Project Tiger India.. The project aims at ensuring a viable Project Tiger was launched in 1972 in India population of tigers of tigers in their natural habitats and preserving areas of biological importance importance as a natural heritage for the people. The selection of areas for t he reserves represented as close as possible the diversity of ecosystems across the tiger's distribution in the country. The project's task force visualized these tiger reserves as breeding nuclei, from which surplus animals would emigrate to adjacent forests. Funds and commitment were mustered to support the intensive program of habitat protection and rehabilitation under the project. [1] The government has set-up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers poachers,, and funded f unded the relocation relocation of up to 200,000 villagers to minimize human-tiger conflicts. [citation needed ] During the tiger census of 2008, a new methodology was used extrapolating sitespecific densities of tigers, their co-predators and prey derived from camera trapand trapand sign surveys using GIS GIS.. Based on the result result of these surveys, surveys, the total tiger population has been estimated at 1,411 individuals ranging from 1,165 to 1,657 adult and sub-adult tigers of more than 1.5 years of age. [2]
Goals and objectives Project Tiger was meant to identify the limiting factors and to mitigate them by suitable management. The damages done to the habitat were to be rectified so as to facilitate the recovery of the ecosystem to the maximum possible extent. The potential tiger habitats being covered are: [3]
Sivalik ±Terai ±Terai Conservation Unit (Uttaranchal (Uttaranchal,, Uttar Pradesh, Pradesh, Bihar , West Bengal), Bengal), and in Nepal
North east Conservation Unit
Sunderbans Conservation Unit
Central Indian Conservation Unit
Eastern Ghat Conservation Unit
Western Ghat Conservation Units
[edit edit]]Organisation Project Tiger is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. Authority . The overall administration of the project is monitored by a S teering teering Committee . A Field Director is appointed for each reserve, who is assisted by the field and technical
personnel. At the centre, a full-fledged Director of the project coordinates the work for the country. [citation needed ] Wireless communication system and outstation patrol camps have been developed within the tiger reserves, due to which poaching has declined considerably. Fire protection engineering is carried out by suitable preventive and control measures. Villages have been relocated in many reserves, especially from core areas. Livestock grazing has been controlled to a great extent in the tiger reserves. Various compensatory developmental works have improved the water regime and the ground and field level vegetation, thereby increasing the tiger density.
Project Tiger
Project Tiger Scheme
Project Tiger Scheme has been under implementation since 1973 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Government of India. Ob jective
The main objective of Project Tiger is to ensure a viable population of tiger in India for scientific , economic , aesthetic , cultural and ecological values and to preserve for all time, areas of biological importance as a natural heritage for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people. Main objectives under the scheme include wildlife management, protection measures and site specific ecodevelopment to reduce the dependency of local communities on tiger reserve resources. Initially, the Project started with 9 tiger reserves, covering an area of 16,339 sq.km., with a population of 268 tigers. At present there are 27 tiger reserves covering an area of 37761 sq.km., with a population of 1498 tigers. This amounts to almost 1.14% of the total geographical area of the country. The selection of reserves was guided by representation of ecotypical wilderness areas across the biogeographic range of tiger distribution in the country. Project Tiger is undisputedly a custodian of major gene pool. It is also a repository of some of the most valuable ecosystem and habitats for wildlife. Tiger Reserves are constituted on a 'core-buffer' strategy. The core area is kept free of biotic disturbances and fo restry operations, where collection of minor forest produce, grazing, hu man disturbances are not allowed within. However, the buffer zone is managed as a µmultiple use area¶ with twin objectives of providing habitat supplement to the spill over population of wild animals from the core conservation unit, and to provide site specific ecodevelopmental inputs to surrounding villages for relieving their impact on the core. Except for the National Parks portion if contained within, normally no relocation of villages is visualised in the buffer area, and forestry operations, NTFP collection and other
rights and concessions to the local people are permitted in a regulated manner to complement the initiatives in the core unit. Project Tiger has put the tiger on an assured course of recovery from the brink of extinction, and has resurrected the floral and faunal genetic diversity in some of our unique and endangered wilderness ecosystem. The population of tigers in the country has increased significantly to about 4000 from less than 2000 at the time of launch of the project. The effective protection and concerted conservation measures inside the reserves have brought about considerable intangible achievements also, viz. arresting erosion, enrichment of water regime thereby improving the water table and overall habitat resurrection. Labour intensive activities in tiger reserves have helped in poverty alleviation amongst the most backward sections, and their dependence on forests has also reduced. The project has been instrumental in mustering local support for conservation programme in general. Approach: y
y y
Elimination of all forms of human exploitation and disturbance from the core and rationalisation of such activities in the buffer. Limitation of the habi tat management to repair damage done by man. Researching facts about habitat and wild animals and carefully monitoring changes in flora and fauna.
