A Case Study on Van Panchayat of Kashiyalekh in Kumaun Himalaya A

biodiversity now faces severe degradation in the whole to face the challenges, there is a need for more of Naga society with more rapid erosion in the villages integration of the age old traditional knowledge and A CASE STUDY ON VAN PANCHAYAT OF KASHIYALEKH IN KUMAUN near to the urban and semi-urban villages. There is loss modern techniques in different developmental HIMALAYA as well as permanent extinction of traditional seeds planning and decision making with the focus on the 1 2 3 whereby new seeds are suppressing and taking over enhancement of agro-biodiversity and the A. Barola* , K. Goyden and A. Tewari the traditional seeds. There is a lack of support and improvement on the livelihood of the farmers. 1 G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development Kosi-Katarmal, Almora, encouragement from the government for the Uttarakhand, India development of traditional shifting cultivation if not to REFERENCES 2Central Himalayan Rural Action Group, Mukteshwar convert it to new commercial mono crop land. And 3Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, D.S.B. Campus Nainital though many villages suitable for commercial crops Jamir A (2015). Shifting options: a case study of are producing enough yet the lack of storage facility shifting cultivation in Mokokochung District in *For Correspondence: [email protected] and market network limits their produce. Labour Nagaland, India, In: Shifting Cultivation, system in agriculture has also drastically changed with Livelihood and Food Security: New and Old ABSTRACT man getting more involved and occupied in other Challenges for indigenous People in Asia. FAO, economic activities. It is only the women who are IWGIA and AIPP 19-21. Village communities in Uttarakhand hills in India have been involved in community forestry management devoted to the shifting cultivation practices. This has known as Van Panchayat (VPs) that present a unique example of natural resource management and Kuotsuo R, Chatterjee D, Deka BC, Kumar R, AO M, environmental governance at local level. People in Uttarakhand depend highly on these VPs for fodder, fuel- weakened the community participation practice in the Vikramjeet K (2014). Shifting cultivation: An cultivation. Besides, the use of hired labour and the wood, timber, NTFPs etc. This paper deals with a case study on Kashiyalekh VP (Mukteshwar, Kumaun 'organic like'farming in nagaland. Indian J Hill Himalaya). We documented the major plant species, management practices for the forest protection, common salt for weed control are not healthy in terms Farming 27:23-28. of the long-term productivity of the land. This dependency on forest products, etc. of the local communities. The rules and regulations devised by the VP for challenges the very nature of traditional cultivation Longkumer L, Jamir T (2012). Nagaland: Land management of forests are responsible for management and grazing, collection of fuelwood, fodder, timber and where Nagas have always maintained land alienation: Dynamics of colonialism, security, forest protection that also ensure equitable use of forest resources within their village communities. sustainability organically. With modernisation, man's and development, Delhi: Published by Aakar Key Words: Van Panchayat, Forest resources, Kumaun Himalaya, Uttarakhand. aspiration has changed, it has created a scenario of land Books in association with Other Media. getting fragmented and drawn more towards NEPED and IIRR (1999). Building upon traditional commercial development of the land resource. agriculture in Nagaland, India, 12-26. Unequal distribution of wealth and opportunity also affects the ability to develop, use and profit from the Nagaland Environmental Protection and Economic INTRODUCTION new technologies that increase efficiency from land Development, Nagaland, India and International wood, grass, medicinal plants, wild edible fruits, etc., Forests are the most important parts of Himalayan management. Only a handful and mostly the elite have Institute of Rural Reconstruction, Silang, Cavite, and thus they not only sustain all life forms (Singh ecosystem, which not only regulate ecosystem the access to the financial assistance and thus the 4118 Philippines 10-15. and Singh 1987; Agarwal 1990) but also become services, but also rejuvenate several inter-dependent disparity becomes more glaring. Thus, shifting instrumental in providing employment opportunities Statistical Handbook of Nagaland (2014). Directorate life forms in and around an ecosystem. In India, there cultivation is in a crucial stage which is venturing into to local community in several ways. There are more of Economics and Statistics, Government of is a long history of traditional conservation and new crops and technology with uncertainty of than 12000 Van Panchayat in Uttrakhand, which are Nagaland, India, 1-10. management practices implemented for sustaining sustainability for livelihood and environment. In order contributing to protection and development of forests forests and rational use of forest products. During the including distribution of products among the British Colonial Rule, several regulations were stakeholders in an equitable manner (Balooni et al., enforced for reducing the exploitation and burden on 2007; Pala et al., 2012). the forests (Babu and Nautiyal 2015). At the national level, the National Forest Policy 1894 was the crucial MATERIALS AND METHODS milestone that provided impetus to conserve India's forest wealth with the prime objectives of A case study was performed in Kashiyalekh VP maintaining environmental stability and meeting the (Mukteshwar, Kumaun Himalaya), covering local need of the fringe user group or stakeholders (Joshi et areas of Sunkiya, Buribanna, Chakhuta and Gazaar al., 2011). In Uttarakhand, forests are rich sources of villages (Table 1). Some of these VPs are quite old

