. In between, attempts of poaching have also increased.” Samajder said.
Badana echoes a need for assistance at a higher level. “If anything can be done at a higher level, especially for these interior villages that are harder to access, and face challenges such as regular water supply, that would be wonderful.” he said.
It is heartening to see Forest Departments across the country take cognizance of communities who are virtually cut off from the rest of the world, and initiate welfare activities to protect their livelihood and food security.
By Aashika Ravi