There has not been any major problem in release of the budget outlay in the last three years under the scheme. However, actual utilisation of funds has been affected due to delay in release of funds by the State Government to the field units. This matter has been discussed in the Steering Committee of the Project Tiger meeting held on 8.5.2000. On the part of this Ministry , it has been decided to release the first instalment of Central assistance without waiting for the submission of UCs. However the second instalment is released only after obtaining UCs. In order to monitor the expenditure it is proposed to request the State Government to furnish, its allocation along with the quarterly financial and physical targets of Annual Plan of operations. IX
PLAN ACHIEVEMENT OF PR OJECT TIGER DIVISION y
y
y
y
No.
During the VIII plan period the budget outlay for Project Tiger Scheme was Rs. 40.00 Crores. During the IX plan the budget outlay was
substantially increased to rs. 75.00 Crores. During the IX Plan, Project Allowance to an extant of Rs. 3.95 Crores to field level staff was funded under this scheme for the first time. During this Plan period funds to an extant of Rs. 2.49 Crores has been released for creation of Strike Force to combat the growing insurgency and extremist situations within the Tiger Reserves. During the Plan period four new Tiger Reserves were declared, namely Tiger Reserve
1 Bhadra 2 Pench 3 Pakui-Nameri
State Karnataka Maharashtra Arunachal Pradesh
Year of Formation 1998-99 1998-99 1999-2000
Area(sq. Funds Kms.) released 492 318.459 257 223.421 1206 93.100
/ Assam
4
Bori-Satpura Panchmarhi
Madhya Pradesh
1999-2000
1486
75.220
3441
710.200
The effective protection and concerted conservation measures inside the reserves have brought about considerable intangible achievements also viz. arresting erosion, enrichment of water regime and thereby improving the water table and overall habitat resurrection. Labour intensive activities in tiger reserves have helped in poverty alleviation of the most backward sections and their dependence on forests has also reduced. The project has been instrumental in mustering local support f or conservation programme in general. y During the X Plan, it is envisaged to carry out on the Project with further impetus on people¶s support for conservation of nature and natural resources. y
The aim of Project Tiger is to ensure a viable population of tiger in India for economic, aesthetic, cultural and ecological values and to preserve areas of biological importance as natural heritage. Project tiger scheme includes wildlife management, protection measures and site specific eco development to reduce the dependency
on
tiger
reserve
resources.
At the turn of the century, the estimated tiger population in India was placed at 40,000 but the first ever all India tiger census in 1972 shockingly revealed the existence of only 1827 tigers. Before that a ban on tiger hunting was imposed in the year 1970 and in 1972 the Wildlife Protection Act came into force. Thereafter a 'Task Force'
was
set
up
to
formulate
a
project
for
tiger
conservation.
With the launch of Project tiger in 1973, various tiger reserves were created in different parts of the country on a 'core-buffer' strategy. Under this strategy, the core areas were freed from all human activities and the buffer areas were to have 'conservation oriented land use'. Initially, 9 tiger reserves were established in different States during the period 1973-74. These nine Tiger reserves were Manas (Assam), Palamau (Bihar), Similipal (Orissa), Corbett (U.P.), Kanha (M.P.), Melghat (Maharashtra), Bandipur (Karnataka), Ranthambore (Rajasthan) and Sunderbans (West
Bengal).
