State Of Wildlife And Protected Areas In Maharashtra
State of Wildlife and Protected Areas in Maharashtra5) Community Conserved Areas in MaharashtraNeema Pathak Broome with Sneha Gulgutia, Shruti Mokashi,Kavya Chowdhry, Sarosh Ali and Rupesh Patil1It is now globally recognised that indigenouspeoples (IP) and local communities (LC) havegoverned, used and conserved their territoriesfor millennia. Such territories and areas arerecognised to be amongst the richest andmost intact ecosystems, on land and sea2.Internationally, the diverse institutions andpractices of IPs and LCs contributing toconservation are referred to by the umbrellaterm ICCAs, which refers to Indigenousand Community Conserved Areas3. IUCNdescribes ICCAs as “natural and modifiedecosystems, including significant biodiversity,ecological services and cultural values,voluntarily conserved by indigenous andlocal communities through customary lawsor other effective means”4. These ICCAsinclude, among others, self-declared andstrictly protected wildlife conservation areas,collective management of livelihood andeconomic activities, affirmation of spiritualand culturalother aspectssystems andmanagementcommunities.values, customary law, andof sustainable socio-ecologicalintricate systems of resourceof nomadic and pastoralistConsequently, IP and LC territories and areasoften overlap with government designatedand managed protected areas5 with the latteralienating IPs and LCs and rarely takinginto account local systems of governance,management and conservation. Research isnow also indicating that local monitoring andcontrol over resources, certainly in some cases,leads to better conservation of biodiversity6.The Global Environment Outlook 5 report7also states that in the last two decades, whilethe global protected area (PA) numbersand coverage has gone up, biodiversity hasdeclined at population, species, ecosystem andgenetic levels. It recognizes lack of inclusive1Neema Pathak Broome and Sneha Gutgutia are researchers with Kalpavriksh Environment ActionGroup. Shruti Mokashi, Sarosh Ali, Kavya Chowdhry and Rupesh Patil have been interns withKalpavriksh. The chapter is based on reports, field notes and case studies conducted by Kalpavrikshas also on studies done by researchers outside Kalpavriksh who have been cited in the chapter.Corresponding author: Neema Pathak Broome; Email: neema.pb@gmail.com2Sobrevila, C. (2008), as cited in Kothari, A., with Corrigan, C., Jonas, H., Neumann, A., andShrumm, H. (Eds). (2012). Recognising and supporting territories and areas conserved by indigenous peoples andlocal communities: Global overview and national case studies. Technical Series No. 64. Montreal, Canada:Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, ICCA Consortium, Kalpavriksh, and NaturalJustice.3Source: http://www.iccaconsortium.org/4Dudley, N. (2008). Guidelines for applying protected area management categories. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.5Stevens, S., Pathak Broome, N. and Jaeger, T. with Aylwin, J., Azhdari, G., Bibaka, D., BorriniFeyerabend, G., Colchester, M., Dudley, N., Eghenter, C., Eleazar, F., Farvar, M. T., Frascaroli, F.,Govan, H., Hugu, S., Jonas, H., Kothari, A., Reyes, G., Singh, A. and Vaziri, L. (2016). Recognising andrespecting ICCAs overlapped by protected areas. ICCA Consortium.6Sheil, D., Boissière, M., and Beaudoin, G. (2015). Unseen sentinels: Local monitoring and control inconservation’s blind spots. Ecology and Society, 20 (2): 39.7UNEP. (2012). Global environment outlook GEO 5. Nairobi, Kenya: UNEP.194
State of Wildlife and Protected Areas in Maharashtraconservation governance as one of the majorreasons for this and recommends greaterrecognition of ICCAs to address this decline.Similarly, the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity2011–20, framed by Parties to the CBD atthe 10th Conference of Parties in 2010 placessignificant importance on recognition ofICCAs in reversing biodiversity loss acrossthe planet.Community Conserved Areas(CCAs) in IndiaIndia has a rich history and tradition ofconservation linked to the lifestyles andworldviews of the local tribal and non-tribalcommunities. Conservation processes at thesesites are intrinsically connected to local sociocultural, economic, ecological and politicalrealities. Sacred sites and species, considerablyreduced now, were once believed to bewidespread across India. Estimates suggestthere could still be 100,000 to 150,000 suchsites remaining, ranging from a small group oftrees to extensive landscapes8. Such areas arereferred to as Community Conserved Areas(CCAs) in the Indian context.An attempt was made in 2009 to documentsome CCAs in India9. This documentationincluded about 140 CCAs but pointed towardthis phenomenon being more widespread,with the presence perhaps of hundredsmore such initiatives covering a variety ofecosystems, including forests, marine andcoastal areas, wetlands, individual species andsacred landscapes. Subsequently, more detaileddocumentation was taken up in Nagaland10,Madhya Pradesh and Odisha11, indicating