Gist of a study in MP, MH, and GJ tribal villages on scenario after Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, focussing on forests and livelihood security

1. Forests, people, and livelihood
(A study on post-FRA scenario)
by MilindThatte
1contact author at milindthatte@gmail.com | Read: http://forestsandpeople.wordpress.com

2. Contents
 Background
 Survey
 Findings
 Issues
2contact author at milindthatte@gmail.com | Read: http://forestsandpeople.wordpress.com

3. Background
 FRA – a revolutionary step towards
decentralised governance of forests
 My involvement at grass-root level
 See http://vayamindia.wordpress.com
 Perceptions of urban friends
(environmentalists) and attitude of the
Government administration
 Need for understanding the impact of FRA
 Need to orient the people towards
decentralised governance and inclusive
development
3contact author at milindthatte@gmail.com | Read: http://forestsandpeople.wordpress.com

4. Survey
 Objective:
◦ to find out the awareness and perceptions of forest-
dwelling people about the Forest Rights Act and
about forest
◦ to understand people’s perceptions about the
availability of forest produce and livelihood options
 Sample
◦ 10 villages in MP (Khandwa & Burhanpur)
◦ 10 villages in Gujarat (Dangs)
◦ 11 villages in Maharashtra (Nandurbar)
 Tools
◦ Semi-structured interviews & FGD
◦ Secondary information from EPW, NSSO, Census etc.
4contact author at milindthatte@gmail.com | Read: http://forestsandpeople.wordpress.com

5. Findings – I
about the implementation of FRA
 How did people know about the Act?
 Who helped in filing individual claims?
 Who helped in filing community claims?
 What does revenue department think of FRA?


5contact author at milindthatte@gmail.com | Read: http://forestsandpeople.wordpress.com

6. Who helped in filing claims?
Individual claims
Support in filing
individual claims
Number of villages
GJ MP MH
Gramsevak (GP
secretary)
0 3 0
GP members 2 0 0
FRC members 3 4 9
NGO 2 0 2
Political party 0 1 0
Forest Department 2 2 0
Tribal department 1 0 0
Total villages 10 10 11
Community claims
Support in filing
community claims
Number of villages
GJ MP MH
Gramsevak (GP
secretary)
0 3 0
GP members 1 0 0
FRC members 3 0 0
NGO 2 0 1
Political party 0 0 0
FD 0 0 0
Tribal department 0 0 0
Total 6 3 1
6contact author at milindthatte@gmail.com | Read: http://forestsandpeople.wordpress.com

7. Neglect of community rights
Gujarat MP Maharashtra
Number of villages filing individual claims 9 10 11
Number of villages filing community claims 6 3 1
Types of community claims Gujarat MP Maharashtra
Number of claims for public utilities 14 4 4
Number of claims for Nistar (use of NTFP) 10 1 0
Number of claims for IPR on biodiversity 1 0 0
7contact author at milindthatte@gmail.com | Read: http://forestsandpeople.wordpress.com

8. Findings – II
about availability of forest resources
Firewood availability GJ MP MH
High 6 1 1
Medium 2 4 2
Low 2 5 3
Very low 0 0 5
Total 10 10 11
 Firewood – alarmingly
low
 Timber extinct...
 Fodder low in 6 villages
 Findings about Chironji,
Mahua, Bamboo
Timber availability GJ MP MH
High 2 0
Medium 0 1 2
Low 3 0 1
Very low 0 4 3
Extinct 0 3 5
8
contact author at milindthatte@gmail.com |
Read: http://forestsandpeople.wordpress.com

9. Findings – III
about livelihood security
Water for farming GJ MP MH
Villages with 50% or more HH having irrigation 0 0 0
Villages with 30 to 49% HH having irrigation 0 3 0
Villages with 15 to 29% HH having irrigation 2 5 1
Villages with less than 15% HH having irrigation 4 2 5
Villages with no HH having irrigation 4 0 5
Total villages 10 10 11
Work provided by NREGA (or other Govt schemes) GJ MP MH
Villages with 50 or more days of work (per HH per year) 1 3 0
Villages with 15 to 49 days of work (per HH per year) 3 4 2
Villages with less than 15 days of work (per HH per year) 3 1 0
Villages with no work 3 2 9
Total villages 10 10 11
9contact author at milindthatte@gmail.com | Read: http://forestsandpeople.wordpress.com

10. Issues
 Little capacity building of village institutions
 Chaos between Revenue and Forest
departments
 Heavy bias for individual claims
 Neglect of community rights
 Resource governance – a long way to go
 Instability will continue = extremism may
thrive
10contact author at milindthatte@gmail.com | Read: http://forestsandpeople.wordpress.com

11. Recommendations
1. Training to revenue department
i. on legal history of forest lands
ii. on concept and application of “community
property”
2. GP secretaries need a manual on how to
register community rights
3. Government should take a drive for
community rights, Sangathans cannot reach
every village
4. NREGA works must vigorously follow – in
order to improve land, water, and forests
5. Village forests – as buffers to protect core
11contact author at milindthatte@gmail.com | Read: http://forestsandpeople.wordpress.com

12. Recommendations
6. Strategies of re-forestation must
consider people’s perceptions about
scarcity of particular goods
7. It is unfair to ask 75-year old
documentary proof from non-ST forest
dwellers
8. Gramsabhas’ capactiy building is
necessary and people must be trusted by
the Democracy
12contact author at milindthatte@gmail.com | Read: http://forestsandpeople.wordpress.com