The main achievements of this project are excellent recovery of the habitat and
consequent increase in the tiger population in the reserve areas, from a mere 268 in 9
reserves
in
1972
to
1576
Project Tiger Reserves in India Nagarjunasagar
Andhra Pradesh
Namdhapa
Arunachal Pradesh
Pakhui
Arunachal Pradesh
Manas
Assam
Nameri
Assam
Valmiki
Bihar
Indravati
Chhatisgarh
Palamau
Jharkhand
Bhadra
Karnataka
Bandipur
Karnataka
Periyar
Kerala
Pench
Madhya Pradesh
Kanha
Madhya Pradesh
Bori Satpura
Madhya Pradesh
Bandhavgarh
Madhya Pradesh
Panna
Madhya Pradesh
Melghat
Maharashtra
Tadoba-Andhari
Maharashtra
Dampha
Mizoram
Simplipal
Orissa
Sariska
Rajasthan
Ranthambore
Rajasthan
Kalakad Mundanthurai Tamil Nadu Dudhwa
Uttar Pradesh
Corbett
Uttranchal
in
27
reserves
in
2003.
Buxa
West Bengal
Sundarbans
West Bengal
Present | Future Past
Project Tiger: Project Tiger, launched in 1973-74, is one of our most successful conservation ventures in the recent times. The project aims at tiger conservation in specially constituted 'tiger reserves', which are representative of various biogeographical regions falling within our country. It strives to maintain a viable tiger population in the natural environment. An estimate of the tiger population in India, at the turn of the century, placed the figure at 40,000. Subsequently, the first ever all India tiger census was conducted in 1972 which revealed the existence of only 1827 tigers. Various pressures in the later part of the last century led to the progressive decline of wilderness, resulting in the disturbance of viable tiger habitats. At the IUCN General Assembly meeting in Delhi, in 1969, serious concern was voiced about the threat to several species of wildlife and the shrinkage of wilderness in the country. In 1970, a national ban on tiger hunting was imposed and in 1972 the Wildlife Protection Act came into force. A 'Task Force' was then set up to formulate a project for tiger conservation with an ecological approach. The project was launched in 1973, and various tiger reserves were created in the country on a 'core-buffer' strategy. The core areas were freed f rom all sorts of human activities and the buffer areas were subjected to 'conservation oriented land use'. Management plans were drawn up for each tiger reserve, based on the principles outlined below: 1. Elimination of all forms of human exploitation and biotic disturbance from the core area and rationalization of activities in the buffer zone. 2. Restricting the habitat management only to repair the damages done to the ecosystem by human and other interferences, so as to facilitate recovery of the ecosystem to its natural state. 3. Monitoring the faunal and floral changes over time and carrying out research about wildlife. Initially, 9 tiger reserves were established in different States during the period 197374, by pooling the resources available with the Central and State Governments. These nine reserves covered an area of about 13,0 17sq.km-viz Manas (Assam), Palamau (Bihar), Similipal (Orissa), Corbett (U.P.), Kanh a (M.P.), Melghat (Maharashtra), Bandipur (Karnataka), Ranthambhore (Rajasthan) and Sunderbans (West Bengal). The project started as a 'Central Sector Scheme' with the full assistance of Central Government till 1979-80: later, it become a 'centrally Sponsored Scheme' from 198081, with equal sharing of expenditure between the center and the states. The W.W.F. has given an assistance of US $ 1 million in the form of equipments, expertise and literature. The various States are also bearing the loss on account of
giving up the forestry operations in the reserves. The main achievements of this project are excellent recovery of the habitat and consequent increase in the tiger population in the reserve areas, from a mere 268 in 9 reserves in 1972 to 1576 in 27 reserves in 2003. Tiger, being at the apex of the food chain, can be considered as the indicator of the stability of the eco-system. For a viable tiger population, a habitat should possess a good prey base, which in turn will depend on an undisturbed forest vegetation. Thus, 'Project Tiger', is basically the conservation of the entire eco-system and apart from tigers, all other wild animals also have increased in number in the project areas. In the subsequent 'Five Year Plans', the main thrust was to enlarge the core and buffer zones in certain reserves, intensification of protection and ecodevelopment in the buffer zones of existing tiger reserves, creation of additional tiger reserves and strengthening of the research activities. The management strategy was to identify the limiting factors and to mitigate them by suitable management. The damages done to the habitat were to be rectified, so as to facilitate the recovery of eco-system to the maximum possible extent. Management practices which tend to push the wildlife populations beyond the carrying capacity of the habitat were carefully avoided. A minimum core of 300 sq. km. with a sizeable buffer was recommended for each project area. The overall administration of the project is monitored by a 'Steering Committee'. The execution of the project is done by the respective State Governments. A 'Field Director' is appointed for each reserve, who is assisted by the field and technical personnel. The Chief Wildlife warden in various States are responsible for the field execution. At the Centre, a full-fledged 'Director' of the project coordinates the work for the country.
