Protected Area Network in Orissa - Vasundhara

Bamboo and bamboo related product constitute a key source of income for threecommunities namely the Turi, Dom and Kondh. Of these the first two belong to theSchedule Caste and the latter one to the Schedule Tribe and are settled in Sarada,Sodo, Badrama, Kulundi Panchayats coming inside the sanctuary area. Close on thehill of bamboo nationalisation and more particularly after 1999 forest departmentofficials intensified their assault on these people thriving on finished product frombamboo. It is alleged that they not only try to nab and stop people from cuttingbamboo but also demand bribe for their lifting. Worst still happen when people takethe commodity for selling to the local market. The employees of the forest departmentharass the people on the ground that their produce has been made out of the bambooof the sanctuary area. In reaction to the official harassment people took to the streetprotesting their highhandedness in 1994. Sensing people’s mood the then BamaraDFO agreed to allow the people to collect bamboo on humanitarian ground. Hehowever made it cleared that he couldn't issue any official order to that effect and hissuggestion to be treated as purely personal and unofficial. This in it self suggests theadhoc nature of the solution and resumption of restriction could take place 'at will'.The situation in mahua collection is equally very distressing and the worst casualty ofrestriction is Sarada Panchayat. People who were hitherto, collecting mahua from thesanctuary area are now barred from the same since 2003.Collections of Sal seeds have also drastically gone down in the area as a result of thestepped up vigil by the forest department. The year 2003 witnessed a bumper crop ofSal seeds. Primary collector however faced a major problem of selling in 2003. Crisisprecipitated when Orissa Forest Development Corporation and Tribal DevelopmentCooperative Corporation both refused to purchase the commodity after a dead lineset by them. This was done notwithstanding the fact that huge quantities of theproduce were still lying unsold with the primary gatherers. Consequently peopleresorted to agitation and government finally agreed to procure the harvest after thesaid dead line. However payments still remain unpaid and OFDC owe a lot ofoutstanding dues to the primary gatherer. It is alleged that the middlemen involved inthe trade have siphoned payments of the people.35