An Introduction to the ‘Save Eastern Ghats-Odisha Ecosystem’ Programme in Odisha

The Odisha project under Ecosystem Alliance programme

The Odisha part of the India project of Ecosystem Alliance is called:

Save Eastern Ghats-Odisha Ecosystem (SEGOE)

Regional Centre for Development Cooperation is the proposer and coordinator of this regional project.

Project period: October 2011-September 2014(36 months)

Key features of Eastern GhatsA discontinuous mountain system running

from West Bengal to Tamilnadu.

Major portions in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh

Very fertile lands

Watershed of many important rivers

Several important Protected Areas

Rich in minerals(bauxite, for example)

Home to many Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups

Some important biodiversity hotspots of Odisha Eastern GhatsShimilipal biosphere(Mayurbhanj

district)

Gandhamardan hill range(Balangir district)

Niyamgiri hills(Rayagada/Kalahandi district)

Mahendragiri hills(Gajapati district)

RCDC advocates that the Eastern Ghats need special attention for ecosystem conservation and management as they for the ecological backbone of the state.

Pilot areasShimilipal: Mayurbhanj(Sorishpal

GP)Gandhamardan:

Balangir(Nandupalla GP)Mahendragiri:Gajapati(Kainpur

GP)Niyamgiri: Rayagada(Kurli and

Munikhol GPs)Nabarangpur(Emaba GP)

Project area in briefTotal area: Approx. 10000 haForest area: Approx. 4000 haTarget population: Approx. 3000

householdsTarget communities:

Disadvantageous sections of the society(mostly tribals and dalits)

PVTGs: Hill Khadia, Mankidia, Saora, and Dongria Kandha

Justification of the project

Lack of ecosystem approach to the Orissa part of Eastern Ghats has greatly damaged the ecological assets that sustained local livelihood alongwith wildlife. The proposal aims at introducing the ecosystem approach so that existing resources can be conserved/protected.

Problems/threats to be addressedInsecured resourcesInsecured rights & livelihood of

indigenous communitiesInadequate policyInadequate civil society attention

TargetTo facilitate conservation measures

in about 3000 ha of ecosystem area directly and 15000 ha indirectly in the 5(now 6) GPs.

To help strengthen socio-economic capacity of 3000 households.

To help atleast 4 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups

Local partnersGram Swaraj(Mayurbhanj)

Gandhamardan Surakshya Action Committee(Balangir)

SWWS(Gajapati)

Mode of intervention Sensitization & mobilization of the community

on ecosystem approach and management. Documentation of socio-ecological knowledge

system(Ecosystem Registers) Non-commercial livelihood support Promotion of sustainable agriculture Promotion of sustainable forest management Convergence with government schemes Facilitation under FRA and other relevant laws

for land ownership. Research Media advocacy Convergence with other projects/programmes

of RCDC

Some achievementsEcosystem approach developed among

the partner CBOs.A potential but dormant CBO the

Gandhamardan Surakshya Action Committee revived, strengthened, and made active with encouraging results.

Village-wise Ecosystem Registers compiled with interesting revelations

Community forestry promoted and strengthened in project areas.

Saplings of the nutritious plant ‘Multivitamin’ distributed to more than 1800 beneficiaries.

In situ and ex situ conservation of more than 18 RET species of plants

Some achievements(contd.)CFR claim submitted in 16 villages, and more in the pipeline. More than 135 individual claims under FRA facilitated. SRI and millet cultivation promoted in about 60 acres of land in Nabarangpur, Gajapati, and Mayurbhanj districts. Indigenous seed varieties identified and promoted.Socio-ecological zones identified for conservation in Balangir district(Gandhamardan hills).Temporary PDS cards made available to 113 vulnerable families in Gajapati. Successful linkages with schemes such as NREGS.Attention for 4 PVTGs(Hill Khadia, Mankidia, Saora, and Dongria Kandha)

A community board in a Gandhamardan village declaring an important medicinal plant(Plumbago spp.) habitat to be protected.

A Santal man in a village near Shimilipal showing the grass that yields a reed used to make arrows. Clue to this plant emerged from the Ecosystem Register.

Local conservation initiative for indigenous seeds in Shimilipal

The multivitamin plant A woman beneficiary in a Nabarangpur village showing the multivitamin plant planted in her homestead.