To p
Present
Wireless communication system and outstation patrol camps have been developed within the tiger reserves, due to which poaching has declined considerably. Fire protection is effectively done by suitable preventive and control measure Voluntory Village relocation has been done i n many reserves, especially fro m the core, area. In Kanha, Bandipur and Ranthambhore, all the villages have been shifted from the core, and after relocation, the villagers have been provided with alternate agricultural lands and other community benefits. This has resulted in the improvement of the carrying capacity of the habitat. Live stock grazing has been controlled to a great extent in the tiger reserves. Various compensatory develo pmental works have improved the water regime and the ground and field level vegetations, thereby increasing the animal density. Research data pertaining to vegetational changes are also available from many reserves. In general, the 'restorative management' and 'intense protection' under 'Project Tiger' have saved many of our eco-typical areas from destruction. The area around the buffer is now contemplated as a zone of multiple use, to bring compatibility between the reserves and the neighbouring communities.
Future
To p
a) Use of Information and Communication technology in Wildlife Protection and Crime Risk Management in Tiger reserves. Wildlife protection and crime risk management in the present scenario requires a widely distributed Information Network, using the state-of-art Information and Communication Technology. This becomes all the more important to ensure the
desired level of protection in field formations to safeguard the impressive gains of a focused project like 'Project Tiger'. The important elements in Wildlife protection and control are: Mapping /plotting the relative spatial abundance of wild animals, identification of risk factors, proximity to risk factors, sensitivity categorization, crime mapping and immediate action for apprehending the offenders based on effective networking and communication. Space technology has shown the interconnectivity of natural and anthropogenic phenomena occurring anywhere on earth. Several Tiger Reserves are being linked with the Project Tiger Directorate in the GIS domain for Wildlife Crime Risk Management. b) GIS based digitized database and MIS development /networking in Tiger Reserves: With the advanced IT tools, a wide gamut of software solutions are available to improve wildlife related information capture process, its analysis and informed decision making. Geographic Information System is the most relevant of these technologies for natural resource management projects, including wildlife management. The mandate of project tiger is to conserve tigers in a holistic manner. The GIS based database at PTHQ is being linked with the microcomputers in the Tiger Reserves, so that a dynamic linkage for rapid information flow is established using Arc IMS facility. c) Tiger Habitat & Population Evaluation System for the Indian Sub Continent A 'Tiger Atlas of India' and a 'Tiger Habitat & Population Evaluation System for the country is being developed using the state- of - the - art technology. This involves: 1. Mapping , data acquisition and GIS modeling 2. Field data collection and validation 3. Data Maintenance , Dissemination and Use The following potential tiger habitats in the country are being covered: >Shivalik-Terai Conservation Unit(Uttaranchal, UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Nepal) >Nort east Conservation Unit >Sunderbans Conservation Unit >Central Indian Conservation Unit >Eastern Ghat Conservation Unit >Western Ghat Conservation Unit Satellite data is being used and classified into vegetation and land use maps on a 1:50,000 scale, with digitized data relating to contour , villages, roads , drainage , administrative boundaries and soil . The spatial layers would be attached with attribute data , viz. human population , livestock population , meteorological data, agricultural information and field data pertaining to wildlife, habitat for evolving regional protocols to monitor tiger and its habitat. Vision For
the Future
The dynamics of forest management and wildlife conservation have been distorted due to need for income, lack of awareness, lack of landuse policy and population pressure. Since the traditional use systems of people are neither static nor benign, these should not be overlooked. A regional development approach in landscapes having Tiger Reserves is of utmost importance in our country. It should be viewed as a mosaic of different landuse patterns, viz, tiger conservation / preservation, forestry, sustainable use and development, besides socio-economic growth.
Tiger habitats exist in environments of thousands of indigenous communities which depend on them. Therefore we cannot view these protected areas in isolation from the surrounding socio-economic realities and developmental priorities of the Govt. This calls for a cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary approach.
Tigers now need a "preservationist" approach. Regional planning is important around Tiger Reserves to foster ecological connectivity between protected areas through restorative inputs with integrated landuse planning. The management plan of a Tiger Reserve, therefore, needs to be integrated in larger regional management plans.
