https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Gadchiroli: A Forest Preservation Project that also Generates Livelihoods for Forest Dwellers, A Win-Win Situation for All

Project Ekal was launched by Gadchiroli district administration with the aim of strengthening gram sabhas by giving them community forest rights.
Indian Masterminds Stories

A project aimed at strengthening Gram Sabhas by giving them community forest rights and encouraging community participation in boosting the minor forest produce (MFP) sector, is showing good results in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli. Named Ekal project, it was started by the district administration to help the tribal population, which constitutes around 38 percent of the total population of the district.

Indian Masterminds spoke to IAS officer Sanjay Meena, who is the DM of Gadchiroli, to get more details about this project.

EKAL PROJECT LAUNCHED

Being implemented in four phases under the guidance of DM Meena, the project is turning out to be a life-changing opportunity for the tribal people who live a secluded life inside or near the forests.

Under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act, 2006, the protection of schedules tribes and other traditional forest dwellers by balancing it with the protection of the environment, was enacted, along with the right to life and livelihood. Gram Sabhas have been given various functions under this Act, which includes determining the nature and extent of forest rights, pass resolutions on the claims of forest rights, and constitute, control and monitor a committee for wildlife, forest and biodiversity protection.

District Administration Gadchiroli (DM Sanjay Meena sitting with mic in hand)

Speaking with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Meena said, “From 2010 onwards, Gadchiroli has recognized around 33,000 individual forest rights and 1,438 community forest rights (CFR). With a total area of 14,412 sq km, Gadchiroli distributes 5110 sq. km to CFR. Hence, there is a huge opportunity of employment generation and rejuvenation of forest from the Gram Sabha.”

This is how the Ekal project came into existence in September 2021, with the main aim of integrating the 1,438 Gram Sabhas in a productive manner so that livelihoods can be generated and uplifted.

REMOVING MIDDLEMEN

Around 68 percent of the total area in Gadchiroli is covered with forest cover. The tribal population, which also include the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, are mostly dependent on minor forest produce like Tendu and Mahua when there is no developmental work going on. However, there is no structure in place to monitor how much MFP is available and how it is being managed at the local level.

Tendu leaves collection

Moreover, the market is also dominated by the thekedaars who act as a mediator between the buyers and the producers and earn maximum profits. This results in lowering down the financial outcomes of the Gram Sabha and even conning incidents by not following the stipulated terms and conditions.

Hence, to streamline the process, the administration launched the Ekal initiative in four phases.

FOUR PHASES OF EKAL

In the first phase, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the administration and Gram Sabhas, to support each other in the intervention. Mr. Meena said, “As we did not have the funds to train all the 1,438 gram sabhas at one go, therefore we wanted to do a MoU with them. There were around 364 gram sabhas under the MoU, and 30 more were added recently.”

MoU signed between the administration and Gram Sabhas

On signing the MoU voluntarily, the gram sabhas are provided with a 15-days training module. It is divided in two parts, a residential training of seven days and field training of eight days. The programme is conducted through the Gondwana University, which is the knowledge partner of the district administration.

Training session at Gondwana university

The field training is centred around the implementation of the forest rights acts, biodiversity act and MGNREGA at the gramsabha level. During the field training, trained representatives constitute committees, and make people of the village aware about their rights. They also exercise shivar feri or ‘walk through their forest’ to assess its status and diversity. In the last two days of field training, they go through the records of the gramsabha to see the scope of improvement, also adding records that were not maintained earlier.

EKAL CENTRE

Then, there are the Ekal centres, that are like offline marketplaces where buyers and producers, which are the tribal people, meet directly without any interference with the thekedaars. It is an administrative unit of the district administration which has been started to streamline the process of transaction in relation to minor forest produce and improve transparency in this process.

Mr. Meena said, “The first Ekal centre is in Gadchiroli and the second one in Desaignaj. The third one is coming up in Mendha and we have proposed three more such centres as we have a total of 12 talukas. Therefore, one centre can cater to two or three talukas.”

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde inaugurating Ekal centre in Gadchiroli

Moreover, the proposal for 50 godowns for the gram sabhas have been sanctioned under the Mana Vikas program and NREGA. “The infrastructure is being created and is under process,” Mr. Meena said.

