Champua: Even as forest cover across the globe has been on the decline, a man of Champua in Keonjhar district has turned out to be a green crusader and set an example for others by generating forest over five acres of land.
Sahadev Singh, a resident of Banika, spent from his own pocket for the forest generation. As there is no forest nearby, this forest has been providing firewood and leafy fuel to the local residents.
According to Singh, in 1981-82, land in Rangamatia, Banika and Tanspasi were left fallow. At that time, women in the area were facing a lot of difficulties in finding fuel for kitchen. They used to trek miles to get firewood in the forests bordering Mayurbhanj and even Jharkhand. They basically collected dry leaves.
Besides, trekking in the forested track was always fraught with dangers from wild animals and anti-social elements. When he was 21, Singh was overwhelmed by their difficulties.
He sought the help of the social forestry and the forest department to regenerate forest on his own land that had been left fallow at Daudadhipa and Adarmadiha. He also proposed to spend from his own pocket.
Sahadev planted saplings of acacia and eucalyptus on five acres of land. After six years of nurturing, local women were allowed to collect dry leaves to meet their fuel needs.
Since then, local women said, they have not gone outside their area for firewood.
Some other villagers were inspired by Sahadev and started generating forest on their fallow land.
Sahadev along with help of other youths has been striving to regenerate greenery in their areas. Forests have been created in patches.
Plants like ‘karma’, ‘jamu’, ‘arjun’, ‘neem’, ‘palash’, ‘katamba’, ‘sunari’ and other medicinal plants have been planted.
Significantly, the forest generated by Sahadev has become an ideal habitat for wild animals like hares, porcupines and boars.
Sahadev has recently retired as a teacher from the Banika government high school. After retirement, he is fully dedicated to generation of greenery. He is known as ‘Brukhyabandhu’ in the area.
Sahadev said Bir Bikram Baliarsingh Club helped him in achieving the ‘green success’.
