Community dependence survey, floral sampling done for proposed biodiversity park in Sohna

The district administration’s Gurujal Society — which is responsible for implementing the mandate of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan in Gurugram — has completed its floral

The district administration’s Gurujal Society — which is responsible for implementing the mandate of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan in Gurugram — has completed its floral sampling and community dependence surveys in Damdama and Kherla villages of Sohna block, where a biodiversity park is proposed to come up. A detailed project report (DPR) for the same is expected to be ready by March 2021, officials said on Tuesday.

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Gurujal’s proposal aims at reviving a native Aravalli forest on approximately 400 acres of hilly land over the next five years, with plantation work progressing on 50 to 100-acre plots. Preliminary socio-economic and ecological assessments of the area have been completed, as have drone reconnaissance surveys to help in demarcating the park’s boundaries.

Gurujal found that the area houses an unspecified leopard population, evidenced by pug marks and droppings found on field visits. As part of the survey, the park has also been divided into 50-acre segments, with vegetation surveys carried out in each. “This gives us a granular picture of where invasive species are present, and where new native species need to be planted. We have already identified a nursery site to cultivate saplings and administrative approvals for nursery development have been completed,” said Shubhi Kesarwani, programme director, Gurujal.

The project area, according to ecologist Sunil Harsana, has a richer presence of native rootstock than other Aravalli patches in Gurugram, such as Bandhwari, which have been denuded due to mining and real estate. While invasive species, such as mesquite trees, are also prevalent in the Damdama-Khedla patch, the vegetation is not as denuded, Harsana explained, adding that the biotic pressures on this forest are mainly from grazing and collecting of wood, which is far more manageable than rampant encroachment.

The dependency survey found that the residents of Damdama and Kherla villages are highly reliant on the forest for natural resources, particularly for fuelwood. A report prepared by Gurujal states, “Overexploitation of forest resources continues to pose a severe threat... to the forest area of Damdama and Khedla villages.” The current population of both villages was found to be about 10,000 people, across 2,000-odd households.

The dependency survey, which studied a sample size of 958 households, found that each household’s level dependence on forest resources depends on the size of the family, the median age of the family, their level of formal education, and their proximity to the forest.

“Since forest activities are labour-intensive and require more workforce, it is largely larger families that are more dependent on forest and in both the villages, women are the ones who are visiting the area more for the collection of fuelwood. Households with large families have a higher demand for forest resources, and they have more human resources to meet this demand,” states Gurujal’s survey report.

The survey also revealed an inverse relationship between the level of formal education of a household and its dependence on the forest. “Education creates alternate sources of employment, so educated people are less dependant on forest resources as higher education creates better sources of employment and other future opportunities. Hence, it diverts livelihoods to diverse fields from extracting forest resources so, there is an inverse relationship between education and forest dependency in both the villages,” Gurujal observed.

It was also found that families with larger landholdings were less dependent on forest produce, since they had access to alternative means of livelihood other than agriculture and cattle grazing. Meanwhile, households with smaller landholdings were present in closer proximity to the forest, and use it to graze a range of livestock, from goats to cows, buffalo, bulls, camels and horses. “Villagers visit the forest area majorly for collection of fuelwood, grazing animals and to visit temples... Grazing and feeding livestock is dependent on forest resources, and it causes ecological pressure on the environment,” the survey report states.

“We have to design the DPR keeping the interests of these people in mind. Otherwise, they may resist the development of the park. For example, since most foraging happens for firewood, we will have to redouble our efforts at implementing the Centre’s Ujjwala scheme in the area so that people have fuel to cook with. Our final project report will suggest more such measures so that community dependence on forest resources is made sustainable,” said Kesarwani.