Annual Report 2014-15

Conservation and

sustainable utilization

of natural resources

Annual Report 2014-15

Annual Report 2014-15

ACHIEVEMENTS:

1. 366 farmers from 5 villages got awareness on Bamboo clump management.

2. 75 fellers of 5 villages were supplied Branch cutters for easy the work of Clump management.

3. 5 villages applied for Community Forest Rights.

4. Published a 22 pages (A/8) manual for “sustainable harvesting and clump management of Bamboo in natural forests” in Telugu regional language.

5. 72 youth directly got employment source by making Bamboo handicrafts- Utilities and decorative articles.

6. 32 youth got training in making eatables with Mohwa flower.

7. A study organized on “ON-FARM CONSERVATION OF SEED BIODIVESRSITY” and published draft copy.

8. Divisional level meeting organized for Forest officials on Bamboo Clump management.

9. Running Creche programme for 25 children in Dabbagudem village.

10. Minor Forest Produce value addition: 120 tribal beneficiaries from 4 villages

trained in Mohwa Seed value adddition. 180 tribal beneficiaries trained in value

addition to Myrobalan.1 150 tribal beneficiaries trained in Lac

cultivation. 11. 223 farmers from 18 villages got a set

of Agricultural implements (Spade, Crowbar, Gamela, Axe and iron plough) in a BIODIVERSITY AWARENESS PROGRAMME.

12. Study on “Sustainable Development” by P.G students of Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

13. Invention of Madhu Decorticator for removing rind of Mohwa seed.

14. Participated in Tribal Food Festival at Delhi organized by TRIFED,Ministry of Tribal Affairs and demonstrated Mohwa Sweets.

15. Felicitation, Award of Excellence to Asha by A.P. State Biodiversity Board.

1. Increased Awareness on Bamboo regeneration and Silvicultural operations: The target tribal community who has been working as Bamboo fellers got better understanding about silivicultural operation through the awareness camps arranged with the help of Forest Officials and experts in Bamboo extraction and bamboo clump management in bi-monthly monitoring meetings. 2 meetings were organized where 366 farmers from 5 villages attended. The fellers realized the benefits of silvicultural operations and need of protecting Bamboo clumps in natural forests.

Annual Report 2014-15

2. Bamboo Clump Management making easy : Intervention of Technology - using Branch cutters: previously Bamboo fellers used their own made axe and other instruments for harvesting Bamboo. These, affects the clump and destroys regeneration growth. Branch cutters supplied to 75 fellers to make the job of clump management easy. The instruments helped feller to easy access into the clump and remove unwanted branches and clean the Bamboo clump. This leads to increased shoots from each clump in the next season. http://www.ashachinturu.blogspot.in/2014/05/technology-intervention-for-sustainable.html

4. User mannual in Telugu:“sustainable harvesting and clump management of Bamboo in natural forests” The fellers realized the benefits of silvicultural operations and need of protecting Bamboo clumps in natural forests. A 22 pages (A/8) manual for “sustainable harvesting and clump management of Bamboo in natural forests” is published (350 copies) in Telugu regional language and circulated in the area to the forest staff and community leaders. http://www.ashachinturu.blogspot.in/2014/12/clump-management-of-bamboo.html

3.Claiming Community Rights: 2 villages Tulugonda and Sukumamidi submitted their community claim forms to Sub- divisional level committee for approval. Now it may take some more time since the state is bifurcated into two states 1. Andhra Pradesh and 2. Telangana. Even though our area belongs to Telangana state, areas are proposed to merge in (Separated) Andhra Pradesh, because we are living in submergence areas of Polavaram Dam. SUKUMAMIDI VSS members extracted 16,000 bamboos from their protected and 6,000 Bamboo transported to nearby Bamboo depot in Mothugudem. It was sold, the returns of sale proceeds yet to be credited to the account of VSS. THULUGONDA VSS they got approval for extracting the Bamboo from their protected area of 750.25 hectors. Village community decided to start the work from March 1st since now they engaged in agricultural works.

GONDIGUDEM villagers are now organizing themselves to form BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (BMC) And protect their environment. this villagers filled the Form-B for community claim under CFRA and submitted the papers to the Project Officer , ITDA, Rampachodavaram for further follow up.

Annual Report 2014-15

youth empowerment

6. 32 youth trained in making eatables with Mohwa flower. Mohva value addition: Organized training camp to local tribal youth on making Mohva eatables like Halwa, Laddu, Zam and Cake for 32 youth representing 4 villages. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmO2PwMWqUc&feature. http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/empowering-adivasi-women/article5927722.ece?css

Asha has organized training for 32 youth in making eatables with Mohva follower with the help of VASUNDARA (NGO) working in Odissa. Mr. Manmohan Barik, Master trainer conducted the training in Chinturu Mandal Head quarter. The trainees were able to make the following items with Mohva Flower:  

