5. Laxmidhar Balia, Odisha Jungal Manch India

ODISHA JANGAL
MANCH
Laxmidhar Balia
Convenor, Odisha Jangal Manch,
(State Level Forestry Federation)
Odisha, India
STRUCTURE OF THE PRESENTATION
 FORESTRY IN ORISSA & ORISSA JUNGLE MANCH AT
A GLANCE
 GENESIS
 STRUCTURE OF OJM
 FUNCTION
 PRESENT STATUS
 ACHIEVEMENTS
 ISSUES & CHALLENGES
 FUTURE ACTION
ORISSA
FORESTRY
AT
A
GLANCE
      The State of Odisha with a
geographical area of 15.57 million
ha. has a population of nearly
36.71 million (2001 census)
The recorded forest area in the
state stands at 58136.87 Sq.Km,
which accounts for 37.34% of the
geographical area
The forests are concentrated
mostly in central, Southern and
Western parts of the State
Out of total 51000 villages ,
29302 are forest fringe
12000 Community forest
management groups
are
protecting
about 8,50,000 ha
since last 20 years
Total forest protection by the CFM
groups are 40% of the total forest
coverage
GENISIS
OF
COMMUNITY
FORESTRY
• The first recorded instance of voluntary forest
protection by communities goes as far back as
1936. Lapanga in Sambalpur district is where it
all started
• By the 60's, many villages in western Odisha,
took to forest protection on their own
• The 70's saw the trend - which, by now, had
taken on the proportions of a veritable movement
- spread to newer areas in Central Odisha
• Community forestry involve larger landscape
and heterogeneous communities
• OJM
was shaped in 1993 with the
participation of 5 District forest forums with
2500 CFM groups
• Up to 2000 OJM structure expanded to 13
districts with 5000 CFM groups
• Up to March2010 –OJM is working with 24DFF
and with 12000 villages.
STRUCTURE OF OJM
Odisha Jangal Manch
District level forum
Zonal level committee
Cluster level committee
Village level forest protection committee
FUNCTION
• OJM
is
the
State
level
federation
of
the
Village
forest
protection
committees.(12000CFM
at‐ground
level,
24
Districts
forest
forums
(DFF)
• Core
indicator
of
the
CFM
groups
are,
Activating
Chulichanda
(membership
fees),
Thengapalli
(stick‐rotation),
Conflict
resolution
&
benefit
sharing
• Focusing
on
natural
regeneration
rather
than
plantation
• Acting
as
state
level
pressure
group&
playing
vigilant
role
to
monitor
various
forestry
development
activities.
PRESENT STATUS
• About 25000 people are watching forest everyday in
rotation basis.
• About 10 crore rupees generated as village fund by
managing forest. (main source of fund generation is
Thengapali, Chulichanda by introducing village pass and
imposing fine)
• About 10 million people are directly depending upon forest
• About
1500
leaders
are
created
though
CFM
initiatives,
(PRI,
Legislative
assembly,
MP)
• 300
traditional
Ayurvadic
practitioners
initiated
conservation
of
herbal
plant
species
• About
7000
Bamboo
artisans
are
directly
depending
upon
forest
ACHIEVEMENTS
• Managing
forest
without
any
external
support
• Controlling
forest
fire
and
protecting
wild
life
• Conserving
medicinal
plants
(KUTUMB‐PEDI)
and
conserving
biodiversity
• Playing
vigilant
role
of
various
forestry
development
activities
• Acting
as
a
pressure
group
at
state
level
• By
conserving
forest
the
fertile
capacity
of
land
is
also
increasing
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
      Massive implementation of overseas projects (mining and
industry, plantation)is demotivating the CFM initiatives
Research studies have found out that forestry development
programs like NAP/FDA/JFM/JBIC-OFSDP/CAMPA has
negatively affected community forestry initiatives, has
disrupted traditional institutions and equity.
It is observed that fund based intervention, instead of
increasing forests, has led to degradation
Marginal and vulnerable groups, women, traditional
leadership, institutions have lost political space in the
institutions created under the forestry programs.
All the developmental activities are implementing in JFM
mode.
NGO involvement with overseas project is increasing rather
than promoting CFM initiatives
Issues
of
forest
rights
      Claims on community forest rights filed by CFM groups are not
recognized yet
Claim and recognition of rights to CFM is constrained by other
government laws/policies like Indian Forest Act 1927, Wildlife Protection
Act 1972, Joint Forest Management
In community forest rights context there is no cooperation and
coordination among government departments like Revenue, Forest, Tribal
Development, Panchayati Raj department.
CFR are mostly recognized in JFM villages on the allotted forest
(100-200acres) neglecting the CFM villages and traditional access.
After implementation of FRA existing institutions like JFM should have
been dissolved, but no step has been taken by the govt as a result of which
conflict and confusion on forest tenure persist.
In this situation it is apprehended that implementation of REDD could
negatively impact community forest rights and empowered institutions
which are taking shape under Forest Rights Act.
FUTURE ACTION
THANK YOU
Laxmidhar Balia
Email:
odishajunglemanch
@yahoo.in