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OFFTRACK:
JASAULI, UTTARANCHAL
Wood
Work
A
pensioner converts wasteland into a forest with over 50 species
By Teresa
Rehman
Jungalee,
protector of the forest". It may sound like a character out of a
Tolkien book, but this Jungalee is for real. Ex-serviceman Jagat Singh
Chaudhary from the tiny village of Kot Malla, 4,500 ft up in the hills
of Rudra Prayag, was bestowed this title at an environmental seminar in
the Government Inter College at Jasauli in 1993 for having converted 1.5
hectares of wasteland into a jungle. His wife had her reservations about
the epithet; people, she feared, would laugh at her husband. Nothing like
that happened, for Jungalee is a famous man now and is often invited to
deliver lectures at schools and colleges. He wears his unusual title with
pride: "Jungalee does not mean uncivilised but being one with nature."
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| Chaudhary
(second from left) says agro-forestry can change the hill economy
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It all started
in 1974 when Chaudhary, during his vacations, worked on his barren patch
of land to grow plants for fodder and fuel. This solved the problem of
the household women who used to go on long, dangerous and arduous treks
to collect fodder. After his retirement from the BSF in 1980, he took
to developing his forest in all earnest. His pension was the seed money
with which he planted around 56 species-from trees like the Manipuri oak
and deodar to evergreen grasses like teliya and namcha, rare medicinal
herbs like Salem panja (Dactylorhiza hatagirea), kuth (Saussurea lappa),
sameva or tagar (Valeriana hardwickii), flowers like roses and lilies
and climbers like the Barbati bean. "The unique feature of this forest
is the presence of some species that grow only at very high altitudes,"
points out Vijay Jasula, a social worker.
The first
glow of recognition for Chaudhary's work came almost 20 years later. In
1993, IAS officer R.S. Tolia surveyed the jungle and issued a circular
that it should become the model for agro-forestry for the whole of the
Uttaranchal area. Many awards and accolades have followed since. Among
others, he has won the "Pariyavaran Premi" and "Him Gaurav"
awards.
Green
Bucks: Chaudhary's efforts have led to growing ecological awareness
in the surrounding villages. People have begun cultivating cash crops
and pulses, which has resulted in soil conservation and also enhanced
family incomes. "Jungalee's jungle has inspired us to grow fruits
and flowers on a small scale," says Mahender Singh, a young farmer.
"I was able to collect six bottles of honey this year due to the
flowers I planted." Chaudhary himself says the villagers now seem
to have a sense of belonging with his forest. He remembers the time when
a forest fire threatened his patch and it was only the brave assistance
of the villagers that saved it.
Scholars,
too, recognise the value of the man's work. Says Bhaskar Sinha, who is
working on a doctoral thesis on Himalayan ecology at Delhi's Jawaharlal
Nehru University: "Many rehabilitation projects are being taken up
by the government and NGOs involving research and enormous capital input.
But Jungalee's creation is wholly an outcome of his commitment, dedication
and hard work."
Chaudhary's
eco-friendliness extends to a dislike for chemical fertilisers. He uses
only natural manure and digs compost pits to store bio-mass. He also distributes
saplings and medicinal herbs to the villagers free of cost. Vehemently
opposed to mono-culture farming, he intends to harness the forest resources
and check unemployment by effecting a change in the "money-order"
economy of the region with alternatives like bee keeping and rabbit farming.
He is also trying to grow bamboo and tea and to encourage the setting
up of forests on community lands.
"The
government should encourage people who have sacrificed their land to benefit
the environment," says Jungalee. "I am growing oak knowing well
that I cannot use it for commercial use since felling oaks is banned."
He also campaigns for subsidies on cooking gas and electricity, without
which people will continue to hack down trees for fuel. But these are
minor plaints that the jungle man can afford to forget when he sits down
for dinner: chapatis, dal, vegetables, pickles and for desert, honey-all
from his unique plot.
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