HimVani :: Think Green - Live Green 2008

The land on which we planted last year and we are trying to plant this year, come under the Forest Department. They are called UPF land, Un Protected Forest… which in effect means that people have some rights over this land. They could use it for grazing or any such purpose and no wires are put around this land, unless there are new trees planted. Some also call it ‘common’ land – that which belongs to everyone and no one.

However, no one is in any case allowed to cut trees from such land or any other forest or even personal land today, as per the forest law in Himachal.

The land we chose is usually, unused, un protected, under utilized and under nourished land which is mostly covered with wild weeds (particularly one knows as Lantana Camara, found all over himachal and many other states in the country). We chose such land, as it is most undisputed and would also help in getting support of the local communities, as we work towards the development of that land/area.

The trees we grow on this land, its produce could be shared by all the local people in that area. In effect the land would be returned back to the community for them to care for and live off.

2. How does one ensure that the trees being planted now will not be cut down in the near future?

We cannot ‘ensure’ that no trees would be ever cut down. Even the forest department all over the world find it difficult to ensure poaching of trees and robbery. Most of the sandal wood forests have vanished from under the FD’s nose. Even from right outside a police station in Bangalore a sandal wood tree was recently found missing.

However, what we intend to do and work towards is something that could bring long term results. We try to inculcate a sense of belongingness and ownership towards these trees. Our work is mainly done by action. If I could explain to you in a broad manner, then what we do is,

· We select land that is identified by most of the community that live around it (e.g. pass by regularly for some or the other reason), use (to either walk past/ or graze their cows if grass grows on it) and also that which they don’t really ‘own’, as in no personal land till now.

· We bring together / invite the youth from the village, the community and others from town or elsewhere (volunteers from across India and around the world to come and do work on that land. From clearing the land, to digging pits, to putting manure and actually planting the trees. This way we try and create a sense of belongingness towards the plantation. A sense of ownership of the work contributed. And also a sense of pride for their village, since so many others’ from elsewhere now ‘recognize’ their village, through this activity.

· We also try and raise funds from all over for each plantation. Even though it would be ‘good for us’ as an organisation, we do not encourage ONE alone company or group or individual etc, to sponsor the entire project. This is so that, each project would belong to a lot more people and would develop far more stake holders.

· We try to continue this effort of bringing people together and encouraging them to invest their time, throughout the period of maintenance – A period of 3 -5 years at the maximum.

· Simultaneously we conduct various different Awareness building activities. The activities range from taking action towards our environment, to conducting training programs and workshops on the uses of the wild weed for example, or making best of waste items and other such activities.

· Our efforts are also ranging towards trying to bring in some income to the community through these plantation activities. These are slowly building efforts.

3. For how many years will the tree being planted now be looked after with the funds provided?

It is such a valid and crucial question that you have asked.

We hardly meet our ends with the cost that we have stated per tree. VRIKSH is a very very young organsiation. As a registered organisation it has only celebrated two months till now. VRIKSH is not funded at all from any other source. For the last two years we have been raising event based funds. Other than that there is nothing that even supports my personal existence as of now.

This I’m mentioning not to justify the Rs 300 (last years per tree rate) or Rs 400-500-600 (rate per tree for 2008), rather to let you know that we make a lot of efforts to raise voluntary contributions, in terms of physical labor or material in kind.

Thus the rate per tree practically only covers the expenses of till the plantation – planting of the tree. For maintenance we have to raise more funds and more voluntary contributions. Hence fundraising is a continuous process and more the number of trees sponsored, more the number of years we could protect them. We work towards qualitative planting and maintenance rather than only growing the numbers of the trees we planted.