Project Detail

Community led conservation of forests by reducing pressures through protection, plantation and alternative livelihoods.

Kurseong Disha aims at improving the living condition of local people through sustainable development and conservation of local environment through active participation of the community. The targeted areas are landslide prone, thus project will address the issue by organizing mass afforestation programme involving the local communities and students which will arrest land slide, promote biodiversity and green, pollution free environment. The illiterate farmers/people will be empowered by awareness workshop and training.
The focal point of this project is to replenish the degraded land by conservation of biodiversity and sustainable forest cover. The project will also address the problem of solid waste through Silo Method of Omni composting and the farmers will have compost in large scale. Students, village communities will be trained on how to maintain the silo by segregating degradable & non-degradable waste. Plantation and agro biodiversity will be promoted and propagated. Awareness workshops about initiating SMVG (Square Meter Vegetable Garden) and use of organic compost instead of chemical fertilizers. Students, local people including farmers will have active participation. There will also be training in income generating programmes like candle making, surf making, marmalade, jam, pickle making and bamboo crafts.

Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Kurseong DISHA

Country:

India

Area Of Work:

Climate Change Mitigation

Operational Phase:

OP5-Y3 (Jul 13 - Jun 14)

Grant Amount:

US$ 31,959.09

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 21,591.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 869.00

Project Number:

IND/SGP/OP5/Y3/STAR/2013/34/WB01

Start Date:

2/2014

End Date:

7/2017

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

Experts will give demonstration to prepare bio fertilizers like Panchagavya, Amrit Pani Etc. Awareness workshop and seminars will be organized with the help of Forest department, Paryavaran Mitra (Kolkata) and Agricultural department (Kurseong). Herbal Garden will be established. 3 days workshop will be conducted for the community members, students and staff of various schools. ?Skit and Quiz competition? will be organized to create awareness on importance of biodiversity conservation and impact of daily activities on climate change and environment.

Notable Community Participation

Farmers (including youth) and students will be responsible for waste management reducing the green house gas emission leading to global warming while enhancing people?s quality of life.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

Lepchas (tribal) of the area will be trained so that they can revive their traditional practices and also will create tribal artisans to enhance their means of livelihood.

Gender Focus

Local community including women will be directly involved in implementing the project (50% participation will be from women in all the activities). Square meter vegetable garden will be produced thus giving an opportunity for local people especially women to generate income from the sale of these products. Cluster (comprising 40 SHGs) will be formed to identify the market / source of good quality seeds for vegetables such as Brocoli, Radish, Dwarf beans, Cabbage, Spinach and other suitable vegetables for this region. Garlic cultivation will be done as it as a good market and price in the region. From each village 2-3 people will be given the responsibility in monitoring the activities of the project. Local community will be responsible for gathering and preparing locally available raw materials from SMVG, compost making, sheds for forest nursery, bamboos for bamboo craft training etc.

Policy Impact

The NGO has networking with other governmental and non-governmental organization which is an indicator of achievement i.e. Panchayat, BDO?s office, Haden Hall, Forest Department and Agriculture department. Linking with different institution will enhance awareness at local level.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

The project activities/progress will be documented in the form of Photographs.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The project aims at Community Conservation of Forests by Reducing Pressures through Protection, Plantations and Alternative Livelihoods. Project will lead to environmental conservation and improving living conditions of the people and also enable them to save money. Every household will be uplifted economically as they are trained in income generation programme. They can sell organic compost and get good income. Reduction in emission of GHGs by solid waste and clean surrounding thus improving the health of the community.

Capacity - Building Component

Training programs will be conducted in hand craft like knitting bags, and warm clothes. Training will be initiated in bamboo craft and soft toy making. Exposure visits will be organized for the farmers to give them a chance to interact with likeminded farmers and can exchange their views and experiences. Training in mushroom farming, marmalade preparation with seasonable fruit and pickle preparation and training in biscuit and bread baking, candle making and surf preparation will be done. 3-4 representatives (farmers) will be selected from newly explored village and will be taken on a study tour to Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Jharkhand) or Kalimpong (Darjeeling) in 2 batches (16 farmers each to enhance their capacity to produce their own vegetable and other agriculture products.

Project Results

Under this project 3500 people directly participated in the project activities. 36 SHGs are formed and more than 35000 indigenous people are supported because of the project being operated in vast area. 234 drop out and unemployed youths got job in different star hotel and hospitals. One member from each families joined either in poly house demo, collecting bamboos, preparing beds for veg-seeds, carrying and collecting tree guards, training in mushroom farming, Preparation of smokeless stove, training in Sarala cook stove, SMVG bed preparation, camps conducted for promoting solar energy, tree plantation, training in compost preparation especially vermi-compost. Various capacity building sessions were conducted on mushroom cultivation, raising of tree nursery, establishment of herbal garden, promotion of solar energy square meter.
* 2 groups established herbal garden where mainly Aloevera,Titey Pateey, Vanmara, Pakhan bet and Hajar dana are planted. 6800 saplings from different nurseries in upper Mamring and Forest department in 170 hactares. Saplings planted at Lower Toryok were spoiled by landslide.
* 65 house holds have installed solar Home lighting systems and 60 smokeless stove constructed reducing approx 306 MT of CO2 emission. Demo of Solar Home lighting system was conducted during training programmes in collaboration with ?ONERGY? Company.

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