11

NATURAL NATURAL REGENERATION OF REGENERATION OF

COMMON LANDSCOMMON LANDS

- Mass Education, Anantapur, A.P.- Mass Education, Anantapur, A.P.

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THE MAIN COMMON PROPERTY RESOURCES (CPRs) ARE…

Revenue Poramboke Lands

Reserved Forest Areas

Tanks- Irrigation and Percolation Tanks

Gram Panchayat lands

3

LAND UTILISATION DISTRICT-WISE (Area in Hectares) –1987

THE TABLE SHOWS THE AVAILABILITY OF CPRs…

Sl.N

o.

District

Forests

Barren

and

un

cultivab

le land

Cu

ltivable w

aste

Perm

anen

t pastu

res and

other grazin

g land

s

Lan

d u

nd

er misc, tree, crop

s and

groves, not in

clud

ed in

net area sow

n

Lan

d p

ut to n

on-agricu

ltural u

ses

Cu

rrent fallow

s

Oth

er fallow lan

ds

Net area sow

n

Geograp

hical area b

y village pap

ers

1 Kurnool 3,45,337 99,374 92,541 4,075 2,029 88,559 85,539 1,13,703 9,28,877 17,60,034

2 Anantapur 1,96,797 1,89,553 85,990 23,326 20,810 1,58,178 1,66,351 1,23,516 9,48,971 19,13,492

3 Cuddapah 4,98,014 2,55,321 70,166 22,819 19,636 1,53,366 9,480 1,10,918 3,98,118 15,37,838

4 Chittoor 4,53,679 1,69,127 55,106 45,844 28,941 1,37,374 53,188 72,322 4,83,189 14,98,770

TOTAL FOR RAYALASEEMA REGION

14,93,827 7,13,375 3,03,803 96,064 71,416 5,37,477 3,14,558 4,20,459 27,59,155 67,10,134

5 Mahabubnagar 3,03,631 1,16,417 12,818 45,959 7,854 97,689 2,51,842 52,455 9,58,576 18,47,241

6 Prakasam 4,46,768 1,31,334 1,13,448 72,121 11,252 1,23,229 1,01,893 69,658 6,44,359 17,14,062

Source: Andhra Pradesh Statistical Abstract 1987.

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STATEMENT SHOWING DISTRICT-WISE LIVE- STOCK CENSUS – 1983

THE TABLE SHOWS THAT MOR THAN A CRORE OF LIVE STOCKS ARE DEPENDING ON THE SO CALLED WASTE LANDS

SlNo

District Cattle Buffaloes Sheep GoatsOther live

stockTotal live

stock

1 Kurnool 5,66,035 4,06,186 4,49,489 3,13,204 28,756 17,63,670

2 Anantapur 6,78,152 2,98,421 7,54,757 5,81,748 41,571 23,54,649

3 Cuddapah 2,87,641 4,39,321 4,88,371 3,81,345 19,269 16,15,947

4 Chittoor 9,10,622 2,26,950 5,06,391 4,29,435 40,093 21,13,491

TOTAL FOR RAYALASEEA REGION

24,42,450 13,70,878 21,99,008 17,05,732 1,29,689 78,47,757

5 Mahaboobnagar 11,15,101 3,20,340 8,41,611 2,80,594 28,040 25,85,686

6 Prakasam 2,61,056 7,04,650 6,02,621 2,90,317 50,100 19,08,744

Source: Andhra Pradesh Statistical Abstract 1987.

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DISTRICT WISE NUMBER AND AREA IRRIGATED BY TANKS IN ANDHRA PRADESH (1998-99)

Sl. No.

District Total Tanks Area (hectares)

1 Srikakulam 8399 74715

2 Vijayanagaram 9741 99394

3 Visakapatnam 2470 42045

4 E.Godavary 1686 41145

5 W.Godavary 1891 30134

6 Krishna 983 39818

7 Guntur 206 5884

8 Prakasam 919 33199

9 Nellore 1888 93281

10 Chittoor 7734 61369

11 Kadapa 1599 16702

12 Anantapuram 1738 13638

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13 Kurnool 726 17146

14 Mahaboobnagar 4731 24797

15 Rangareddy 1976 9455

16 Hyderabad 8 101

17 Medak 6043 25275

18 Nizamabad 2432 30582

19 Adilabad 1324 22101

20 Karimnagar 5414 54850

21 Warangal 5069 105342

22 Khammam 2696 60157

23 Nalgonda 3931 27085

TOTAL 73604 928215

Source: Crops and Season report 1998-1999, Directorate of Economics and statistics, Hyderabad.

