Nayagarh: A love for nature reinforced by by a strong resolve has driven tribal residents of a remote village in this district to become savior of a forest which they created over 100-acre of barren hill.
People of Gundarabari village under Darpanarayanpur panchayat of Ranpur block have turned Chanchunia, a unproductive rocky terrain, into a green patch. Significantly, men and women of 80 families guard the forest round-the-clock in turn to ensure zero loss of tree. While the government spends a lot for protection of forests across the state, these tribal families never seek a penny from the government and set an example for others.
“We couldn’t have protected the forest without the help of village women,” say male members of the hamlet. Nearly 25 women of the village are committed to the cause, they said.
Four women of the village with lathis in their hands guard the jungle during day time while their male counterparts do it at night, it was learnt.
Because of their sincere efforts, Chanchunia, which was once an unproductive patch, has turned into a hub of various herbs with medicinal value and big trees including sal, teak and chakunda.
Village women cleaning the forest every morning and removing the termite colonies from the infested trees reflect the level of attachment they have with the forest. Besides, they auction the trees uprooted or damaged during rain and cyclone and put the money into a community fund. The money is spent when any of them genuinely requires it.
Interestingly, villagers don’t allow forest officials to enter the jungle. Many officials help the timber mafia to decamp with valuable wood which they have grown with their sweat and blood, the villagers said.
In case of an attack by the mafia on the green crusaders, all villagers manage to get together using mobile phones and drive them out.
“The infertile hill used to haunt us. Twenty seven of us decided to make it green and kept on planting saplings on a regular basis. We will try to do the same on nearby hills also,” Rama Beuna, a woman of the village, said.
Former village committee president Arjun Pradhan said the men of the village took the matter seriously after the initiative taken by the women.
When contacted, Darpanaraynpur forester Sheikh Lokman Ali said villagers are doing a splendid job and added that they have checked timber smuggling to a large extent. The department would help them whenever they are in need, the forester assured. PNN