Moodubelle: Saplings distributed by Belle GP for Social Forestry

By Eugene Moodubelle
Pictures by Anil Alva
Bellevision Media Network

Moodubellle, 14 July 2010:  As in previous years, the Belle Grama Panchayat distributed 1,800 saplings on Tuesday, 13th July and 2000 on Wednesday, 14th July 2010 to the villagers and educational institutions. On Tuesday, the programme of distribution of saplings to the needy villagers was conducted by Mrs. Jacintha Aranha, President of the Belle GP, Mr. Gilbert D’Souza and Mr. Shivram Salian, members of the Panchayat. The saplings were those of cashew, teakwood, akesha and others.

Every year, the government makes it a point to distribute saplings through the grama panchayats to the farmers and other land-holder in order to promote social forestry. The term Social Forestry was used by the National Commission on Agriculture in 1976, to denote tree raising programmes to supply fire wood, small timber and minor forest products to rural population. Social Forestry is a community involvement project. Besides meeting the day to day needs of the rural community, Social Forestry also helps in conserving soil and moisture and maintaining ecological balance.

Social Forestry undertakes raising of gardens in school premises, hospitals and government institution premises and also in lands of rural areas. It also aims at raising nurseries through schools and decentralised nurseries. The project is implemented through district sector programmes and central sponsored schemes