COMMUNITY LED LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT PROJECT (CLLMP)

The Government of Meghalaya with financial help from the World Bank is implementing the Meghalaya Community Led Landscape Management Project (MCLLMP). The project covers the entire state of Meghalaya, and implementation of community-led plans are rolled out in a phased manner throughout the state. The Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA) will facilitate community-led planning by providing support, technical inputs and funding.

The project is intended to strengthen community-led natural resources management in selected landscapes within the 11 districts of the state. This would be achieved through a variety of planning, capacity building, and on-the-ground interventions to promote the conservation, sustainable use of natural resources, social inclusion and community mobilization; building traditional knowledge and learning, mapping of natural resources management; strengthening the community institutions and creating linkage with financial institutions and community organizations.

The project interventions will include preparation of community led natural resource management plans. The CLLMP has the following three components:

1. Strengthening Knowledge and Capacity of Communities for Natural Resources Management

2. Community-Led Landscape Planning and Implementation

3. Project Management and Governance

The project objective is “to manage and conserve the natural resources, especially forests, soil and water sources, in a manner that supports the financial and physical well-being of communities in the State”

INTRODUCTION

Darong Adu is situated in the plain area with the total population of about 1058 with 131 Households. As per the record, the village was established in the year 1890 having Garo community. The total geographical area of the village is around 342.47 Ha with 3.4247sq.Km

The village is located 24 km away from the block office and 52 km from the district headquarter Office. The village is towards the outskirts of Tura town area where plying to and fro from the village is quite time consuming. The transportation facilities of the village are bus and sumo. Also there are people who prefer to travel by their private vehicles.

SOCIAL PROFILE

The Village is about 24 Km away from Dalu Block and 52 km away from district headquarter Tura. The public transport facilities to and from village is in public transport, maxi cab and private vehicle. In respect to the Social Mobilization, it wasn’t that difficult to handle the community of this village as they are active and hardworking. Despite of very less facilities available, the community are very keen towards achieving the aims and objectives of CLLMP.

Fuel /LPG /biomass/gas most of the households are using Woods and very less access to LPG. The community has few facilities such as education, safe drinking water supply, road and access to medical facilities. The village is under Head of village (Nokma). Whereas 146 HH are uses woods and 98 HH are uses LPG in the community.

Darong Adu village has total no of 131 households with the total population of 1058. Out of which 521 are male and 537 are female.

The following is the demographic break up information acquired by the CLLMP team of WGH district.

The community of Darong Adu are into farming that includes agriculture and multi cropping. Arecanut is one of the most grown cash crops followed by black pepper, banana, pineapple etc. Till date, there are 23 HH are farmers, 51 HH are Labourer, 29 HH are Business and 28 HH into government service.

ACTIVITIES

GROUND TRUTHING AND SENSITIZATION PROGRAMME

Ground truthing and sensitization programme was held on 28th Dec 2018. The district team, M&E and Environment Management visited the village.

During the programme the community were sensitized on the objectives of the project and its activities under the project. During the same day, there was a discussion causes related to the degradation of land and the sources of water supply in the village.

Also there was a brief explanation on the formation of VNRMC, Village facilitators, opening of bank accounts and the preparation of plans and interventions. There were around 28 participants attended the programme including village elders, headmen, VEC secretary.

CASE FINDINGS / CHALLENGES

There is Community land in the village.

Water Scarcity is the main issue in the village.

Drinking water source is springs/ring well, some ground water contains iron

Low soil fertility.

According to the community, there is no degraded land.

The village grows Areca nut, Cashew nut and black pepper with few households having rubber plantation.

PRA EXERCISE AND CNRM PLAN PREPARATION

The District team of West Garo Hills conducted PRA and CNRM plan at Darong Adu Village on the 28th Feb 2019, Dalu Block, and WGH.

The exercises were conducted by the district team Social, Environment, M&E. The Team informed the community that PRA exercise is to understand and locate the natural resources of the village and plan the activities according to their need. The community had an exercise to plan and draw resource and social map on the same day.

In the exercise of CNRM plan preparation, the community were asked to prioritized the plan /activities and submit the plan to DPMU for 5 years. The exercises were done in the presence of village headmen, VNRMCs and Village facilitators. There were around 43 participants for the programme.

SIGNING OF DOCUMENTS

As an acceptance and agreement to the project, every member of the village households had to sign green charter on 15th Jan, 2019 and submitted the Village agreement and Expression of Interest to DPMU.

FORMATION OF THE VNRMC

On 17th Jan, 2019 after the ground survey and sensitization programme, the village signed the EOI, VGA and Green charter as a sign of accepting the project. Whereas in regards, to the selection of Village Natural Resource Management Committee(VNRMC) members the Village Executive Committee (VEC) along with entire community carried out the process of selecting 15 chosen members such as 9 Executive members, 3 Purchase committee and 3 Village Community Facilitator .