thatCCAs are set up and managed for a range ofobjectives and have different ecological andsocial contributions.CCAs in MaharashtraMaharashtra is biologically, geographically andculturally very diverse. Its bio-geographicalregions are linked and have co-evolved withdistinctive local cultures built around intricatetraditional knowledge systems, nature-centricworldviews and lifestyles. Much of the forestsincluded in the national parks and sanctuariesof the state are also traditionally home tosuch tribal and non-tribal communities. Overtime, however, some traditional systems havebroken down for various reasons, but manydo remain. State conservation programmeshave not taken into account the astoundingcultural diversity that exists in the state andits role and significance for conservation12.Indifference of the state toward sustainablelivelihood options such as pastoralism isleading to erosion of such ways of being.Both the biological diversity and associatedcultural diversity is under grave threat due toMaharashtra’s escalating development profilebased on rapid economic growth13. This hasled to displacement of local communities,destabilization of cultures and destruction oflarge stretches of forests, grasslands, rivers,freshwater inland wetlands, and coastal andmarine areas.8Malhotra, K. C., Gokhale, Y., Chatterjee, S., and Srivastava, S. (2007). Sacred Groves in India. AryanBooks International, New Delhi, and Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal, India.9Pathak, N. (Ed.). (2009). Community Conserved Areas in India: A Directory. Pune, India: Kalpavriksh.10TERI. (2015). Documentation of Community Conserved Areas in Nagaland. New Delhi, India: TERI.11UNDP. (2012). Community Conserved Areas in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh: A Directory. New Delhi, India:UNDP.12Pande, P., and Pathak, N. (2005). National Parks and Sanctuaries in Maharashtra: Individual profile andmanagement status (Vol. 2). Bombay Natural History Society.13Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board. (n.d.). Diversity in ecosystems of Maharashtra. Retrieved arashtra-at-a-glance/important-ecosystems/195
State of Wildlife and Protected Areas in MaharashtraIn this context it is important to understandCCAs in Maharashtra. In the absence of anyserious documentation of CCAs in the state,anecdotal accounts indicate a rich traditionof conservation of ecosystems and habitatby the local communities. These includeactive protection and conservation by settingaside stretches of forests and water bodies,sustainable management of forests and otherecosystems, or collective struggles againststrong commercial forces causing destructionof habitat and ecosystems. This articleattempts to highlight some such exampleswith the hope that detailed documentationwill be taken up before such sites are lost.Fish sanctuaries in Maharashtra14Not much is known about the fish sanctuariesin the state, which protect many indigenousand endangered species of fish. The term“sanctuary” here is not to be mistakenfor a legally designated sanctuary. Thesesanctuaries, referred to by different names indifferent areas, have no legal designation orrecognition, but are traditional practices ofpeople living around rivers to protect patchesof rivers and fish from exploitation.Tekpowale kund (tank) is located in Mangaonvillage near Pune, upstream of the Panshetreservoir, on a mountain stream calledKadkuna Nadi. Tekpowale villagers zealouslyprotect the mahaseer fish in it as they considerit sacred. The source of the stream is alsoconsidered sacred (devasthali). Strict regulationsare in place for protection of the devasthali, thekund and the fish. The kund is not used forany other purpose but as a source of drinkingwater, women are not allowed at the kund, andfishing is prohibited. The villagers considerthe kund to be the source of their life fromtime immemorial and discourage outsidevisitors to the kund. They are also reluctant toshare information about the kund and storiesof misfortune befalling those who ignore theregulations are plenty.Walen kund on River Kali in the Mahad regionof the Konkan is about 100 yards long and isflanked by a rocky gorge on top of which islocated the temple of Goddess Vardayini. Thekund houses many indigenous and endangeredspecies of fish like shindas, kolas and theDeccan mahaseer. As per legend, the depthof the pool is unfathomable and the generousofferings made to the temple were taken toa grand temple under water by the priest.Strict rules and regulations were followed.Construction of a major highway passing bythe kund has now made it easily accessible,bringing about socio-cultural changes anderoding many regulatory customs. The onlyone that remains today is the prohibition onfishing.These sanctuaries offer a glimpse of thetraditional ways of protecting rivers and theirinhabitants. Many such sites have, perhaps,been lost forever because of various damsbuilt over the state’s rivers while otherscontinue to face immediate danger fromroads, dams, and pollution. An immediateneed is documentation and recognitionwithout external impositions and interferencein local sentiments, norms and systems.Sacred groves in and aroundBhimashankar WLS15Sacred groves are stretches of foresttraditionally protected by local communitiesfor their religious or cultural significance.These sacred groves can range in size froma cluster of trees to hundreds of hectaresand are common in most parts of India16.14Ali, S. (2016, March 13). Fish sanctuaries in Western Ghats of Maharashtra. Retrieved from uaries-in-western-ghats-of-maharashtra/15Mokashi, S. (2016). Field notes collected during on-site research in Bhimashankar, Maharashtra.16Malhotra, K. C., et al. (2007). Sacred Groves in India. (see note 8).196