Chipko
Movement
Chipko Movement, started in 1970's, was a non violent movement aimed at protection and conservation of trees and forests from being destroyed. The name of the Chipko moment originated from the word 'embrace' as the villagers used to hug the trees and protect them from wood cutters from cutting them. Chipko movement was based on the Gandhian philosophy of peaceful resistance to achieve the goals. It was the strong uprising against the against those people, who were destroying the natural resources of the forests and disturbing the whole ecological balance. It was first started in the Chamoli district in the year 1973 and from there it spread to the other parts of the country. There is one very famous story about the girl, Amrita Devi, who died while trying to save the trees grown in her village. The village was under the rule of the local Maharaja, who desired to built a palace for his family. He ordered his servants to bring wood from the nearby village. When the wood cutters arrived the village to cut the tress,
Amrita and other women of the village jumped in front of the trees and hugged them. She said they will have to cut her first before the trees. The servants were helpless to follow the orders and cut the tree. Amrita Devi died on the spot. Before offering her head to the Maharajas servants, Amrita enchanted :- ³ seir santhe runkh raheb, to bhee sastojan´ (it is till a small price to pay if at the cost of my head the tree is
saved). The incident inspired the several other rural womens, who in 1970's launched such similar movements in different parts of India. The incident inspired the several other rural womens, who in 1970's launched such similar movements in different parts of India.It is really surprising that the women of that age were better aware about the significance of forests. The rural women in India actively participated in the movement, who knows about deforestation and its future consequences. Some of the key women leaders who fought for the protection of forests, whom they call it their maternal mother were Gaura Devi, Sudesha Devi, Bachni Devi, Dev Suman, Mira
Behn,
Sarala
Behn
and
Amrita
Devi.
The Chipko Movement gained momentum under Sunderlal Bahuguna, an eco activist, who spent his whole life persuading and educating the villagers, to protest against the destruction of the forests and the Himalayan mountains by the government. It was he, who made appeal to the Prime Minister of India Mrs Indira Gandhi to ban the cutting of tress. He shouted the slogan 'ecology is the permanent economy'. Another main leader of the movement was Mr. Chandi Prasad Bhatt, who advocated the development of small scale local industries, which were based on the sustainable use of the forests resources for the local benefits. There were many slogans
that
originated
³Embrace then
The
property
Save
them
Another
period.
us
from from
protect
example
and felled
our
hills,
being
looted´
says
and
plant
:-
the
trees
the drive
away
:-
being
of
awaken And
For
trees
one
Go
that
the
Save
³Let
during
villages the
axeman´
One of the major achievement of the Chipko movement was the ban on cutting the trees for the 15 years in the forests of Uttar Pradesh in 1980. Later on the ban was imposed in Himachal Pardesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bihar, Western Ghats and Vindhayas. All this was done on the order of the Indian P0rime Minister after the strong protests by the activists through out the country.
Chipko
Movement
Chipko Movement, started in 1970's, was a non violent movement aimed at protection and conservation of trees and forests from being destroyed. The name of the Chipko moment originated from the word 'embrace' as the villagers used to hug the trees and protect them from wood cutters from cutting them. Chipko movement was based on the Gandhian philosophy of peaceful resistance to achieve the goals. It was the strong uprising against those people, who were destroying the natural resources of the forests and disturbing the whole ecological balance. It was first started in the Chamoli district in the year 1973 and from there it spread to the other parts of the country. There is one very famous story about the girl, Amrita Devi, who died while trying to save the trees grown in her village. The village was under the rule of the local Maharaja, who desired to built a palace for his family. He ordered his servants to bring wood from the nearby village. When the wood cutters arrived the village to cut the tress, Amrita and other women of the village jumped in front of the trees and hugged them. She said they will have to cut her first before the trees. The servants were helpless to follow the orders and cut the tree. Amrita Devi died on the spot. Before offering her head to the Maharajas servants, Amrita enchanted :- ³ seir santhe
runkh raheb, to bhee sastojan´ (it is till a small price to pay if at the cost of my
head the tree is saved). The incident inspired the several other rural womens, who in 1970's launched such similar movements in different parts of India. The incident inspired the several other rural womens, who in 1970's launched such similar movements in different parts of
