The review meeting was attended by cabinet minister Bhupendra Singh, Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains, DGP Sudhir Saxena, Personal Secretary (cultural) Shivshekhar Shukla and some more…reports Asian Lite News
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday reviewed the preparation of ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ (Tri-colours at every home) programme, a Centre’s initiative to mark 75th anniversary of Independence Day.
During the two-day campaign from August 13 to 15, fixed by the Centre, the Madhya Pradesh government has set a target to hoist 1.50 crore Tri-colours across the state. Out of total 1.51 crore tri-colours to be hoisted, 51 lakh of them will be received from the Centre, while the rest one crore will be made in the state itself.
The review meeting was attended by cabinet minister Bhupendra Singh, Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains, DGP Sudhir Saxena, Personal Secretary (cultural) Shivshekhar Shukla and some more.
During the meeting, the chief minister was apprised that the state has so far received around 20 lakh Tri-colours from the Centre and remaining 31 lakh will be received soon.
Further, around 63 lakh Tri-colours have been prepared by ‘self group’ of women. “Tri-colours are being made by self group of women across Madhya Pradesh. The government will set up around 36,000 centres across 52 district to distribute and sale these Tri-colours. Individuals will also be allowed to buy Tri-colours and distribute them in the society,” Shukla added.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister directed district administrations to hold meetings and prepare a detailed plan regarding ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ programme.
He also appealed religious and social leaders along with politicians and other groups in the state to encourage people to hoist Tri-colours at their homes on the occasion of 75th anniversary of the Independence Day.
The next review meeting will be held on July 8.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday suggested people to put the Tricolour as profile pictures on their social media accounts from August 2.
Addressing his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, the Prime Minister said: “I have a suggestion that from August 2 to 15, all of us can place the Tricolor in our social media profile pictures.”
He said that under the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav initiative, a programme called ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ will be organised from August 13-15.
“By becoming a part of this movement, from August 13 to 15, you must hoist the Tricolor at your residence, or adorn your home with it. The Tricolor connects us, inspires us to do something for the country,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister mentioned that August 2 also has a special connection with our Tricolor.
“This day is the birth anniversary of Pingali Venkaiah ji who designed our national flag. I pay my respectful homage to him. Talking about our national flag, I will also remember the great revolutionary Madam Cama. Her role in shaping the Tricolor has been very important,” he said.
The Prime Minister mentioned that Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is taking the form of a mass movement and people from all walks of life and from every section of the society are participating in the initiative to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence.
In Bhopal, several residential colonies were water-logged, at many places four-wheelers were seen in flood waters. Due to water-logging, many petrol pumps had to stop services for hours in the city…reports Asian Lite News
Due to heavy rain for the last 24 hours, a flood-like situation developed in several parts of Madhya Pradesh on Monday. The capital city Bhopal received over three inches of rainfall in just four hours, which resulted in several residential colonies, streets and highways being flooded.
As per reports, due to continued rain and bad weather in Bhopal, at least three Bhopal bound flights were diverted to Indore. As per the Raja Bhoj Airport authorities, flights that were diverted to Indore include the Hyderabad to Bhopal (Indigo flight), Mumbai to Bhopal (Air India) Delhi to Bhopal (Air India flight).
In Bhopal, several residential colonies were water-logged, at many places four-wheelers were seen in flood waters. Due to water-logging, many petrol pumps had to stop services for hours in the city.
Due to the unprecedented heavy downpour in the catchment areas of Kanhan river in Satpura valley and the opening of all the 16 gates of the Navegaon-Khairy reservoir, there is heavy flooding in the Kanhan river. Because of this, vehicular movement on the national highway connecting Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh) and Nagpur (Maharashtra) was stopped early on Monday.
The Vidisha district administration has announced the closure of schools due to the heavy rain. Data received from the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) regional official in Bhopal, the heaviest rainfall was in Chhindwara district at 9 mm.
Heavy rain lashed many districts including Morena, Chhindwara, Bhopal and Indore. Flood-like situations were witnessed in districts like Saunsar in Chhindwara, Morena and many others.
According to the Met officials, moderate to heavy rain is expected in many areas of the state. Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel assured of compensation to the farmers who suffer crop loss due to the incessant rain.
Talking to the media, the minister said, “The weather has been bad for 2-3 days. Rain & hailstorms have damaged standing crops. Officials have been asked to survey the affected villages. 25 per cent of the compensation money will be paid immediately.”
To protect the forests, the villagers of Pathri are employing traditional knowledge passed down through generations…reports Suchita Jha
At the break of dawn, Gajendra Rokde walked down the village road carrying a lathi to protect himself from wild boars. Then, with three of his friends, he entered the 130-acre forest adjacent to their village of Pathri, situated in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district.
In the absence of Mansaram, the appointed van rakshak (forest protector) who had fallen ill, the villagers had taken it upon themselves to patrol the forest.