LISTED BELOW ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE VNRMC

Sl No	Name in Full	Gender M/F	Age (in Yrs)	Education	Designation	Occupation	Community	Contact No and email address
1	Kremison Shira	Male	Class 9	EC Member	EC Member	Secretary	Garo
2	Bichard Sangma	Male	Class 4	EC Member	EC Member	Farmer	Garo
3	Bright Marak	Male	Class 9	EC Member	EC Member	Farmer	Garo
4	Jeckman Marak	Male	Class 9	EC Member	EC Member	Farmer	Garo
5	Salseng Arengh	Male	Class 9	Chairman	Chairman	Farmer	Garo	9366877756
6	Mrenalin Arengh	Female	Class 9	Secretary	Secretary	Housewife	Garo	8974489653
7	Silme Shira	Female	Class9	EC Member	EC Member	Farmer	Garo	8787396289
8	Perina Sangma	Female	Class 9	EC Member	EC Member	Housewife	Garo
9	Maiabi Marak	Female	Class 9	EC Member	EC Member	Farmer	Garo

VILLAGE COMMUNITY FACILITATORS (VCF)

Sl No	Name in Full	Gender M/F	Age (Yrs)	Education	Area of specialisation/ focus (forests, water, soil, accounts, environmental and social safeguards, knowledge management, GIS)	Trained under CLLMP (Yes/ No?) if Yes, date training was received	Contact No and email address
1	Junias Marak	M	29	Class 10	M&E	yes	8787824492
2	Preditha Shira	F	25	B.A	Social & Knowledge Management	yes	8974511032
3	Bright Marak	M	35	Class 9	NRM & GIS	yes	6009967022

PLAN ESTIMATE

The DPMU of WGH made an inspection to the proposed intervention sites soon after the CNRM plan preparation gets over.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

Sl No	Implemented Activities	Name of Site	Status
1.	18 Days Hot Composting	Roadside near nursery	Completed
2.	Spring Chamber	Kakajora	Completed
3.	Spring Chamber	Grazing Field	Completed
4.	CC Check Dam	Wakmedamgre	Completed
5.	Community Nursery	Roadside	Completed
6.	Spring Chamber	Ading Gittim	Completed
7.	Dug Out Pond	Propilla Gittim	Completed
8.	Plantation	Darong Adu Reserve	Completed
9.	Trenches (Additional)	Boldak Chimik	Completed
10.	Spring Chamber (Additional)	Boldak Chimik	Completed
11.	Permanent Community Nursery (Balance fund)	Grazing Field	Ongoing

FUND STATUS

1	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	18 Days Hot Composting	Roadside near nursery	Elevation 36m N 25.30963 E 090.00805	Rs.33,000	Completed

2	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Spring Chamber	Kakajora	Elevation 36m N 25.30963 E 090.00805	Rs.4,42,000	Completed

3	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Spring Chamber	Grazing Field	Elevation 33m N 25.31552E 090.00817	Rs.4,42,000	Completed

4	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	CC Check Dam	Wakmedamgre	Elevation 44m N 25.31678 E 090.00882	Rs.3,50,000	Completed

5	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Community Nursery	Roadside	Elevation 77m N 25.31017 E 090.00454	Rs.1,23,000	Completed

6	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Spring Chamber	Ading Gittim	Elevation 51m N 25.31076 E 90.00907	Rs.4,42,000	Completed

7	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Dug Out Pond	Propilla Gittim	Elevation 34m N 25.30673 E 090.00760	Rs.1,42,000	Completed

8	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Plantation	Darong Adu Reserve	Elevation 41m N 25.31732E 090.00900	Rs. 1,81,000	Completed

After

9	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Trenches (Additional)	Boldak Chimik	Elevation 84m N 25.32112 E 90.01534	Rs. 36,000	Completed

10	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Spring Chamber (Additional)	Boldak Chimik	Elevation 64m N 25.32120 E 90.01568	Rs.464,000	Completed

11	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Permanent Community Nursery (Balance fund)	Grazing Field	Elevation 42m N 25.3184E 9 0.00384	Rs.300,000	On-going

TESTIMONY FROM THE FIELD

Shri. Salseng Arengh from Darong Adu VNRMC Chairman stated in his testimony, He said that because of this project implemented in his community they are getting benefits for drinking, irrigation, and domestic and for various purposes. Kakajora spring chamber is highest benefitted for them in utilizing of water for community. During like gathering, funeral or wedding services communities face difficulties while utilizing the water but as of now they get water easily for used.

On behalf of community VNRMC Chairman thankful for the CLLM project (Community Led Landscape Management Project) for implementing and solving the problems of communities.

Miss Preditha D Shiras SM/KM VCF from Darong Adu village she worked as VCF for 5 years in CLLM Project. She gratefully said that as a VCF (Village Community Facilitator) she got lots of knowledge from project when she went for excursion to Tezpur Assam Green Hub their she get training of how to take pictures or in what types of angle we should take pictures and many more. Besides working as VCF we get chance in different project to work and also she gets chance to work in PES. She also said that as a VCF she request community to attend the meeting and participate in various programmes.