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SOME IMPORTANT MINOR FOREST PRODUCES (MFPs) NORMALLY COLLECTED BY THE VILLGES COMMUNITIES PARTICULARLY

THE RESOURCE POOR

S. No Different uses of MFP Names of Different MFPs

Grass varieties: Fodder grass, Thatched Grass, Broom Grass

Fruits Varieties Seethaphal, Ber, Date-palm fruits, Palmyra fruits,

Nuts Soap nut (Seekaya), Ink nut (Karakkaya), Chilliginja (Cleansing nut)

Leaf varieties Leaf plate plant ( Moduga),Beedi leaves, Green manure leaves like pongamia, neem etc

Fencing materials for the farmers: Different shrubs and bushes used as fencing material are available

Fuel Wood Different kinds of plant materials used as fuel wood material are available

Small timber for agriculture implements

Neem, Nalla thumma

Construction material: Neem tree, Nallathumma etc

Medicinal plants Hundreds varieties of marketable medicinal plants are available in the common lands

Raw material available for the artisans

Rope Making: Sisal fiber varieties to make the ropes,Basket Making: bamboo, date palm branches to make baskets Mat Making: Date palm and Palmyra leaves for making the mats.

Other marketable MFPs Gum Honey

88

THE USER / DEPENDANT GROUPS ON MFPs AVAILABLE IN THE COMMON PROPERTY RESOURCES.

SHEEP REARERS CATTLE REARERS ARTISANS LIKE ROPE MAKERS, BASKET MAKERS, MAT MAKERS Etc. POOR WOMEN LAND LESS LABOURERS FARMERS MFP COLLECTORS FISHING COMMUNITY FISHERMEN HEAD LODERS

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CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO STRENTHEN THE LIVELIHOODS OF THE RURAL POOR

1. CONSEVATION OF CPRs:Motivation, Sensitization and Organisation of the dependant communities to conserve the CPRs so that the availability of the CPRs is enhanced.

2. ENSURING STAKES (USUFRUCT RIGHTS) AND BENEFITS FOR THE VULNERABLE GROUPS:

Assisting the resource poor to avail Usufruct Rights over custard apple and other MFPs

3. TREE PATTAS:Assisting the resource less poor women and the laborers to available tree pattas on the tree existing in the CPRs

4. TANK FARMERS / USERS ASSOCIATIONS.Organisation of the Tank Farmers / Users Associations for the sustainable and effective management of the Panchayat Raj tanks.

1010

5. FISHING RIGHTS:Fishing Rights for the poor women and landless poor

6. TANK BED CULTIVATION

Take advantage of the residual moisture in the tank bed and promote tank bed cultivation by the vulnerable groups.

8. LOBBYING AND ADVOCACY

There is a need to lobby with the government on many issues related to the usufruct rights for the vulnerable groups.

7. TO DEVELOP LEGAL FRME WORK ONe CPRs

To ensure the rights of the vulnerable groups over CPRs there is a need to develop a legal frame work on the line so JFM or CFM

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NATURAL REGENERATION COMMON LANDS

AREAS SUITABLE TO PROMOTE NATURAL REGENERATION:

•HILLY REGIONS PREFERABLY WITH ROOT STALK.  

•LOW LAYING AREAS PARTICULARLY THE BANKS OF STREAMS, RIVERS AND VALLIES. DATE PALM, PALMYRA ETC., TREES GROW NATURALLY IN THESE LOCATIONS.  

•FORE SHORES AND CATCHMENT AREAS OF TANKS. NALLA THUMMA GROWS WELL IN TANK FORE SHORE AREAS. 

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CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF VILLAGES TO PROMOTE NATURAL REGENERATION:

1. The villages adjacent to and around the big chunk of revenue poramboke common lands particularly (hilly regions).

2. The villages having homogeneous community.

3. Small and remote villages.

4. The villages without factional conflicts.

5. Tribal villages.

6. Watershed and JFM villages.

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CONSTRAINTS IN PROMOTING NATURAL REGENERATION:

1. FOREST FIRES.

2. UNCONTROLLED GRAZING.

3. UNREGULATED HACKING OF TREES.

4. DELAY IN OBTAINING RIGHTS OVER PROTECTED AREAS.

5. LONG GESTATION PERIOD.

6. CONTRADICTORY INTERESTS OF DIFFERENT USER GROUPS.

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STEPS SUGGESTED TO PROMOTE NATURAL REGENERATION:

1.     COMMUNITY CONTACT DRIVE THROUGH AWARENESS CAMPS SUCH AS MEETINGS WITH THE DIFFERENT USER GROUPS, PADAYATRAS, CULTURAL PROGRAMMES ETC.