India.It is really surprising that the women of that age were better aware about the significance of forests. The rural women in India actively participated in the movement, who knows about deforestation and its future consequences. Some of the key women leaders who fought for the protection of forests, whom they call it their maternal mother were Gaura Devi, Sudesha Devi, Bachni Devi, Dev Suman, Mira Behn, Sarala Behn and Amrita Devi. The Chipko Movement gained momentum under Sunderlal Bahuguna, an eco activist, who spent his whole life persuading and educating the villagers, to protest against the destruction of the forests and the Himalayan mountains by the government. It was he, who made appeal to the Prime Minister of India Mrs Indira Gandhi to ban the cutting of tress. He shouted the slogan 'ecology is the permanent economy'. Another main leader of the movement was Mr. Chandi Prasad Bhatt, who advocated the development of small scale local industries, which were based on the sustainable use of the forests resources for the local benefits. There were many slogans that originated during that period. For example :³Embrace the trees and Save then from being felled The property of our hills, Save them from being looted´ Another
one says :-
³Let us protect and plant the trees Go awaken the villages And drive away the axeman´ One of the major achievement of the Chipko movement was the ban on cutting the trees for the 15 years in the forests of Uttar Pradesh in 1980. Later on the ban was imposed in Himachal Pardesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bihar, Western Ghats and Vindhayas. All this was done on the order of the Indian Prime Minister after the strong protests by the activists through out the country.
The Chipko movement
In the 1970s, an organized resistance to the destruction of f orests spread throughout India and came to be known as the Chipko movement. The name of the movement comes from the w ord 'embrace', as the villagers hugged the trees, and prevented the contractors' from felling them. Not many people know that over the last few centuries many communities in India have helped save nature. One such is the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan. The original ¶Chipko movement¶ was started around 260 years back in the early part of the 18 th century in Rajasthan by this community. A large group of them from 84 villages led by a l ady called Amrita Devi laid down their lives in an eff ort to protect the trees from being felled on the orders of the M aharaja (King) of Jodhpur. After this incident, the maharaja gave a strong royal decree preventing the cutting of trees in all Bishnoi villages. In the 20th century, it began in the hills where the forests are the main source of livelihood, since agricultural activities cannot be carried out easily. The Chipko movement of 1973 was one of the most famous among these. The first Chipko action took place spontaneously in April 1973 in the village of Mandal in the upper Alakananda valley and over the next five years spread to many districts of the Himalayas in Uttar Pradesh. It was sparked off by t he government's decision to all ot a plot of forest area in the Alaknanda valley to a sports goods company. This angered the villagers because their similar demand to use wood for making agricultural tools had been earlier denied. With encouragement from a local NGO (non-governmental organization), DGSS (Dasoli Gram Swarajya Sangh), the women of the area, under the leadership of an activist, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, went i nto the forest and formed a circle around the trees preventing the men from cutting them down. The success achieved by this protest led to similar protests in other parts of the country. From their origins as a spontaneous protest against l ogging abuses in Uttar Pradesh in t he Himalayas, supporters of the Chipko movement, mainly village women, have successfully banned the felli ng of trees in a number of regions and influenced natural resource policy in India. Dhoom Singh Negi, Bachni Devi and many other village women, were the first to save trees by hugging them. They coined the slogan: 'What do the forests bear? Soil, water and pure air'. The success of the Chipko movement in the hills saved thousands of trees from being felled. Some other persons have also been involved i n this movement and have given it proper direction. Mr Sunderlal Bahuguna, a Gandhian activist and philosopher, whose appeal to Mrs Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, resulted in the green-felling ban. Mr Bahuguna coined the Chipko slogan: 'ecology is permanent economy'. Mr C handi Prasad Bhatt, is another leader of the Chipko movement. He encouraged the development of local industries based on the conservation and sustainable use of forest wealth for local benefit. Mr Ghanasyam Raturi, the Chipko poet, whose songs echo throughout the Himalayas of Uttar Pradesh, wrote a poem describing the method of embracing the trees to save them from felling: ' Embrace the trees and Save them from being felled; The property of our hills, Save them from being looted.'