Ragi grown on the edges of the maize field as a courtesy response to RCDC’s call for revival of the crop in the Ekamba GP of Nabarangpur district

RCDC launched the Green Aid support to the communities in the form of supply of useful and valuable plant saplings for livelihood and biodiversity conservation. The community phasi plantation in the Nabarangpur and Balangir districts under this initiative is a special one parallel to the government initiative of plantation of phasi tree, a species highly in demand for chariot making in Puri every year but in severe short supply. The community phasi plantation adds value to the community forestry initiative.

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A Mankidia hut in an encroached land of Mahalibasa(Mayurbhanj). RCDC has written to the government to secure tenurial rights for them and allocate land.

This forest land in Gajapati district, entitlement for which was received under the Forest Rights Act, has been linked with the MGNREGS scheme for land development.

Project beneficiaries like these in the Mayurbhanj district received saplings of mango, lemon, and other plants through linkage with the horticulture scheme.

RESEARCHThe proposed research activity was to see the land use changes in the Odisha Eastern Ghats during the last 2/3 decades, based on remote sensing data. However, competent agencies such as Odisha Remote Sensing Application Centre and the Geography Department of Utkal University have not been able to pursue this study due to want of necessary coordinates for delineation of the Eastern Ghat boundaries. Negotiations are still on to get the study done privately with some reasonable technical adjustments and logic.

MICROGRANT PROJECTS

Microgrant projects under SEGOE1. Strengthening Similipal Lok Sansad (a people’s alliance) to

act as a conservation and advocacy group in Similipal Biosphere Reserve.(Shimilipal Biosphere Reserve, Mayurbhanj district)

2. Protection of right to life and livelihood of marginalised tribals and dalits through community based environment monitoring.(pollution zone around NALCO and BHUSHAN in the Banarpal block of Angul district)

3. Contributing to the ensured access and control over natural resources by the community members of Nandupala Gram Panchayat through identification and initiation of eco-system conservation practices. (Nandupalla GP, Gandhamardan hills, Balangir district)

Shimilipal microgrant•Objective: To strengthen collective action for the protection and conservation of Shimilipal Biosphere Reserve(Mayurbhanj district)•Achievements:Cluster-level and district-level network of Shimilipal Lok Sansad formed.200 change agents trained for conflict resolutions, FRA claim submission and dialogue with other stake holders.Ritual hunting (Akhand shikar) minimized in the summer of 2013 due to collective action.

General body meeting of Shimilipal Lok Sansad

Gandhamardan microgrant Objective: Process for community conservation and management of forests and natural

resources initiated through convergence with available schemes and programmes.

Community members organised and coming forward for post-FRA implementation of entitlements availed.

•Achievement:Identification and demarcation of 239 Eco-sensitive Zones through multi-stakeholder meetings148 types of RET categories of species have been identified based on local perceptions, out of which 37 categories are at the most critical stage of vulnerability.Reduced timber smuggling due to enhanced traditional forest protection mechanism (Thenga Pali and Gujer Pali), and penalizing the trespassers.Plantation of 3188 numbers of plants of RET species in 32 Zones.Developing community strategy (avoiding grazing, protecting forest from fire, bamboo fencing, vigil by the farmers on the forest nearer to agricultural field, avoiding digging of roots etc.)Checking completely forest fire in 4 villages due to interface and proactive action of Forest Department in coordination with the Community.Approval of 765 MGNREGS plan in GSSK (Individual plan- 689, Community Plan- 76) with incorporation of Agriculture related works ( composting, vermin compost unit, Bio-manures: 71) , Drought Proofing including aforestation and plantation: 2), Land Development: 89, Livestock related work: 169, Renovation of traditional Water bodies including desilting of tanks: 2, Rural Connectivity: 7, Rural Sanitation like IHHL: 318 and Water Conservation and Water Harvesting: 108.

Mapping socio-ecological zones of Dudumdarah village(Gandhamardan)

Angul microgrant•Objective: To build the awareness & capacity of local communities to tackle environmental issues. •Achievements: 1. Baseline on environmental degradation and environmental issues

profiling – Covering 4000 families of 20 villages in 4 GPs of Banarpal Block

2. Training of local cadres on provisions of environmental laws, rules and regulations - 20 local youths were trained under the project

3. Active Environmental Committees in 15 project villages4. Capacity Building of Environment Committee members – training

program conducted covering all Committee members5. Preparation, publication & distribution of pamphlets/ leaflets on

environmental issues6. Publication & distribution of booklet on environmental regulation in

Odia language: 500 copies published and circulated among key project stakeholders

7. Test Kits for setting up of people's lab have been procured8. Training of grassroot resource pool -10 people trained under the

project

Water testing training to community members

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