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PDF processed with CutePDF evaluation edition PDF processed with CutePDF evaluation edition and spread over large area. At this study site, the Oak wood and otherwise levies fine of Rs. 50/- and Rs. REFERENCES Joshi AK, Pant P, Kumar P, Giriraj A, Joshi PK 500/- in case of cutting green leaves and wood, (2011). National forest policy in India: critique of forest was dominant. During the study period, several Agarwal B (1990). Social security and the family: respectively. For safeguard and protection of forests, targets and implementation. Small-Scale rounds of interviews were conducted involving coping with seasonality and calamity in rural a security guard, is appointed who get salaries by the Forestry 10: 83-96. Surpanch, VP members, Self Help Groups, Van India. The Journal of Peasant Studies 17: 341- collected/ pooled-in money contributed by each Suraksha Samiti and community people. The 412. Pala NA, Negi AK, Gokhale Y, Bhat JA, Todaria NP household periodically. For collection of dry leaves questionnaires and interviews were focused on (2012). Diversity and regeneration status of and woods in the Van Panchayat area there are Babu MU, Nautiyal S (2015). Conservation and understanding and documenting the major plant Sarkot Van Panchyat in Garhwal Himalaya, standard criteria: (i) it will be open during the management of forest resources in India: Ancient species, management practices for the forest India. Journal of Forestry Research 23: 399-404. protection, dependency on forest products, etc. of the months of May-June; (ii) only one member of each and current perspectives. Natural Resources 6: local communities in the study area. family is allowed to enter and pay Rs. 10 per 256. Singh JS, Singh SP (1987). Forest vegetation of the Himalaya. Botanical Review 53: 80-192. household for collecting one sac (approx. 35 kg) and Balooni K, Ballabh V, Inoue M (2007). Declining RESULTS AND DISCUSSION one head load (approx. 40 kg) of fodder and instituted collective management practices and fuelwood, respectively. The money collected from forest quality in the Central Himalayas. Resource Management Practice this standard practice is deposited into the Van Economic and Political Weekly 1443-1452. Panchayat account as “Royalty” and utilized by the The van panchayat plays an important role in the village people through consensus of VP. Village maintenance and production of forest products. In this people told us that the condition of forests was not study, mostly the Oak (Quercus spp.) species are good earlier, but later on they started following Van considered suitable for fodder and fuelwood, whereas Panchayat's Rules and managed to protect the forest the Pine (Pinus roxburghii) is utilized for leaf litter from depletion, land degradation, etc. through and resin by the Forest Department and community participatory approach among the community people. However, some other species such as Myrica people. Observing the significance and critical roles esculenta (Kaphal), Rhododendron arboreum played by the forest for ensuring a sustainable (Buransh), Prunus domestica (Plum) and Prunus ecosystem, the local community people agree that armeniaca (Apricot) are used as the other sources of the forest management practices should be strictly raw material and income by the local communities. followed, such as a fine should be levied and the defaulter should be punished. Use of rake which is Table 1. Some characteristic of the VPs studied in Kumaun hills used to collect fallen dry leaves should be prohibited as it affects natural regeneration of the VP. Van Village Sarp anch VP Area F ormation Panchayat members organize meeting monthly name (ha.) year along with Van Suraksha Samiti (VSS), Self Help Sunkiya Mr. 119 1936 Group (SHG) etc. and give their suggestion for the Virendra betterment of forest. This shows people are aware Singh Buribanna Smt. 83 1946 towards their forest protection and management. Ganga Every year they celebrate Van Mohotsav in which Bisht they doing plantation activities for the enrichment of

Chakhuta Mr. Gopal 48 1932 forest resources. Women actively participate for the

Singh betterment of forest and also prepared thematic Gazaar Mr. Gopal 55 1999 songs on protection and management of van Singh panchayat. Community people felt that if they A Van Panchayat comprises of a total of 9 members (4 adhere strictly to Van Panchayat Rules and female and 5 males including 1 Sarpanch). Wood Regulations, the forests resources can be protected cutting, grazing of cattle, mining are strictly restricted and sustained effectively for next generation. in van panchayat. It permits to collect only dry fallen

126 ENVIS Centre on Himalayan Ecology ENVIS Bulletin Himalayan Ecology, Vol 24, 2016 127

Chakhuta Mr. Gopal 48 1932 forest resources. Women actively participate for the

126 ENVIS Centre on Himalayan Ecology ENVIS Bulletin Himalayan Ecology, Vol 24, 2016 127

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