These Ekal centres will charge 10% (5% from gramsabhas and 5% from direct purchaser companies or unit) on complete sell in order to cover administrative and maintenance cost of the centres. This mechanism will create a self-sustainable ecosystem, providing more benefits to the gramsabha while promoting sustainable use of forest resources.

Tribals livelihood in Gadchiroli

MONITORING

A dedicated dashboard is created for the monitoring of the project. The dashboard includes the data about three major aspects of the project which includes details of gramsabhas engaged with the district administration, training of gramsabhas and performance of representatives during the training and CFR claims.

For the purpose of proper implementation of the project the district administration has defined 23 Key Success Indicators. These indicators capture the input and output of the project.

Key Indicators

BENEFITS

Lastly, Mr. Meena pointed out the benefits this project will bring in the lives of the tribal people: “Firstly the project will bring mass employment among the people of the district. The MFP cycle of tendu, mahua and bamboo will keep the people engaged for five to six months, and besides this, they will be engaged in three months of Khareep and NREGA work. We expect around 10 months of employment.”


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Gensol PFC
PFC Escalates Recovery: Catalyst Trusteeship Invokes 25.65 Lakh Gensol Shares Amid Ongoing Fraud Probe
Nidhi Yadav
Uttarakhand PCS Officer Nidhi Yadav Promoted to IAS After Vigilance Clearance - Know More About Her
DRDO resized
Boost to Atmanirbhar Bharat: DRDO Offers 28 Indigenous Weapon Systems for Emergency Procurement by Armed Forces
Haryana gov resized
Haryana: 2 IAS Officers Reshuffled, Ashok Garg Gets Addl Charge of DHBVN, Ashok Kumar Appointed MD of HVPNL
Amit-Mohan
25th Central Zonal Council Meeting: Mohan Yadav to Join CMs at Meet in Varanasi, Chaired by Amit Shah
Amit Shah
From Red Terror to Development: Amit Shah Unveils Vision & Interacts with Security Forces in Chhattisgarh, Reaffirms Goal to Eradicate Naxalism by March 2026
ITI Limited
ITI Ltd Concludes Rs200 Crore Land Deal with C-DOT, Receives Final Rs25 Crore Payment
Cochin Shipyard
Hooghly Cochin Shipyard (H-CSL) Signs Contract with Antara River Cruises for 2 Luxury Vessels on Brahmaputra - Details Inside
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
Retired Officers Lead 7-Day Mission to Revive Betwa River with 55 Check Dams | Video Interview
Inderjit Singh Interview Plane Crash
What ill-fated pilots of AI171 may have gone through in those 40 seconds before the crash? Intro:
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi’s 27-Year Odyssey with Indian Railways | Exclusive Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Sanish Kumar Singh
“If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way,” Sanish Kumar Singh AIR 8, UPSC IFS 2024 
The real interview, he says, was much more humane. “The board was conversational. The chairman opened...
Raju Wagh
When the Battlefield Became a Study Room and a Dream Took Flight
Amid IED blasts and anti-Maoist operations in Bastar, CRPF Commando Raju Wagh taught village kids, studied...
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-18 at 10.31
"I Just Wanted to Breathe Again": The Man Who Fought Death and Made It to UPSC
Struck by COVID at the peak of his UPSC prep, Devanand Telgote spent months on ECMO, unsure he'd live,...
Social Media
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
Screenshot 2025-06-13 194001
Wild Elephant Disrupts Riverside Picnic, Sparks Debate on Human Encroachment; IFS Parveen Kumar Shares the Video - Watch Here!
Mr. Kaswan used the viral video, which has garnered over 1.5 lakh views, to highlight the risks of human...
Tiger jump Sundarban
Stunning Viral Video Shows Royal Bengal Tiger Making Spectacular 30-Foot Leap Across River in Sunderbans - See It Here
Retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda shared the clip online, which quickly went...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Gensol PFC
PFC Escalates Recovery: Catalyst Trusteeship Invokes 25.65 Lakh Gensol Shares Amid Ongoing Fraud Probe
Nidhi Yadav
Uttarakhand PCS Officer Nidhi Yadav Promoted to IAS After Vigilance Clearance - Know More About Her
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
Inderjit Singh Interview Plane Crash
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT