1. 1 NATURAL REGENERATION OF COMMON LANDS - Mass Education, Anantapur, A.P.

2. 2 THE MAIN COMMON PROPERTY RESOURCES (CPRs) ARE… Revenue Poramboke Lands Reserved Forest Areas Tanks- Irrigation and Percolation Tanks Gram Panchayat lands

3. 3 LAND UTILISATION DISTRICT-WISE (Area in Hectares) –1987 THE TABLE SHOWS THE AVAILABILITY OF CPRs… Sl.No. District Forests Barren and uncultivable land Cultivable waste Permanent pastures and other grazing lands Land under misc, tree, crops and groves, not included in net area sown Land put to non- agricultural uses Current fallows Other fallow lands Net area sown Geographical area by village papers 1Kurnool3,45,33799,37492,5414,0752,02988,55985,5391,13,7039,28,87717,60,034 2Anantapur 1,96,7971,89,55385,99023,32620,8101,58,1781,66,3511,23,5169,48,97119,13,492 3Cuddapah 4,98,0142,55,32170,16622,81919,6361,53,3669,4801,10,9183,98,11815,37,838 4Chittoor 4,53,6791,69,12755,10645,84428,9411,37,37453,18872,3224,83,18914,98,770 TOTAL FOR RAYALA SEEMA REGION 14,93,8277,13,3753,03,80396,06471,4165,37,4773,14,5584,20,45927,59,15567,10,134 5Mahabubnagar 3,03,6311,16,41712,81845,9597,85497,6892,51,84252,4559,58,57618,47,241 6Prakasam 4,46,7681,31,3341,13,44872,12111,2521,23,2291,01,89369,6586,44,35917,14,062 Source: Andhra Pradesh Statistical Abstract 1987.

4. 4 STATEMENT SHOWING DISTRICT-WISE LIVE- STOCK CENSUS – 1983 THE TABLE SHOWS THAT MOR THAN A CRORE OF LIVE STOCKS ARE DEPENDING ON THE SO CALLED WASTE LANDS Sl No DistrictCattleBuffaloesSheepGoats Other live stock Total live stock 1Kurnool5,66,0354,06,1864,49,4893,13,20428,75617,63,670 2Anantapur6,78,1522,98,4217,54,7575,81,74841,57123,54,649 3Cuddapah2,87,6414,39,3214,88,3713,81,34519,26916,15,947 4Chittoor9,10,6222,26,9505,06,3914,29,43540,09321,13,491 TOTAL FOR RAYALASEEA REGION 24,42,45013,70,87821,99,00817,05,7321,29,68978,47,757 5Mahaboobnagar11,15,1013,20,3408,41,6112,80,59428,04025,85,686 6Prakasam2,61,0567,04,6506,02,6212,90,31750,10019,08,744 Source: Andhra Pradesh Statistical Abstract 1987.

5. 5 DISTRICT WISE NUMBER AND AREA IRRIGATED BY TANKS IN ANDHRA PRADESH (1998-99) Sl. No. DistrictTotal TanksArea (hectares) 1Srikakulam839974715 2Vijayanagaram974199394 3Visakapatnam247042045 4E.Godavary168641145 5W.Godavary189130134 6Krishna98339818 7Guntur2065884 8Prakasam91933199 9Nellore188893281 10Chittoor773461369 11Kadapa159916702 12Anantapuram173813638 Source: Crops and Season report 1998-1999, Directorate of Economics and statistics, Hyderabad.

6. 6 13Kurnool72617146 14Mahaboobnagar473124797 15Rangareddy19769455 16Hyderabad8101 17Medak604325275 18Nizamabad243230582 19Adilabad132422101 20Karimnagar541454850 21Warangal5069105342 22Khammam269660157 23Nalgonda393127085 TOTAL73604928215 Source: Crops and Season report 1998-1999, Directorate of Economics and statistics, Hyderabad.

7. 7 SOME IMPORTANT MINOR FOREST PRODUCES (MFPs) NORMALLY COLLECTED BY THE VILLGES COMMUNITIES PARTICULARLY THE RESOURCE POOR S. NoDifferent uses of MFPNames of Different MFPs Grass varieties:Fodder grass, Thatched Grass, Broom Grass Fruits VarietiesSeethaphal, Ber, Date-palm fruits, Palmyra fruits, NutsSoap nut (Seekaya), Ink nut (Karakkaya), Chilliginja (Cleansing nut) Leaf varietiesLeaf plate plant ( Moduga),Beedi leaves, Green manure leaves like pongamia, neem etc Fencing materials for the farmers:Different shrubs and bushes used as fencing material are available Fuel WoodDifferent kinds of plant materials used as fuel wood material are available Small timber for agriculture implements Neem, Nalla thumma Construction material:Neem tree, Nallathumma etc Medicinal plantsHundreds varieties of marketable medicinal plants are available in the common lands Raw material available for the artisans Rope Making: Sisal fiber varieties to make the ropes, Basket Making: bamboo, date palm branches to make baskets Mat Making: Date palm and Palmyra leaves for making the mats. Other marketable MFPsGum Honey

8. 8 THE USER / DEPENDANT GROUPS ON MFPs AVAILABLE IN THE COMMON PROPERTY RESOURCES.  SHEEP REARERS  CATTLE REARERS  ARTISANS LIKE ROPE MAKERS,  BASKET MAKERS, MAT MAKERS Etc.  POOR WOMEN  LAND LESS LABOURERS  FARMERS  MFP COLLECTORS  FISHING COMMUNITY  FISHERMEN  HEAD LODERS

9. 9 CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO STRENTHEN THE LIVELIHOODS OF THE RURAL POOR 1. CONSEVATION OF CPRs: Motivation, Sensitization and Organisation of the dependant communities to conserve the CPRs so that the availability of the CPRs is enhanced. 2. ENSURING STAKES (USUFRUCT RIGHTS) AND BENEFITS FOR THE VULNERABLE GROUPS: Assisting the resource poor to avail Usufruct Rights over custard apple and other MFPs 3. TREE PATTAS: Assisting the resource less poor women and the laborers to available tree pattas on the tree existing in the CPRs 4. TANK FARMERS / USERS ASSOCIATIONS. Organisation of the Tank Farmers / Users Associations for the sustainable and effective management of the Panchayat Raj tanks.

10. 10 5. FISHING RIGHTS: Fishing Rights for the poor women and landless poor 6. TANK BED CULTIVATION Take advantage of the residual moisture in the tank bed and promote tank bed cultivation by the vulnerable groups. 8. LOBBYING AND ADVOCACY There is a need to lobby with the government on many issues related to the usufruct rights for the vulnerable groups. 7. TO DEVELOP LEGAL FRME WORK ONe CPRs To ensure the rights of the vulnerable groups over CPRs there is a need to develop a legal frame work on the line so JFM or CFM

11. 11 NATURAL REGENERATION COMMON LANDS AREAS SUITABLE TO PROMOTE NATURAL REGENERATION: HILLY REGIONS PREFERABLY WITH ROOT STALK. LOW LAYING AREAS PARTICULARLY THE BANKS OF STREAMS, RIVERS AND VALLIES. DATE PALM, PALMYRA ETC., TREES GROW NATURALLY IN THESE LOCATIONS. FORE SHORES AND CATCHMENT AREAS OF TANKS. NALLA THUMMA GROWS WELL IN TANK FORE SHORE AREAS.

12. 12 CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF VILLAGES TO PROMOTE NATURAL REGENERATION : 1.The villages adjacent to and around the big chunk of revenue poramboke common lands particularly (hilly regions). 2.The villages having homogeneous community. 3.Small and remote villages. 4.The villages without factional conflicts. 5.Tribal villages. 6.Watershed and JFM villages.

13. 13 CONSTRAINTS IN PROMOTING NATURAL REGENERATION: 1.FOREST FIRES. 2.UNCONTROLLED GRAZING. 3.UNREGULATED HACKING OF TREES. 4.DELAY IN OBTAINING RIGHTS OVER PROTECTED AREAS. 5.LONG GESTATION PERIOD. 6.CONTRADICTORY INTERESTS OF DIFFERENT USER GROUPS.

14. 14 STEPS SUGGESTED TO PROMOTE NATURAL REGENERATION: 1. COMMUNITY CONTACT DRIVE THROUGH AWARENESS CAMPS SUCH AS MEETINGS WITH THE DIFFERENT USER GROUPS, PADAYATRAS, CULTURAL PROGRAMMES ETC. 2. STUDY EXPOSURE VISIT TO THE SUCCESSFUL NATURAL REGENERATION VILLAGES. 3. BENCH MARK SURVEY AND LINE RESOURCE INVENTORY. Trees, Bushes, Shrubs and grass varieties. Wild animals Birds 4.. SOCIO ECONOMIC PROFILE OF THE VILLAGE. - Details of population - Community wise - Occupation wise

15. 15 b.. Land resources - Govt. waste land - Private waste land - Common grazing land - Forest land - Agriculture land c. Crop pattern and Agricultural practices d. Water resources - Irrigation tanks - Percolation tanks - Check dams - Streams, Springs - Open wells - Bore wells e. Live stock details. - Small Ruminants - Cows and Buffaloes f.. Existing people’s Associations - Cooperatives - Unions - Thrift and Credit groups - Any other g. Details regarding natural resource user group communities. - Small Ruminant rearers - Cattle rearers - Head loaders - Coal, brick, lime and illicit liquor makers - Hunters - Forest produce collectors

16. 16 5.CONFLICT RESOLUTION BETWEEN DIFFERENT USER GROUPS 6.CLEARCUT DEMARCATION OF THE AREA TO BE PROTECTED, EXTENT AND SURVEY NUMBER ETC. 7.FORMATION OF PARYAVARANA PARIRAKSHANA SAMITIES WITH REPRESENTATION FOR ALL USER GROUPS. 8.VOLUNTARY VIGILENCE COMMITTEES. 9.MEMORANDUM TO THE REVENUE AUTHORITIES TO OBTAIN USUFRUCT RIGHTS OVER THE PROTECTED AREAS. 10.FORMATION OF ECO-CLUBS IN THE SCHOOLS. 11.LOCAL SEED BANKS. 12.FIRE PROTECTION THROUGH COMMUNITY ACTION. 13.SEED DIBBLING DURING THE RAINY SEASON BY INVOLVING LOCAL STUDENTS, YOUTH AND USER GROUPS. 14.PERIODICAL GET-TOGETHERS OF DIFFERENT PPSs AT INTER VILLAGE, MANDAL, DISTRICT LEVELS.

17. 17 GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO PROMOTE NATURAL REGENERATION OF COMMON LANDS:  EQUAL REPRESENTATION FOR ALL USER GROUPS.  SOCIAL FENCING  ROTATIONAL GRAZING/CLOSE DOWN THE PROTECTED AREA FOR CERTAIN PERIOD/CUT AND CARRY SYSTEM.  MOTIVATION OF THE NEIBOURING VILLAGES  MOBILISATION OF LOCAL FUNDS IN THE FORM OF CASH, FOOD GRAINS ETC.  PROMOTION OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY RESOURCES.  EQUITY OF USUFRUCTS

18. 18 ACTIVITIES SUGGESTED TO ACCELERATE THE NATURAL GROWTH IN COMMON LANDS  SOIL AND MOISTURE CONSERVATION  REVIVAL OF WATER HARVESTING STRUCTURES OR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW STRUCTURES.  SEED DIBBLING IN STRATEGIC LOCATIONS LIKE UNDER THE BUSHES AND SHRUBS NEAR BOULDERS, VALLIES.  FIRE CONTROL  BROADCASTING OF GRASS SEEDS

19. 19 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NATURAL REGENERATION AND AFFORESTATION AFFORESTATIONNATURAL REGENERATION COST INTENSIVE MODELLOW COST/NO COST MODEL SCOPE FOR PEOPLE’S PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED IT’S A PEOPLE – CENTRED ACTIVITY PROTECTED BY PAID WATCHERVOLUNTARY SOCIAL FENCING CANNOT PRESERVE BIO-DIVERSITYPRESERVES BIO-DIVERSITY EFFECTIVELY DISTURBS WILD LIFE HABITATIONSWILD LIFE - FRIENDLY. WILD LIFE GET ATTRACTED AND DEVELOPED FULFILS THE NEEDS OF OUTSIDERS PARTICULARLY INDUSTRIES. FULFILS THE BASIC NEEDS SUCH AS FODDER, FUEL, FRUITS, RAW MATERIALS ETC. SURVIVAL PERCENTAGE IS VERY LOW.SURVIVAL OF NATURALY GROWN TREES IS VERY HIGH. CANNOT EFFECTIVELY CONSERVE SOIL AND MOISTURE. SOILS AND WATER ARE EFFECTIVELY CONSERVED.

20. 20 Activities suggested to promote natural regeneration of the common lands (revenue common lands) and also to accelerate its growth. 1. Soil and moisture conservation activities like contour bunds, gully checks, staggered trenches etc. 2.Pitting work to take up plantation in the low lying areas in the next rain season 3. Seed dibbling. 4. Broadcasting of the grass seeds. 5. Pruning of the existing trees that are naturally growing in the common lands, 6. A trench around the selected common land to control the open grazing. 7

21. 21 District wide Awareness campaign through Padayatra – To Save Anantapur from Desertification Process (Photo: 1990)

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25. 25 Discussions on the need to restore the tanks in Kalyam-Hulikallu villages (Photo 1995)

26. 26 NATURAL REGENERATION HILLS

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29. 29 Acacia Nilotika (Nalla Thumma) in Kalyam - Hulikallu tank under the protection of village community

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31. 31 Natural growth of Nalla Thumma trees in Hulikallu Tank under the protection of the village community

32. 32 Acacia Nilotika (Nalla Thumma) Orchard in Hulikallu tank provides nutritious fodder to sheep and goats

33. 33 Jagganna Cheruvu after restoration in Hulikallu (Photo 2005)