State of Wildlife and Protected Areas in MaharashtraThe sacred groves in the western part ofMaharashtra are called Devrai or Devrahatiwhereas in eastern Maharashtra, the Madiyatribe calls them Devgudi. Nearly 2820 sacredgroves have been documented in the state17.Bhimashankar WLS is located in the northernWestern Ghats in Pune and Thane districts.This 131 sq km sanctuary was officiallynotified in 198518 and includes about 14 sacredgroves19, including a large grove surroundinga Shiva temple, which is one of the twelveJyotirlingams in India. This grove is the originof River Bhima, an important river of theKrishna Valley. The Mahadev-Koli tribe and asmaller population of Katkaris and Dhangarsinhabit the sanctuary and its surroundingregion. Villages located in and around thesanctuary often have one or more sacredgroves dedicated to the local deity, called banor devacha ban (God’s forest). Most of thesegroves are between one and six hectares inarea. The most common deity is Vandev (forestgod), also known as Bhairavnath, Bhairobaor Kalbhairavnath. These groves are eithermanaged collectively, by a clan or a family inthe village.Many taboos and restrictions surround thesegroves. These include prohibition on treecutting and fuel wood collection, and oftenon livestock grazing as well. Fuel wood maybe collected from the grove during festivalsor ceremonies in the grove itself. Entry ofwomen in temples and groves is prohibitedin most cases. Religious ceremonies, offeringsand other cultural festivals take place inthese groves. In most sacred groves, theannual Jatra or Saptah is conducted duringthe month of March–April (Chaitra). Ritualsrelated to agricultural cycles such as duringpaddy transplantation and harvesting are alsoperformed as a symbol of gratitude to natureand deities. Despite their small size thesegroves support important local biodiversityand are often sources for local water bodies.Over the years, there have been numerouschanges in the groves in this area. Rudimentarytemples in most groves have given way toconcrete constructions. Some of the groveshave reduced in size while in others only theconcrete temple stands. People attribute thesechanges to the erosion of the belief system.Older people believe in the tradition of thegrove more than the younger generation.There is an urgent need to document andrecognize these groves while retainingcommunity control over them and initiatingdialogues with the community members onsocial, cultural and ecological value of thesegroves. Providing incentives could be oneway to encourage continuation of this ancienttradition.Community conservation inforest ecosystems and securityof tenureDescribed below are efforts of Mendha,Baripada, Nayakheda and Pachgaon villages,representing many similar villages in the state.Mendha and Baripada are iconic examples ofCCAs, quoted globally for their efforts at localdevelopment and biodiversity conservation.For long, both these villages conserved forestsused by them but owned by the government.The Scheduled Tribes and Other TraditionalForest Dwellers (Recognition of ForestRights) Act 2006 or the Forest Rights Act17C.P.R. Environment Education Centre, Chennai. Retrieved from http://www.cpreecenvis.nic.in/Database/Maharashtra 887.aspx on 8.8.201618Pande, P. and Pathak, N. (2005). National Parks and Sanctuaries in Maharashtra: Individual profile andmanagement status (Vol. 2). Bombay Natural History Society.19Ibid197
State of Wildlife and Protected Areas in Maharashtra(FRA) provided them an opportunity to gainlegal security to their access and governancerights over these forests. Panchgaon andNayakheda in Amravati and Chandrapurdistricts, respectively, started conservationefforts after their legal rights over surroundingforests were recognised under the FRA. Thus,community empowerment and biodiversityconservation here are a direct outcome oflegal recognition of collective rights.Case study of Mendha Lekha,Gadchiroli20, 21Mendha-Lekha, located in Gadchiroli district,is home to 400 people, all belonging to theGond tribe. On 15 August 2011, Mendha’slegal rights and responsibilities to use,manage and conserve the 1,800 ha of forestsfalling within its customary boundary wererecognized as community forest resource(CFR) under the FRA.However, the struggle of the village towardsself-determination and protection of itsforests had already started in the late 