Revitalization of Rivers in India Draft Policy - Isha Guru Jaggi Vasudev

Revitalization of Rivers In India
Draft Policy Recommendation
PEOPLE’S PARTICIPATION AND OWNERSHIP
Participative planning along with Gram Panchayats and Urban
Local Bodies: With the Constitutional mandates of the 73rd and 74th
Amendments, both Gram Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies are
respectively responsible for the overall wellbeing of the people and the
environment of their political jurisdiction. It has been observed that any
large-scale projects conducted with the participation of local government
bodies have been quite successful. PRIs and ULBs should be given the
mandate to facilitate community participation during the decision making
process regarding agro-forestry in the farm lands of the villagers. This
process can be strengthened with the support from agriculture universities,
forest departments and NGOs working in the region. A detailed note on
PRIs and their role in local self-governance, especially in agriculture and
watershed development, is provided in Annexure 10. A similar role can be
designated for PRIs in this agro-forestry model on riversides.
Even in the case of forestry in public land which could be reserve
forests or protected areas, it would be best to ensure the Individual
Forest Rights (IFR), community and Community Forest Resource (CFR)
rights of the communities dependent on the forest (prescribed under
Forest Right Act, 2006) are respected. These rights, granted for tribals
and other traditional communities that have been dependent on forests
for generations, are an attempt to renew and strengthen the humanforest
relationship that was strained by certain environment and forest
protection laws that were mooted by the British to serve their timber
requirements. The community forest rights allow these communities
to make use of specific kinds of non-timber forest produce. Hence, the
decision making about the types of trees to be planted in the public land
could happen after discussing the scientifically and economically viable
options with these communities. A note on forestry in community forest
land and in village common land, as well as relaxation of rules to harvest
forest produce in the national agroforestry policy (2014) is discussed in
Annexure 11.
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