“I’ll be here till noon to ensure that there are no trespassers who may cut down trees or harm the birds and animals in this forest. I’m checking for signs of smoke or sparks to put them out before they cause a forest fire,” Rokde said.
Having protected the forests for generations, the villagers of Pathri take turns inspecting the woods every morning. Due to their constant vigilance, there hasn’t been a single forest fire incident in this dense jungle in more than eight decades.
Meanwhile, there have been 54,321 fire alerts between January 1 and September 19 this year in Madhya Pradesh, as per the 2021 Forest Survey of India. This is the state with the largest forest cover in the country.
Pannalal Nagpure, the village’s Sarpanch said that he hasn’t heard of any forest fires in his area since when he was a child. “This jungle is ancient. I remember my grandfather used to be one of the caretakers of the forest. I haven’t heard of any forest fires in this jungle since British time. We don’t let anyone cut down healthy trees and only use what is needed,” he added.
An inherited, collective task
The jungle adjacent to Pathri is noted for a particular grass, known as Bid, used in Hindu funeral rites. This grass is an essential source of income for the villagers.
“The Bid grass grows to its full height by December and then starts drying up, increasing the risk of forest fires in March-April. The van rakshak removes the grass and dead leaves from the forest. People from other villages also buy it from us to thatch their roofs,” said Nagpure.
The villagers also collect dry sticks and dead tree branches and sell them to the locals at reasonable prices. “We only collect and auction the wood from trees that are already dead. The income generated through this helps us take up more developmental works in the village,” added Nagpure.
The village has a dedicated 15-member committee, called Sarvajanik Bid Samiti, named after the grass. The representatives of the committee are elected by the villagers every two years and are tasked with protecting the forest from any harm by appointing a van rakshak.
Rokde, who serves as the committee’s secretary, said that apart from bid the forest houses a diverse flora and fauna. It is home to trees like Sal, Teak, Mango, Neem, Banyan, Jamun and also animals like rabbits and wild boars alongside various butterfly species and birds.
“Earlier, there used to be a large population of vultures, but with time, they have become fewer in number,” added Rokde. He said that the forest department hadn’t conducted any survey or inspection as the forest area falls under revenue land.
Nagpure recalled that there were talks back in 2009 to bring the forest under the forest department, but it didn’t pan out due to reasons unknown to him. The villagers, however, think this is for the best.
“Our jungle will be snatched away from us and the forest department will start their activities here. We know this forest like the back of our hand. If people from distant areas are sent here for patrolling and caretaking, they will take time to learn the ropes and won’t listen to us,” said Rokde.
He also brings up the issue of Maoist activity in the region. “Though Balaghat is a Maoist area, the Maoists never stop us from entering the forest as they know that we will not harm it. But that equation may not be possible with outsiders,” he said.
Protecting the forest as a way of life
To protect the forests, the villagers of Pathri are employing traditional knowledge passed down through generations.
“We have learned everything from our forefathers. They used to cut the grass annually, and it became a tradition. People used to wait for December or January to repair their homes after rains when the grass was available. Though we have cemented houses now, and only a few people need the grass, we are continuing this tradition for the forest’s safety,” said Nagpure.
He added that the van rakshaks also collect dry leaves from the ground and put them in small pits dug in the forest to turn them into mulch. “This way, we don’t need any artificial fertilisers or chemicals for the trees as they get proper nutrition from the dead leaves and animal dung itself.”
The villagers also fiercely protect the forest from trespassers. “We love the trees here more than life itself. They are like our children, and we ensure that no one cuts them. In addition to the van rakshak’s daily care, all 15 members of the committee also conduct weekly inspections in the forest,” Nagpure said.
If the committee finds that a healthy tree has been cut down for selfish interests, there is a framework in place to ensure judgement and punishment.
“We call a meeting, and the person who has chopped down a tree or a shrub is summoned. The witness who saw them cutting down the tree is also called to testify. In most cases, the culprit accepts his fault and is fined. The culprit has to pay the money to buy five plants, and the cost of transportation is included in his fine. When the committee procures the plants, the person responsible for cutting down the tree is called again to plant them at the same spot,” Rokde added.
The time has now come to appoint a new van rakshak. Having been at his post for almost 20 years, the current van rakshak, Mansaram, said, “We always elect someone who knows how to take care of trees and doesn’t have any vested interests. I will just provide them with guidance as I’m too old to discharge my duties. It’s been a pleasure to serve the forests.”
Rajgir observed that due to the decade-long efforts, the cranes have started identifying the areas near the Bhoj wetlands as ‘safe’, leading to year-round breeding…reports Shuchita Jha
When the Sarus cranes population dwindled from 160 in 2001 to just 24 in 2008, it had ornithologists and conservationists worried. From 2013, they rallied together with the local population to save the majestic bird species.
