Question

Explain giving example where active involvement of local people lead to efficient management of forest.

Explain how would the involvement of local people be useful for successful management of forests.

Answer 1

Active participation of local people to save forests is another activity towards the conservation of forests and wildlife. The following are two examples of active participation of people in the conservation and management of forests.

Khejri tree case :- In 1731, Amrita Devi Bishnoi from Khejrali village, near Jodhpur, established a group of 363 people who sacrificed their lives for the protection of Khejri trees which were ordered to be cut down by the Maharaja of Jodhpur.

Chipko Andolan :- This movement originated in a remote village called Reni in Garhwal, in the early 1970s. A contractor was given a permission to cut down the trees in a forest near the village. However, the villagers were against the decision. One day, when the menfolk in the village were away at work, the employees of the contractor visited the forest to cut down the trees. The women of the village then reached the forest and each one wrapped her hands around a tree trunk; thereby preventing the workers from destroying the forest.