Finally Getting Out to the Field

Last Friday I had the opportunity to join Dr. SR Hiremath (shown above), the director of Dharwad-based NGO Samaj Parivartana Samudaya (SPS), to check out an ongoing afforestation project on more than 350 acres of land in the southwest portion of the Haveri District (directly south of Hubli-Dharwad). SPS has linked local workers, local leaders, and the Karnataka State Forest Department together to develop this project. Currently there are more than 40 workers from nearby villages who re supervised by local leaders and paid using funds provided by the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA)*.

All of the species planted here are native to this region of Karnataka, and all of the seedlings were provided by the State Forest Department. SPS worked with the Forest Department to choose the species and verify that each sapling is at least one year old. Doing so ensures that the trees have a high probability of maturing and thriving in this environment. Dr. Hiremath explained that obtaining these native species from the local nursery was an accomplishment, as the Forest Department generally plants non-indigenous trees like Eucalyptus that is sold directly to the pulp and timber industry. Planting native species also provides more fodder for local livestock and biomass that can be used for firewood.

I found the visit to be very insightful, and was interested to learn how NREGA could be used not only to build local roads and schools, but also for ecological restoration. SPS is active in many of these initiatives, and regularly works with communities to connect their need to work with the organization’s goal of improving the environment. The key, Dr. Hiremath said, is that the locals understand that the citizens know that although NREGA gives them a right to work, it is also their responsibility to demand that the local leaders provide them with the proper work as well.

*NREGA guarantees 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to any rural household whose adult members are willing to participate in unskilled manual work. It has been heralded as important step towards realization of the right to work and arresting out-migration of rural households in search of employment while simultaneously enhancing people’s livelihood on a sustained basis, by developing the economic and social infrastructure in rural areas. Specifically, it aims to generate productive assets, protect the environment, empower rural women, and limit rural-urban migration by addressing chronic poverty, drought, deforestation, soil erosion and other forms of natural resource management.