GREEN THOSE RAVINES
A village in Gujarat has shown that blocking gullies and planting trees can arrest spread of ravines
Khorwad village in Anand district knows that reclaiming ravines pays.A pilot project started in the village brought a turnaround for the degraded land and people’s livelihood. In 1993, the gram panchayat leased 40 hectares (ha) of the village common land for 15 years jointly to the Khorwad Tree Growers’ Cooperative Society (TGCS) and the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), an Anand-based non-profit, for ravine reclamation.
These organisations started by blocking the gullies using simple sandbag structures called bori bandh. Then bamboo and locally available tree and grass species were planted to strengthen the soil. Over 100,000 saplings were planted including neem (Azadirachtaindica) and gandaba awal (Prosopisjuliflora).The grass species planted were Cenchrusciliaris and Stylosanthashamate. By 1995,there was a significant increase in vegetative cover as well as a decrease in erosion. In an evaluation in 2011,it emerged that the annual rate of soil loss had fallen from 20 tonnes/ha to 8 tonnes/ha.
Initially the land was suitable for the growth of only 11 species of grass, thorny shrubs and trees, but due to improvement in soil quality and
nutrients, 72 different species of plants have taken root on their own. Some of these are precious commodities like sandalwood that favour only very specific soils.This is evidence to the increased nutritive value of the soil due to the efforts of the village residents, says Satish Macwan of FES. Between 2002 and 2011, the plantation produced 449 tonnes of fodder, meeting 15 per cent of annual needs
of 40-50 families. It has also produced more than 50,000 kg of firewood.
Over time, a set of rules for sharing and distribution of benefits was developed.The beneficiaries paid a nominal fee (R10-R50) for collecting food or fuel from the plantation. Collectors were allowed to carry only a head load of fodder to ensure that the produce is distributed fairly.The process was monitored by the gram panchayat.