1970swhile resisting a hydroelectric project in theregion. The project was cancelled in 1985but the resistance transformed into a strongmovement toward self-rule based on tribalcultural identity and control over traditionallands and resources. Subsequent internaldiscussions led to decisions toward selfempowerment and self-determination leadingto social, cultural and environmental changes.The hallmark of Mendha’s success lies in itslocal institutions and the principles with whichthey function. The gram sabha, represented byall adult women and men, is the main decisionmaking body in the village. Decisions taken byconsensus and in a transparent manner areimplemented through oral yet strong socialrules.All government and non-government activitiesin the village can only be carried out afterpermission from the gram sabha, which isitself supported by a number of other villageinstitutions. Amongst the most significantactions taken by the village in recent timeshas been declaring all village land (communityor privately owned) as village owned underthe Gramdaan Act of Maharashtra. Theintention is to prevent land alienation underdistress. A comprehensive forest managementstrategy was developed including need-basedextraction and sale of forest produce suchas bamboo, establishment of no-go zonesfor wildlife protection and drafting a villagebiodiversity register.Village development and forest managementactivities are linked to the Mahatma GandhiNational Rural Employment GuaranteeAct (MNREGA) so that all villagers haveemployment throughout the year, ensuringzero distress out-migration. Through theseinstitutions and systems the village has beenable to ensure effective village and forestgovernance leading to security of livelihoods,financial security, food security, securedaccess to natural resources, and cultural andecological security.Baripada, Dhule22, 23Baripada village, located in Sakri Block ofDhule district, is inhabited by 100 households20Pathak, N. and Gour-Broome, V. (2001). Tribal self-rule and natural resource management: Communitybased conservation at Mendha-Lekha, Maharashtra, India. Kalpavriksh, Pune, and India and InternationalInstitute for Environment and Development, London.21Ajit S. and Pathak Broome, N. (2016). Field notes collected during on-site research in Gadchiroli,Maharashtra.22Chowdhary, K. (2016). Field notes collected during on-site research in Dhule, Maharashtra.23Shukla, S. (2009). Baripada village, Dhule. In Pathak, N. (Ed.). Community Conserved Areas in India: ADirectory (pp. 389-391). Pune, India: Kalpavriksh.198
State of Wildlife and Protected Areas in Maharashtraof the Kokna tribe. Spread over 300 ha, thevillage is surrounded by 482 ha of forest.Protected by the people for last 25 years, theforest supports rich and diverse vegetationand wildlife.By 1990 the forest around Baripada haddegraded due to illegal felling and exploitationof forest resources by people of Baripadaand the surrounding villages. Extractionand sale of timber was the only livelihoodoption available in this poverty-ridden area.With forests turning barren the ground waterstarted depleting. Between the late 1980s andearly 1990s, one third of the wells in the villagehad dried up and people had to sometimeswalk up to four kilometres to get drinkingwater. The meagre livelihood options includedsubsistence agriculture, manual labourand extraction and sale of forest produce.Livelihoods related distress out-migration wascommon.Under the guidance and leadership ofChairtram Pawar (who came back to thevillage from Pune to become the sarpanchafter completing his education), the villagersrealized that their well-being was directlydependent on the well-being of the forest.They formulated rules to protect the forestand improve the social condition of thevillage. This included a ban on commercialfirewood extraction, vehicles entering theforest, unregulated grazing, and brewing andconsumption of all kinds of alcohol. Localforest guards were appointed, education forall children was made compulsory, and fineswere imposed for breaking the rules. Throughshramdaan (voluntary labour) and previousknowledge of water conservation, the villagersbuilt small check dams to hold rainwater andprevent soil erosion.Since 1991, Baripada has undergone a hugetransformation. The village, which was once24water-deficient, now meets all its annual needsand benefits many villages downstream. Peoplecultivate a diversity of crops throughout theyear. Wildlife populations have revived andthis is now being monitored by students fromlocal colleges. Baridapa’s legal rights over theirforests under the FRA were recognised in2016.Nayakheda village in Amravati24Located in Paratwada Block of Amravatidistrict, Nayakheda village, like other forestarea
State of Wildlife and Protected Areas in Maharashtra 197 The sacred groves in the western part of Maharashtra are called Devrai or Devrahati whereas in eastern Maharashtra, the Madiya tribe calls them Devgudi. Nearly 2820 sacred groves have been documented in
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