The Joint Forest Management is a device to conserve the forest with the co-operation of the people.The JFM is set to improve natural regeneration of forests by soil and moisture conservation, construction of small water harvesting structures and enrichment planting. To reduce the villager's dependence on the forests, horticulture in private lands, digging of bore-wells, encouraging construction of bio-gas plants and smokeless chullahs (fire-places), opening Vana Vignana Kendras (centres promoting forest awareness) and pasture development activities are taken up on priority. The plan also highlighted the specific local needs and community development programs.
| Although initially it was difficult for both the foresters and the people to reconcile to the participatory mode of forestry management, the success stories (see boxed items) spread the message from one place to another. People feared that once the forest improves, the Government would take it from them. It took some time to bring in the required attitudinal change in the foresters and for the people to gain confidence in the sincerity of the foresters in implementing the program. |
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The Range Officer and his staff concerned with the area convene a Gram Sabha, and, through such meetings, discuss the problems. Considering the views and priorities of the villagers, they convince the villagers that the Vana Samrakshana Samithis (VSS) with the villagers as members, will work against encroachment, grazing, fire and theft of forests produce. At the same time, it also ensures proper and timely execution of various works aiming at development of forest in accordance with the JFM plan such as providing for the local needs. VSS aims at creating awareness about the importance of forests among the other members of the village too. The VSS then extends help to the Forest Officers in carrying out forestry development/ eco-development work in accordance with the approved JFM plan. The VSS also prevents activities that are in contradiction of the Forest Act/ Wildlife Act/ Forest (Conservation) Act, of Government of India. In the State 16.25 lakh hectares of forest land, which accounts for 25% of the notified forest area is currently under the management of villagers through 6524 VSS. More than 12 lakh VSS members, including nearly six lakh people of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes are actively participating in improving their forests.
In Nizamabad district as per the assessment done by the state Forest Department, in 1996 the extent of dense forest was only 124.54 square km. Due to implementation of Joint Forest Management (JFM) programme in the district, 80% of the forest area was brought under the management of Vana Samrakshana Samithi (VSS).
Within a short span of two years the impact of the protection was visible in the status of forests. When the assessment was done in 1998 satellite imagery data, it was found that there is an improvement of over 60% in the extent of dense forest, the total area under this category extending to 204.01 square km. Another significant feature is the reduction in the extent of forest blanks by nearly 50% during this period (Table 5.6.1.)
The change in vegetation assessment is being done for other districts too, and preliminary reports from Adilabad and Visakhapatnam districts, which account for 30% of the total number of Vana Samrakshana Samithis (VSS) formed in the State, indicate substantial improvement in the status of forest cover.
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Forest
cover change between Oct 1996-Nov 1998 in Nizamabad District Forest
Cover Type 1996 Assessment
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Forest
Cover Type
|
1996
Assessment
(areas in sq.km) |
1998
Assessment
(area in sq.km) |
Percentage
Change
|
| Dense |
124.54
|
204.01
|
+60
|
| Open |
231.38
|
357.85
|
+55
|
| Scrub |
799.86
|
845.11
|
+6
|
| Forest Blanks |
545.30
|
289.72
|
-53
|
| Water Bodies 5. |
5.37
|
9.47
|
+76
|
The Forest Department provides assistance to the VSS in selection/ demarcation of the forest areas to be brought under JFM, in preparation of a JFM plan, approving the microplan, preparation of budget for the implementation of the microplan and getting it approved. The Department also ensures review of the actions taken for implementation of the concept of JFM by the District Forestry Committee. The annual budget required as per the approved annual action plan is deposited in a Bank or Post Office in a Joint Account operated by the VSS, the Management Committee and the Forest Section Officer concerned.
The
women of Chengicherla Vana Samrakshana Samithi (VSS) in Ranga Reddy district
could realise as much as Rs.2.2 lakhs through sale of grass during the
period 1994-98. This was the area, where the Government used to get hardly
Rs.5,000 worth grass every year.
As the protection continued the dormant root stock rejuvenated and the
natural regeneration picked up. In Kondapur VSS of Nalgonda district,
the members through effective protection, rediscovered as many as 26 new
species coming up in their forest area.
Similarly the members of Venkatapur in Chittoor district have transformed
what was once a barren hill into a neem forest, not by planting neem saplings,
but by mere protection, which enabled occurrence and establishment of
neem through natural regeneration.
Due to generation of adequate employment in the village itself, through VSS operations, the migration of the villagers to urban areas has stopped in 78% of the VSS villages and reduced by more than 50% in the remaining villages. This has enabled the family to stay together, which immediately benefited the children who have started going to school now.
In Telangana area, the Government has provided special incentives to VSS for collection of beedi leaf. From 1999 beedi leaf season, the Government is allotting 50% of net revenue from the beedi leaf collection made by the VSS areas to the VSS for development activities in the VSS villages and adjacent forest. The Government has also allotted 114 unsold beedi leaf units of 1999 beedi leaf season to the VSS members and the entire profit made from such units will go to the VSS.
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Great improvement in the condition of forests is seen in teak and bamboo dominated areas of the Northern Telangana and Coastal belt. The coppicing and singling operations coupled with effective protection by VSS members, have helped the highly degraded teak forests regain their former state. |  |
Effective soil and moisture conservation measures in the VSS areas such as contour trenching, construction of masory check dams, rock fill dams, percolation tanks etc. have helped not only in arresting soil erosion, but also in recharging the groundwater. Consequently the period of availability of water has been prolonged in the wells, tanks etc. retaining adequate water even in the months of January and February. This even in wells which were earlier getting dried up immediately after monsoon. In some VSS the increased water availability in the tanks has resulted in additional income through pisciculture.