PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ New Tehri
At a time when deforestation and environmental pollution are assuming alarming proportions everywhere, Uniyalgaon, tucked away into Saklana Patti of Tehri district, has set an example of creating biodiversity-rich forest through community participation. The villagers planted hundreds of oak, rhododendron, moru and ayan trees many years ago, which have now become lush green forest.
Nearly two decades ago, the village elders convened a meeting and decided to reforest the Silakha Pakha and Dabran forests near their village. They were concerned over the depleting fodder and water. During this time, the villagers took it upon themselves to conserve the forest for their upcoming generations. The entire village community wholeheartedly involved themselves in this mission.
First, saplings were planted, and villagers took turns in caring for and guarding them. Their collective care paid off as the forest depletion trend was arrested, and a dense forest of oak, moru, rhododendron, and ayan trees emerged.
The villagers said that they still collectively care for the forests, bequeathed to them as a legacy by their forebears. “If a forest fire breaks out during the summer, we abandon all our work and rush to put out the flames. They must be preserved for our future generations,” a villager said.
Another villager said that there is no dearth of fodder for their livestock. “Besides, the fast-drying water resources have been replenished. They have now become perennial,” he added.
Speaking of the distinctive conservational identity that the village has attained, the forest panchayat sarpanch Anusuya Prasad Uniyal says, “The forest is being conserved through collective participation here, which is why it is constantly expanding. We all need to understand the importance of the forest. The forest belongs not only to the forest department, but to the entire society.”
