Van suraksha in Mendha-Lekha
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COMMENTS 
A joint forest management project between the villagers and the State is working wonderfully to protect the deciduous forests of Gadchiroli.
Mendha is a village located in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. The area is well-known for its moist and deciduous forests and its tribal communities. Mendha village covers a total area of 1,900 ha, of which 80 per cent is forest. The forests form the basis of the local economy and culture. The tribal communities depended on the forests for all their needs before they were taken over by the State. The government leased the forests out for commercial ventures like charcoal-making and stone quarrying but, strangely enough, imposed restrictions on the tribals utilising the forests.
The people mobilised themselves to take control of their forests. A Van Suraksha Samiti and Gram Sabha were formed ! to take decisions pertaining to the forests. The people decided that all their domestic requirements would be met from the forests without paying any fee or bribes to the government. No outsider -- government official or private citizen -- would be allowed to carry out any activity pertaining to forest use without permission from the Gram Sabha. The villagers entered into a Joint Forest Management (JFM) arrangement with the State for sharing the benefits of the forest. The Gram Sabha ensures that even the villagers do not encroach into the forests to construct houses or other settlements.
The villagers also undertook soil and water conservation programmes in the 1990s. They constructed 1,000 check dams over forest streams to retain water for the summer.
The village has become sustainable, both economically and environmentally. The villagers have become better informed about 'outside' processes through study g! roups. In any government project, the locals get first preference for employment. The village has also built up its own funds from the sale of products, contribution of villagers and money left over from government schemes. The greatest achievement, however, is the protection of the forests. The government is not allowed to have any silvicultural operations here as the villagers have decided that a diverse forest is healthier than monocultural stands. The villagers, too, have to seek permission from the Gram Sabha and then use the forest and forest products.
Contact: Devaji Topa
Village Mendha-Lekha
Post Taluka Dhanora, Dist Gadchiroli
Maharashtra, India
Tel: 91-7138-54129