2. STUDY EXPOSURE VISIT TO THE SUCCESSFUL NATURAL REGENERATION VILLAGES.

3.   BENCH MARK SURVEY AND LINE RESOURCE INVENTORY.

• Trees, Bushes, Shrubs and grass varieties.• Wild animals • Birds

4. . SOCIO ECONOMIC PROFILE OF THE VILLAGE. - Details of population          - Community wise - Occupation wise

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b. .Land resources-         Govt. waste land-         Private waste land-         Common grazing land-         Forest land-         Agriculture land

c.       Crop pattern and Agricultural practicesd. Water resources

-         Irrigation tanks-         Percolation tanks-         Check dams-         Streams, Springs-         Open wells- Bore wells

e. Live stock details. -         Small Ruminants -         Cows and Buffaloes

f.. Existing people’s Associations-         Cooperatives-         Unions-         Thrift and Credit groups-         Any other

g. Details regarding natural resource user group communities.-         Small Ruminant rearers-         Cattle rearers-         Head loaders-         Coal, brick, lime and illicit liquor makers-         Hunters-         Forest produce collectors

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5. CONFLICT RESOLUTION BETWEEN DIFFERENT USER GROUPS

6. CLEARCUT DEMARCATION OF THE AREA TO BE PROTECTED, EXTENT AND SURVEY NUMBER ETC.

7. FORMATION OF PARYAVARANA PARIRAKSHANA SAMITIES WITH REPRESENTATION FOR ALL USER GROUPS.

8. VOLUNTARY VIGILENCE COMMITTEES.

9. MEMORANDUM TO THE REVENUE AUTHORITIES TO OBTAIN USUFRUCT RIGHTS OVER THE PROTECTED AREAS.

10. FORMATION OF ECO-CLUBS IN THE SCHOOLS.

11. LOCAL SEED BANKS.

12. FIRE PROTECTION THROUGH COMMUNITY ACTION.

13. SEED DIBBLING DURING THE RAINY SEASON BY INVOLVING LOCAL STUDENTS, YOUTH AND USER GROUPS.

14. PERIODICAL GET-TOGETHERS OF DIFFERENT PPSs AT INTER VILLAGE, MANDAL, DISTRICT LEVELS.

17

GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO PROMOTE NATURAL REGENERATION OF COMMON LANDS:

 

EQUAL REPRESENTATION FOR ALL USER GROUPS.

SOCIAL FENCING

ROTATIONAL GRAZING/CLOSE DOWN THE PROTECTED AREA FOR CERTAIN PERIOD/CUT AND CARRY SYSTEM.

MOTIVATION OF THE NEIBOURING VILLAGES

MOBILISATION OF LOCAL FUNDS IN THE FORM OF CASH, FOOD GRAINS ETC.

PROMOTION OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY RESOURCES.

EQUITY OF USUFRUCTS

1818

ACTIVITIES SUGGESTED TO ACCELERATE THE NATURAL GROWTH IN COMMON LANDS

SOIL AND MOISTURE CONSERVATION

REVIVAL OF WATER HARVESTING STRUCTURES OR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW STRUCTURES.

SEED DIBBLING IN STRATEGIC LOCATIONS LIKE UNDER THE BUSHES AND SHRUBS NEAR BOULDERS, VALLIES.

FIRE CONTROL

BROADCASTING OF GRASS SEEDS

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DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NATURAL REGENERATION AND AFFORESTATION

AFFORESTATION NATURAL REGENERATION

COST INTENSIVE MODEL LOW COST/NO COST MODEL

SCOPE FOR PEOPLE’S PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED

IT’S A PEOPLE – CENTRED ACTIVITY

PROTECTED BY PAID WATCHER VOLUNTARY SOCIAL FENCING

CANNOT PRESERVE BIO-DIVERSITY PRESERVES BIO-DIVERSITY EFFECTIVELY

DISTURBS WILD LIFE HABITATIONS WILD LIFE - FRIENDLY. WILD LIFE GET ATTRACTED AND DEVELOPED

FULFILS THE NEEDS OF OUTSIDERS PARTICULARLY INDUSTRIES.

FULFILS THE BASIC NEEDS SUCH AS FODDER, FUEL, FRUITS, RAW MATERIALS ETC.

SURVIVAL PERCENTAGE IS VERY LOW. SURVIVAL OF NATURALY GROWN TREES IS VERY HIGH.

CANNOT EFFECTIVELY CONSERVE SOIL AND MOISTURE.

SOILS AND WATER ARE EFFECTIVELY CONSERVED.

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Activities suggested to promote natural regeneration of the common lands (revenue common lands) and also to accelerate its growth.

1.     Soil and moisture conservation activities like contour bunds, gully checks, staggered trenches etc.2.Pitting work to take up plantation in the low lying areas in the next rain season3. Seed dibbling.4. Broadcasting of the grass seeds.5. Pruning of the existing trees that are naturally growing in the common lands,6.  A trench around the selected common land to control the open grazing.7

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District wide Awareness campaign through Padayatra – To Save Anantapur from Desertification Process (Photo: 1990)

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23

24

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Discussions on the need to restore the tanks in Kalyam-Hulikallu villages (Photo 1995)

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NATURAL REGENERATION HILLS

27

28

29

Acacia Nilotika (Nalla Thumma) in Kalyam - Hulikallu tank

under the protection of village community

30

31

Natural growth of Nalla Thumma trees in Hulikallu Tank under the protection of the village community

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Acacia Nilotika (Nalla Thumma) Orchard in Hulikallu tank provides nutritious fodder to sheep and goats

33

Jagganna Cheruvu after restoration in Hulikallu (Photo 2005)