SUMMARY
Chandapara is a small Village situated under Dalu Block, West Garo Hills district in the state of Meghalaya.
This village is around 7km away from the Block office and 52 km from district head quarter, Tura. According to Social data, the total population of Chandapara village is about 656 with 124 households. It is one of the CLLMP (Community Led Landscape Management Project) funded by World Bank villages selected under the NESAC list.
The total geographical area of the village is around 234.28 Ha and 2.3428 sq.km. The community here is still into farming and they cultivate various types of crops throughout the year. They mostly grow cash crops such as arecanut and cashew nut. Comparing both the cash crops, it is the arecanut plantation where the community is mostly dependent on as it generates the most income.
When the district team visited this village sometime back in December 2018, the village seemed really degraded even though it was selected under the NESAC list. It may be degraded because in previous years they were mostly focused on Jhum cultivation. Besides which, whatever resource they had, the community has used it excessive or either destroyed it through the cutting of trees, expanding of land for settlement, growing of higher population every year, clearing of forest for arecanut plantation and to grow other crops.
These actions have made their village highly degraded and dependent only on a few scarce resources that remain. So many water catchment areas were not taken into consideration due to a lack of knowledge . The village has no longer has any forest cover left as they had destroyed it for areca nut plantation. According to the environment data the total degraded land area of the village is 21.64 Ha. One of the main causes of land degradation in the village is due to deforestation.
Currently the community does not practice jhum/shifting cultivation however these massive arecanut plantations must be managed and there is a need to work on the alternative sources of livelihood. Thus there is still yet to work to be done to achieve the goals under CLLMP.
CHALLENGES
According to the sources, water crisis is the major problem of the village as they have to go to different localities to fetch water. They also face difficulties in farming due to a decrease in water supply towards the cultivation and the absence of an irrigation system.
Apart from water crisis, there are many other challenges by the community. Such as good health care facilities (PHC, CHC & Sub-Center), education facilities (high schools and colleges) and proper transport facilities towards the village area etc. Currently, there are two (2) SSA schools and one (1) U.P school in the village. Banking facilities is also challenge.
COMMUNITY LED LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT (CLLMP)
INITIATIVE
The village came under Community Led Landscape Management (CLLMP) funded by World Bank, after the District Project Management team of West Garo Hills visited Chandapara village on the 11th December 2018 for Ground survey and on the same day awareness programs were conducted. An agreement from both the parties with various documents was then signed, which included an Expression of Interest (EOI), Village Grant Agreement (VGA), Citizens Green Charter. Soon after these processes, the community then selected their 9 executive committee members, 3 Village Community Facilitators (VCF) and 3 Purchase Committee. So a total of 15 members were selected during their General Body Meeting. The general bodies are 1 male and 1 female from every household.
The selected Executive committee along with the village facilitators lead the village community to make sure that the implementation of every project works according to the CLLMP /World Bank terms and condition that seeks to conserve the Natural Resources i.e. soil , water and forest of the village. Even though there are selected committee members, the Currently the community are gradually learning the process and working towards achieving the goal – which is to protect the environment and remaining Natural Resources.
NRM IMPLEMENTED ACTIVITIES THROUGH CLLMP
Under the CLLMP, there are various Natural Resource Management activities which were undertaken based on Springshed Management/Soil and water conservation /land productivity etc.
Few of the activities undertaken are spring chamber; 18 days hot composting unit, community nursery and roadside plantation. According to the sources, one of the most beneficial activities implemented was the spring chamber as most of the community faces water crisis in the village.
There are four spring chambers that were built. They are –
1. JongsinGittim Spring Chamber,
2. DigrangChimik Spring Chamber,
3. SengmeChimik Spring Chamber
4. Sombalin Chiga Spring Chamber.
The community had faced a lot of issues previously, related to safe drinking water, for cooking, cleaning, bathing, washing etc. This basic but very crucial issue was needed to be addressed as soon so possible so that the community would not face any more hardship in living their life. Besides it has given them a lot of difficulties even in farming, cultivating, growing crops and doing any other activities in the village.
JongsinGittim Spring Chamber
This spring chamber was constructed on 23rd November 2019 and completed in the year 26th February 2020. It was implemented in the land owned by Shri. TenangSangma at Jongsingittimchimik. This implemented activity has benefitted the community and according to the sources, about 6 households are utilizing water for drinking, domestic and irrigation purposes. Rs. 85,300 was estimated to construct this spring chamber
DigrangChimik Spring Chamber
DigrangChimik spring chamber was implemented on 23th November 2019 and completed on 26th February 2020. About 5 households are getting benefitted from this spring chamber. It was implemented in the land ownership of Shri. Winjang M Sangma. Rs.1, 17,860 was estimated to construct this spring Chamber.
SengmeChimik Spring Chamber
This was constructed on 21st January 2021 and completed on 30th July 2021. It was implemented in the land owned by Smt Sengme Marak. It has benefitted to the households ofS engmegittim, who had faced drinking water issues previously but now according to the sources, about 8 households are using water from this spring chamber.
Sombalin Chimik Spring Chamber
This spring chamber was constructed on 5th Nov 2019 and completed on 26th February 2020 at Sombalin Chiga and total Rs. 1, 17,860 was estimated to construct this spring chamber. It was constructed in the land owned by Smt. Sombalin M Marak and about 5 households have benefitted from this spring chamber. They are utilizing water for drinking, domestic and irrigation purposes. As per the Environment Management data, the benefitted area of this spring chamber is about 10.00 Ha.
Benefits
The benefits that the communities have received from these spring chambers are so drastic that their problems in getting good and clean drinking water facilities to be able to use it for domestic purposes have made it very convenient to use. When asked about their opinions about CLLMP, they say that they have seen the changes only after these activities were implemented.
Upon further conversation with the community, they intimated that they are very happy and satisfied with CLLMP and they are ready to take up more NRM activities in the future. “We are grateful for what we have achieved so far”. One of the VNRMC members added.
Future Plan
The community is planning to grow more trees and conserve water for the future generation as they have learnt to protect the Natural Resources. According to the sources, the community is planning to plant trees at Prayer Tower ChulA’bri and they will continue to grow water retention plants near the catchment areas.
Conclusion
While gathering more information and conversing with the community, it can be learnt that the community wants to implement few more spring chambers in the village. With that they are looking to add proposal to make canals for irrigation as well. Besides that , it is also can be known that the VNRMC will be taking care of CLLMP implemented activities and will continue to work together to uplift their village. As they have understood how NRM activities has helped them in their hard times.