The Chipko protests in Uttar Pradesh achieved a major victory in 1980 with a 15-year ban on green felling in the Himalayan forests of that state by the order of Mrs Indira Gandhi, t he then Prime Minister of India. Since then, the movement has spread to many states in t he country. In addition to the 15year ban in Uttar Pradesh, the movement has stopped felling in the Western Ghats and the Vindhyas and has generated pressure for a natural resource policy that is more sensitive to people's needs and ecological requirements.
Chipko Movement, India
The for ests of India ar e a critical r esource for the subsistence of rural peoples throughout the country, but es pecially in hill and mountain ar eas, both because of their dir ect provision of food, fuel and fodder and because of their role in stabilising soil and water r esources. As these for ests have been incr easingly f elled for commerce and industry, Indian villager s have sought to protect their livelihoods through the Gandhian method of satyagraha non-violent r esistence. In the 1970s and 1980s this r esistance to the destruction of for ests s pr ead throughout India and became organised and known as the Chipko Movement. The fir st Chipko action took place s pontaneously in April 1973 and over the next five year s s pr ead to many districts of the Himalaya in Uttar Pradesh. The name of the movement comes from a word meaning 'embrace': the villager s hug the tr ees, saving them by interposing their bodies between them and the contractor s' axes. The Chipko protests in Uttar Pradesh achieved a major victory in 1980 with a 15year ban on gr een f elling in the Himalayan for ests of that state by order of India's then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Since then the movement has s pr ead to Himachal Pradesh in the Nor th, Kamataka in the South, Rajasthan in the West, Bihar in the East and to the Vindhyas in Central India. In addition to the 15-year ban in Uttar Pradesh, the movement has stopped clear f elling in the Western Ghats and the Vindhyas and generated pr essur e for a natural r esource policy which is mor e sensitive to people's needs and ecological r equir ements. The Chipko Movement is the r esult of hundr eds of decentralised and locally autonomous initiatives. Its leader s and activists ar e primarily village women, acting to save their means of subsistence and their communities. Men ar e involved too, however, and some of these have given wider leader ship to the movement. Prominent Chipko figur es include: Sunderlal Bahuguna, a Gandhian activist and philosopher, whose appeal to Mr s. Gandhi r esults in the gr een-f elling ban and whose 5,000 kilometr e trans-Himalaya footmarch in 1981-83 was crucial in s pr eading the Chipko message. Bahuguna coined the Chipko slogan: 'ecology is permanent economy'. Chandi Prasad Bhatt, one of the earliest Chipko activists, who foster ed locally based industries based on the conservation and sustainable use of for est wealth for local benefit. Dhoom Singh Negi, who, with Bachni Devi and many village women, fir st saved tr ees by hugging them in the 'Chipko embrace'. They coined the slogan: 'What do the for ests bear? soil, water and pur e air'. Ghanasyam Raturi, the Chipko poet, whose songs echo throughout the Himalaya of Uttar Pradesh.
Indu Tik ekar, a doctor of philosophy, whose s piritual discour ses throughout India on the ancient Sanskrit scriptur es and on comparative r eligion have str essed the unity and oneness of lif e and put the Chipko Movement in this context. A f eatur e published by the United Nations Environment Programme r e por ted the Chipko Movement thus: 'In eff ect the Chipko people ar e working a socio-economic r evolution by winning control of their for est r esources from the hands of a distant bur eaucracy which is concerned with selling the for est for making urban-oriented products.' "The solution of pr esent-day problems lie in the r e-establishment of a harmonious r elationship between man and natur e. To k ee p this r elationship permanent we will have to digest the definition of r eal development: development is synonymous with cultur e. When we sublimate natur e in a way that we achieve peace, happiness, pros perity and, ultimately, fulfilment along with satisfying our basic needs, we march towards cultur e." Sunderlal Bahuguna
Chipko movement From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Villagers surrounding a tree to stop it from being felled The Chipko movement or Chipko Andolan (literally "to cling" in Hindi) is a social-ecological movement that practised the Gandhian methods of satyagraha andnon-violent resistance, through the act of hugging trees to protect them from b eing felled. The modern Chipko movement started in th e early 1970s in
the GarhwalHimalayas of Uttarakhand, [1] with growing awareness towards rapid deforestation. The landmark event in this struggle took place on March 26, 1974, when a group of peasant women in Reni village, Hemwalghati, in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India, acted to prevent the cutting of trees and reclaim their traditional forest rights that were threatened by the contractor system of the state Forest Department. Their actions inspired hundreds of such actions at the grassroots level throughout the region. By the 1980s the movement had spread throughout India and led to for mulation of people-sensitive forest policies, which put a stop to the open felling of trees in regions as far reaching as Vindhyas and the Western Ghats.[2] The first recorded event of Chipko however, took place in village Khejarli, Jodhpur district, in 1730 AD, when 363 Bishnois, led by Amrita Devi sacrificed their liveswhile protecting green Khejri trees, considered sacred by the community, by hugging them, and braved the axes of loggers sent by the local ruler,
[3]
today
it is seen an inspiration and a precursor for Chipko movement of Garhwal. [4][5] The Chipko movement, though primarily a livelihood movement rather than a forest conservation movement, went on to become a rallying point for many future environmentalists, environmental protests 0and movements the world over and created a precedent for non-violent protest.