The collective efforts of farmers around Madhya Pradesh’s Bhoj wetlands have now led to the reversal and the population of the endangered bird has witnessed a substantial rise in the region.
The Bhoj wetland is an important Ramsar site (a wetland site of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention) comprising the Upper and Lower lakes of Bhopal. It boasts a rich flora and fauna, and over 20,000 birds of various species visit annually.
Among them is the Sarus crane, the tallest flying bird which can reach heights of upto 5 feet 11 inches. As per the World Wildlife Fund, there are around 15,000-20,000 Sarus cranes in India, the maximum being in Uttar Pradesh.
They are also found in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat but their population is declining due to conflict with humans and threat to their natural habitats. The bird is classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
The intervention to protect the Sarus Crane in the Bhoj wetland started in October 2012, when the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) found that the population of these birds had fallen rapidly in just a decade. Samir Kumar Sinha, Head of Conservation at WTI, explained, “These birds are mostly found in shallow waters and rice fields where they can have access to small shoots and insects. They also prey on the fish in shallow waters. When we found that the birds’ population was decreasing at an alarming rate, we suspected that there was some conflict between the birds and locals, so the idea was to instil a sense of brotherhood between the two.”
From a single pair 10 years ago, the Sarus crane population has risen to more than 100 birds. In 2021 there is happy crop of chicks and eggs waiting to add to the numbers further, thanks to continuous community efforts.
The local farmers have restored the bird population by keeping the birds’ eggs safe in their fields, preventing the hunting of birds and reducing the amount of chemical pesticides sprayed in the fields.
Sangeeta Rajgir, a Bhopal-based ornithologist said: “The locals in the Bhoj area did not harm the birds knowingly, but practices like excessive use of pesticides, overgrazing, pollution, started taking a toll on the crane population here.”
“Encouraging locals to protect the Sarus was the key element in the success of the Sarus Mitra (friends of Sarus) initiative that started in 2013-14. The discussion started at the local level and continued thereafter,” said Sinha.
Today, children in the villages near the Bhoj Tal (Upper lake) have been sensitised to the needs of the birds and now they educate others about the same. They also keep a count of the eggs and try to protect them.
“It is a great feeling to see the locals taking initiative to restore the Sarus population in villages like Nathu Berkheda, Bhisankhedi, Goregaon etc. The locals now not only protect the birds, they also tend to those that get injured and help them recover,” added ornithologist and founder of Bhopal Birds, Mohd. Khalique.
On learning that their practices were harming the birds, the farmers in Goregaon decided to start using organic fertilisers and pesticides, as opposed to chemical ones, as early as 2013. Farmers of Bhishenkhedi and Nathu Berkheda also decided to take the leap to organic farming by 2020.
Abhishek Sigroley, 25, a local farmer in Nathu Berkheda said, “The people who educated us about the Sarus crane said that the pesticides we use in the field get washed off in the local lakes and pollute the water, contaminating it for the Sarus. We also know that if something is killing pests on the crop, it is obviously poison. So we decided to use organic fertilisers like cow-dung and organic pesticides like neem oil for our crops from last year.”
Dwarka Prasad, a farmer who switched to organic farming in 2013, added that it is also cost-effective. “We are now spending less money on buying pesticides, as the Sarus also eats a lot of insects in the water, allowing us to rest assured that grasshoppers, crickets and other insects will not destroy the crops,” he said.
According to Rajgir, the scientists from the agriculture department educated the farmers about making organic fertilisers and pesticides. “As the raw materials were easily available at home, and the farmers also had access to cow-dung in large quantities, the change was easy for them. Though the use of chemical pesticides has not completely stopped, it has significantly reduced,” she said
Rajgir observed that due to the decade-long efforts, the cranes have started identifying the areas near the Bhoj wetlands as ‘safe’, leading to year-round breeding.
“On the last bird count in May this year, we found eggs of the Sarus cranes, one-month-old chicks, and two-month-old sub-adults along with full-grown birds. This signifies that the birds have started breeding all year round, which is a good sign, as Sarus’ lay eggs in the same place year after year if they feel safe in that area,” she said.
Along with making changes in their farming practices, the locals made groups called ‘Sarus-Mitra’ that continue to spread awareness about the Sarus crane among locals and request farmers to not disturb the birds if they spot a nest and eggs in their fields. The friends of Sarus also keep a watch over the new eggs and keep away dogs and other animals of prey. They also report the death of any bird to the local forest department and call the veterinarian if a bird is found to be injured.
Taking inspiration from the farmers of these villages, farmers of nearby villages like Eintkhedi, Mugaliyachap and Bhilkheda have also started protecting the Sarus cranes.
“We have started interactions with the farmers of the villages based along the streams where the Sarus cranes are found. The response has been positive so far,” added Rajgir.
(The author is a Bhubaneswar-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)