1. Mohva Laddu, 2. Mohva Halwa, 3. Mohva Jam, 4. Mohva Cake, 5. Mohva roti.

5. 103 youth are trained in Bamboo handicrafts Training in Bamboo Handicrafts: 103 youth (52 girls and 51 boys) from 5 villages imparted training in making Bamboo handicrafts. This one month training made them to prepare 11 items of handicrafts (1.letter box, 2. Photo frames (2 models), 3. Ship 4. Flower stands (2 models), 5. Tray 6. Mandir 7. House. 8. Pen stand 9. Flowers. A tool kit for each batch supplied for starting the production. The produced products are sold at Mandal Head quarter. Exploring market possibilities in collaboration with Bamboo house India, Hyderabad agency. www.bamboohouseindia.org . This enabled youth to find out job at their own village and decrease in migration to Metropolitan cities where they often exploited by all means. http://www.ashachinturu.blogspot.in/2014/04/bamboo-handicrafts-by-konda-reddy-youth.html

Annual Report 2014-15

7. A study organized on “ON FARM CONSERVATION OF SEED BIODIVESRSITY”

Asha have organized a study on indigenous seed biodiversity and prepared a draft guideline “ON FARM CONSERVATION OF

SEED BIODIVESRSITY”. We thought it is necessary since the native seeds are going disappear. We focused on domestic crops of tribal community in Andhra, Odissa and

Chattisgarh and compiled the Guide. It needs some more improvement and funds for final publication.

8. Divisional level meeting organized for Forest officials on Bamboo Clump management: 28 staff from Forest Department wing Department of Extraction of Timber were reoriented about the Clump Management of Bamboo in Natural Forests of Bhadrachalam South division in a two days workshop organized at Chinturu.

9.Running Crèche: A creche centre for children from 1 to 4 years is being organized at Dabbagudem from last 10 years. 25 children were enrolled every year and successful children who are able to attend classes at primary school were admitted in the near by school. During the day time 2 crèche workers will take care of the children until their mothers come back from their agriculture work in the evening. A little nutritious food is supplied to the children in the afternoon besides keeping the toys for their play and songs.

10. Minor Forest Produce value addition: Asha empanelled in 2012 with TRIFED,

Ministry ofTribal Affairs, Government of India as an

expert /resource agency for imparting training on Value addition to Minor Forest Produce in agency areas of Bhadrachalam. 120 tribal beneficiaries from 4 villages

trained in Mohwa Seed value adddition. 180 tribal beneficiaries from six villages

trained in value addition to Myrobalan. 180 tribal beneficiaries from 6 villages

were trained in Mohwa Flower value addition.

150 tribal beneficiaries from 5 villages trained in Lac cultivation.

Annual Report 2014-15

11. 223 farmers from 18 villages got a set of Agricultural implements (Spade, Crowbar, Gamela, Axe and iron plough) in a BIODIVERSITY AWARENESS PROGRAMME: Asha organized a Biodiversity Awareness programme in collaboration with National Berau of Plan Genetic Resources (NBPGR) Regilnal station Hyderabad on 22nd Feb, 2015. Dr. Sarath Babu, Principal Scientist, NBPGR, Dr. Someshwar from NBPGR, and Sri. S.S.Maith, DGM/RM, TRIFED, R.O.Hyderabad along with Prof; V.V.N. Simha Rao, our Hanorary President gave their talk on need of Conservation of native Biodiversity in the area. 254 famers from 18 villages and Mandal

level government officers, Community based organizations joined the event.

12. RESEARCH ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: The fieldwork is conducted from January till March 2015 by two enthusiastic Master thesis students of the Sustainable Development programme at Utrecht University, The Netherlands. One student, Mary Ann George, studied on the likely biophysical impact (such as biodiversity changes, forest cover changes) and one student, Rachel Claus, studied the likely impacts on livelihoods in the villages both CFRs issued and not yet issued but formed as Vana Samrakshana Samithies during the JOINT FOREST MANANGEMENT Scheme.

21%

13. Invention of Madhu Decorticator for Mohwa seed rind removing.

Annual Report 2014-15

MADHU DECORTICATOR: This machine designed for reducing the drudgery of work Tribal women, children and old women facing in removing the rind of Mohwa Seed (Minor Forest Produce). It also helps in timely operations of Mohwa Oil extraction thus improving Oil Quality and quantity and income of the tribal families in Eastern Ghats. There is no machine yet made in South India. The general practice is breaking the Seed using two small stones or rubbing/pressing on Big Stone. This machine designed to operate without extra power like electricity. This required man power only and a single woman can operate it easily.

One assistant required to slowly pour Seeds into machine, while main Operator rotates the

Drum with handle fixed outside.

Madhu Decorticator is designed and developed by me (Sd.Subhani). It was demonstrated During the trainings of ‘PRIMARY PROCESSING AND VALUE ADDITION TO MOHVA SEED” organized by Asha with the help of TRIFED, R.O. Hyderabad and proved immense to use by Mohwa seed collectors.

14. Our Master trainers participated in Tribal Food Festival at Delhi organized by TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and demonstrated Mohwa Sweets. Earned an amount of Rs. 21,132/- on sale of Mohwa Laddu and Halwa during 12th to 18th January, 2015. Delhi people have showed interest on Mohwa sweets as an unique sweets.

15. Felicitation, Award of Excellence to Asha by A.P. State Biodiversity Board, Government of Andhra Pradesh, on 22nd May,2014 on the occasion of International day for Biological Diversity.

Association for Social and Humanize Action (Asha),CHINTURU-507 126,Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh (India),Phone: 09492381609, 08179339047 Land: 08748 285255, Email: ashachintur@gmail.com www.ashachinturu.blogspot.com.