Role of Van Panchayats in Uttarakhand

Role of Van Panchayats in Uttarakhand

Role of Van Panchayats in Uttarakhand, Uttarakhand has a long history of community-based forest management through Van Panchayats. Van Panchayats are village-level institutions managing forest resources, working under the broader framework of the state Forest Department. They play a crucial role in conservation and livelihood provision in the mountainous state.

Some key aspects regarding Van Panchayats in Uttarakhand:

History and Evolution

• Van Panchayats have their origins during the British colonial era. In the early 20th century, the British administration forcibly took control of all non-private lands, including forests used by mountain communities. This led to protests and unrest.
• In 1931, the Kumaon Grievances Committee set up the first “Kumaon Panchayat Forest Rules” enabling mountain communities to own and manage their own forests. This laid the foundations of the Van Panchayat system.
• The first government-approved Van Panchayat was formed in 1921 in Chamoli district.
• Over time, the rules governing Van Panchayats have been revised – in 1971, 1976, 2001, 2005 and the latest amendment in 2012. The 2012 amendment mandated 50% reservation for women in Van Panchayat executive positions.

Key Features

• Community ownership: While Van Panchayat forests are technically owned by the state Revenue Department, they are managed by elected local community institutions. The users have proprietorship rights and decision-making powers.
• Well-defined membership: Only residents of the village where the Van Panchayat is located are members. Outsiders cannot use forest resources without permission.
• Elected executive committee: Known as the ‘Van Panchayat Samiti’, they take decisions on forest management, use and conservation. The committee has 5-11 members headed by a Sarpanch.
• Women’s participation: After the 2012 amendment, at least 50% of Samiti members must be women. The Sarpanch’s position is reserved for women once every two consecutive terms.
• Technical guidance: Van Panchayats work under the overall technical guidance and advice of the state Forest Department. But day-to-day functioning is autonomous.
• Community rules: In addition to state laws, Van Panchayats formulate micro-plans and rules for forest conservation and equitable benefit-sharing attuned to local realities.

Geographical Spread

• Currently, there are over 12,000 Van Panchayats in Uttarakhand managing over 400,000 hectares of forest land.
• Most Van Panchayat forests have been carved out from civil forests previously under the Revenue Department. Their area ranges from less than a hectare to over 2,000 hectares.
• The districts with the most Van Panchayats are Almora (over 3,000), Pithoragarh (over 2,500), and Chamoli (over 1,800).

Key Functions

The main functions performed by Van Panchayats are:

• Protection: Prevent tree felling without permission, encroachment on forest lands, and violation of rules. Construct and maintain forest boundary pillars.
• Conservation: Regulate lopping and grazing, prevent fires, undertake plantations, soil conservation works. Prepare micro-plans balancing conservation and livelihood needs.
• Production: Organize harvesting of grass, timber, fuelwood etc. as sanctioned in micro-plans. Value-addition to produce. Market surplus produce to create revenue.
• Monitoring: Keep track of various works, funds utilization, encroachments etc. through records and physical inspection.
• Benefit-sharing: Ensure equitable distribution of forest produce among right-holders as per community rules.
• Dispute resolution: Resolve conflicts between community members over forest offences or distribution issues. Impose fines according to gravity of offence.
• Community development: Utilize surplus revenue for development works like drinking water, roads, or community infrastructure.

Strengths

Some key strengths of the Van Panchayat system are:

Conservation Outcomes

• Forest improvement: Compared to other community or state forests, Van Panchayats show superior conservation outcomes like density, cover and regeneration. Their condition ranges from moderate to very good.
• Reduced degradation: Local stewardship and proprietorship feelings curb overuse and free-riding. Van Panchayat forests are not “open access” unlike other community or civil forests.

Governance and Livelihoods

• Local self-governance: Van Panchayats serve as platforms for grassroots democracy, participation, and leadership. They empower mountain communities in decision-making regarding local forest commons.
• Livelihood support: Sustainable harvests of fodder, fuelwood and NTFPs from Van Panchayat forests provide subsistence income to thousands of poor households. Women are primary beneficiaries.
• Poverty alleviation: Revenues earned from surplus produce are used for community works, indirectly reducing poverty. Forests also serve as safety nets during crop failures or disasters.
• Women’s participation: The 50% reservation has increased women’s participation and leadership. This has positive impacts on conservation and community development.

Challenges

However, Van Panchayats also face some limitations and challenges:

• Inadequate devolution: Despite proprietorship feelings among communities, devolution of ownership rights over forests remains incomplete de jure. The state still holds control.
• Bureaucratic hurdles: Excess paperwork and prolonged processes for getting permissions discourages communities. Lack of autonomy hampers flexibility and timeliness of conservation initiatives.
• Elite capture: In some cases, elite groups dominate decision-making spaces leading to capture of benefits and marginalization of women or lower castes. Accountability suffers.
• Manpower and funds: Van Panchayats lack sufficient funds, staff or infrastructure support to effectively carry out all their functions over large areas. This affects monitoring and protection.
• Market linkages: Absence of remunerative market channels for value-added products limits the revenue generation potential. Surpluses remain under-utilized.

Recent Policy Changes

The Uttarakhand government has introduced some policy measures to strengthen Van Panchayats:

• In 2019, the state adopted a dedicated Van Panchayat Policy to provide further impetus. The policy aims to improve effectiveness through better resource allocation, decentralization, capacity building and convergence.
• Budgetary allocations to Van Panchayats have been enhanced over the past decade under various schemes. More funds are being routed for community-led conservation.
• Amendments have been made to rules governing the use of revenues from Van Panchayat forests. Now 50% of revenues have to be retained by Van Panchayats for local works.
• There is greater thrust on geo-tagging boundaries, developing micro-plans, ecosystem valuation and leveraging funds from compensatory afforestation.

Role of Van Panchayats in Uttarakhand

Role of Van Panchayats in Uttarakhand, Van Panchayats are unique participatory forest governance institutions rooted in Uttarakhand’s culture and geography. While not flawless, they have achieved substantial success in conservation outcomes, supporting local livelihoods and empowering mountain communities. Recent policy changes try to address some limitations regarding effectiveness and financial sustainability. If granted more autonomy and resources, Van Panchayats can drive decentralized community-led conservation at scale in the fragile Himalayas. Their model has immense potential for replication across the Indian Himalayan region.

FAQs:

What are van panchayats? 

Van panchayats are village councils in Uttarakhand that manage nearby forests.

How do van panchayats help protect forests?
Van panchayats involve local communities in protecting forests, ensuring sustainable use and preventing encroachment.

What is the role of van panchayats? 

Key roles are protecting forests, deciding usage rights, enforcing rules, resolving disputes, and community development.

How many van panchayats exist in Uttarakhand? 

There are over 12,000 van panchayats in Uttarakhand managing about 1 million hectares of forests.

Why are van panchayats important? 

Van panchayats enable decentralized, participatory forest management through community stewardship.