KHATPURA F.P.C.

Khatpura Forest Protection Committee is a village of 152 households comprising of 244 SC (31.16%), 430 ST (54.92%), and 109 (13.92%) others out of total population of 783.

The total area of the village is 486 acres, out of which only 56 acer is irrigated.

The village is surrounded by hills with teak and bamboo forest. The area is a rich repository of invalueable forest produces including important medicinal plants and herbs. However, due to excessive anthropogenic pressure, the forestwere under massive threat heading towards degradation.

Initiatives

Forest Protection

The villagers have been protecting the forest very vigilantly. Due to their efforts, incidents of fire and illegal felling have reduced drastically. Villagers have developed strong social fencing in which all the villagers take active part and dutifully protect the forest from being distrubed by people from the nearby villages.

Various development activities have been taken up withen thevillage. with the state intreventions, the vilage has been electrified and supplieed with dreanking water facility. Stopdams have been constructed. Community center and metalled roads have also been built up to intitate development in the area. The strong institutional base withen the village promulgates a strong base for social acceptence of the government intiatives. Villagers are now ready to corperate with the state on protecting the forest and they have realized that the well being of the forest in their area holds the key to their own well being.

In Situ Conservation and Ex situ Propagation

Out of 20 thousand hectares 330 hectares have been taken up for in-situ conservation in the year 2000-2001. 80 hectares area has been planted under ex-situ propagation. The species planted are Kullu, Baheda, Aritha, Bel, Aonla, Neem, Imli, Karanj, Jetropha, Kalihari, Safed Mulsi, Lemon grass and musk seed.

Ashwagandha, Isabghol and senna were planted no an experimental basis no one-hectare plots each and the result have been very promising. These plantations serve as model for farmers to be emulated no their farm fields

. Safed Musli, Lemon grass and Mentha have been planted by farmers no pilot basis no the farmlands in Khatpura, Hoda, Yaarnagar and Khanpura villages.

A nursery has also been established at Bansapur for supplying quality planting material to the villagers. Kullu saplings were raised for the first time in field conditions for propagation.

Gender equality and Self-help Group

The women are equally participating in all the activities. They have formed a self help group with ten women as members, having a joint fund of Rs 1800/-. Women collect the forest produce and sell them to the samittees. With the revolving fund generated by the self Help group, the member women plan to purchase forest produce from the samittees and sell them in the open market and earn profits. Besides this there are ten self Help Groups in the area.

Non-destructive Harvesting

Among major activities under the PPA, the villagers have been trained in extracting gum from Kullu (Sterculiaurens) from the trrees using non-destructive harvesting means. The villagers received training organized by M.P.M.F.P. Federation and conducted by an NGO, KOVEL Foundation in Andhra Pradesh. Using this improved tapping technique, the villagers are ab;e to enhance their income from the sale of the gum as they get improved quality of gum.

Processing and Value Addition

An oil distillation plant has been installed under the aegis of the activities of the PPA. Rosa grass is found in abundance in the area, hence the villagers needed a distillation plant within the village so that they could extract oil from the naturally available grass. The distillation plant may be utilized for extracting oil from the other grasses as well as extract liquor from mahua etc.

In addition to this, powder from amaltas seeds has been made to be used for medicinal purposes. Primary processing of honey is also done at the village level.

Enhancement of Regeneration Status

Owning to the protection of the forests, the regeneration status of the forests has tremendously increased. The young plants of Kullu, Marorphali, Salai and Musli have flourished along with young recruits of other species.

Marketing of NWFPs

Under the guidance of the state, the villagers have also started taking up the marketing of the produces collected by them. The collectors bring the produce to the village level samittee and sell them the produce. The samittee then sell the produce with appropriate interventions from the MFP Federation. 14 purchase centers have been established throughout the PPA area. A sale outlet has been established near the holi shrine of Bijasen Devi at Salkanpur.

Herbal Treatment Centre

A herbal treatment center has been set up at Budni ghat no the banks of holy Narmada, the life line of central India. Patients from distant places come here for treatment. Vaidya practicing in the Indian System of Medine (Ayurveda) treat even some of the uncommon ailments. Approximately 1000 patients have been treated at this center since it was started in january this year.

Economic Returns through Market Intervention

The economic returns to the members of Khatpura-Yaarnagar, PPA Sehore during 1999-2000 through marketing of NWFP are enumarated below :

Till recently, villagers were getting returns only from Nationalized NWFPs like Tendu patta and gums. It is evident from the above table that the local villagers have started economic returns from non-nationalized NWFPs too. It clearly shows the potential as villagers have started trading no their own which is positive step forward towards self reliance. The further indicates that NWFP can play a major role in achieving sustainable livelihood security for tribals. To translate this noble goal into a meaningful programme, a project with an outlay of Rs 40 million has been prepared which when implemented will convert this area into real 'poor peoples pool of assets.'