[6][7]
It occurred at a time
when there was hardly any environmental movement in the developing world, and its success meant that the world immediately took notice of this non-violent Tree hugging movement , which was to inspire in time many such eco-groups by helping to slow down the rapid deforestation, expose vested interests, increase ecological awareness, and demonstrate the viability of people power. Above all, it stirred up the existing civil society in India, which began to address the issues of tribal and marginalized people. So much so that, a quarter of a century later, I ndia Today mentioned the people behind the "forest satyagraha" of t he Chipko movement as amongst "100 p eople who shaped India". [8] Today, beyond the eco-socialism hue, it is being seen increasingly as an ecofeminism movement. Although many of its leaders were men, women were not only its backbone, but also its mainstay, because they were the ones most affected by the rampant deforestation, [citation needed ], which led to a lack of firewood and fodder as well as water for drinking and irrigation. Over the years they also became primary stakeholders in a majority of the afforestation work that happened under the Chipko movement. [2][3][9][10] In 1987 the Chipko Movement was awarded the Right Livelihood Award
[11]
Narmada Bachao Andolan is social movement consisting of tribal people, adivasi s, farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists against the Sardar Sarovar Dambeing built across the Narmada river , Gujarat, India. Narmada
Bachao
Andolan
Their mode of campaign includes hunger strikes and garnering support from noted film and art personalities (notably Bollywood film actor Aamir Khan). Narmada Bachao Andolan, together with its leading spokespersons Medha Patkar and Baba Amte, were the 1991 recipient of the Right Livelihood Award.
Narmada
Bachao Andolan
Narmada Bachao Andolan is the most powerful mass movement, started in 1985, against the construction of huge dam on the
Narmada
river. Narmada is the India's
largest west flowing river, which supports a large variety of people with distinguished culture and tradition ranging from the indigenous (tribal) people inhabited in the jungles here to the large number of rural population. The proposed Sardar Sarovar Dam and Narmada Sagar will displace more than 250,000 people. The big fight is over the resettlement or the rehabilitation of these people. The two proposals are already under construction, supported by US$550 million loan by the world bank. There are plans to build over 3000 big and small dams along the river. It is a multi crore project that will generate a big revenue for the government. The Narmada Valley Development plan is the the most promised and most challenging plan in the history of India. The proponents are of the view that it will produce 1450 MW of electricity and pure drinking water to 40 million people covering thousand of villages and towns. Some of the dams have been already been completed such as Tawa and Bargi Dams. But the
opponents says that this hydro project will devastate human lives and bio diversity by destroying thousand of acres of forests and agricultural land. On the other hand it will overall deprive thousands of people of their livelihood. They believe that the water and energy could be provided to the people through alternative technological means, that
would
be
ecologically
beneficial.
Led by one of the prominent leader Medha Patkar, it has now been turned into the International protest, gaining support from NGO'S all around the globe. Protestors are agitating the issue through the mass media, hunger strikes, massive marches, rallies and the through the on screen of several documentary films. Although they have been protesting peacefully, but they been harassed, arrested and beaten up by the police several times. The Narmada Bachao Andolan has been pressurizing the world
bank
to
withdraw
its
loan
from
the
project
through
media.
The strong protests through out the country not only made impact on the local people but has also influenced the several famous celebrities like film star Aamir Khan , who has made open efforts to support Narmada Bachao Andolan. He said he only want that those who have been rendered homeless should be given a roof. He pleaded to the common people to take part in the moment and come up with the best possible solutions.