Highlights-
- A group of women in Jharkhand has started an initiative to safeguard forest in their region.
- These ladies, divided into four groups, patrol the forest from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- The ladies enforce penalties on anybody caught cutting trees or engaging in other unlawful activities in the forest.
Forest is the jewel of a nation, but it is being cut down for various individual benefits. To safeguard the forest, a group of women in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district has taken it upon themselves. The women protect roughly nine acres of forest land in their region since they are concerned about the rampant destruction of the forest. They’re also undertaking a public awareness campaign to encourage other people to join them in this worthy cause.
Who runs the program?
The program runs under the name Jungle Bachao Abhiyan. It includes a total of 104 women from seven self-help groups (SHGs). All the women are from Mahishgeda village, which is part of the Anandpur Block. Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society promotes the initiative.
Aim of the initiative
Jungle Bachao Abhiyaan’s main goal is to safeguard the forest and the ecosystem. Equipped with bamboo sticks, the ladies keep track of tree felling by keeping a count. These ladies, divided into four groups, patrol the forest from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The ladies enforce penalties on anybody caught cutting trees or engaging in other unlawful activities in the forest. Their zeal has paid off since forest cover has grown and the number of trees taken down unnecessarily has decreased.
Hard work pays off
According to Saroj Surin, who has been organizing the effort, the team was made to conserve the jungle. She says, “We made the decision after noticing that trees around the village were being cut down indiscriminately. “Surprisingly, after a year of the campaign, tree cutting had almost completely halted since everyone knew we’d be there to stop them.” We usually work in groups of 25 in different shifts,” she added further.
According to Sabina Kandulna, there is a provision in the law that allows for a punishment of Rs 5,000 to be imposed on those caught cutting down trees. To ensure internal discipline, these ladies have also agreed to impose Rs 200 punishment on those who fail to protect the forest when it is their turn. The money collected through penalties, according to Kandulna, is utilized to plant trees.
