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 7 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

Okkapara Songgitcham Village is situated under the Gambegre C&RD block of West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya. The village is about 7 km from the Gambegre Block office and 20 km from the district Headquarter, Tura. The village is under the traditional land owner of A’king Nokma. The total population and the demographic of both male and female of the village is about 457 with 71 number of households.

The village can be reach through transportation Bus, public vehicle and private cars, with a very limited access to its time to ply. However, these days, many of the community travel to and fro in their private vehicles as well as in their motor bikes.

SOCIAL PROFILE

The Village is about 7Km away from Gambegre Block and 20km away from district headquarter Tura. The public transport facilities to and from village is in Autorikshaw transport, 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, community is very keen towards achieving the aims and objectives of CLLMP.

In regards to fuel /LPG /biomass/gas most of the households are using wood 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). About 64 households still uses woods for cooking whereas about 7 households use LPG.

Whereas on checking social profile, Okkapara Songgitcham village has total no of 71 households with the total population of 457.Out of which are 241 male and are 216 female. The following is the demographic break up information acquired by the CLLMP team of WGH district.

Okkapara Songgitcham Village is still yet to work towards development and has lot of Arecanut plantation is including cash crops followed by black pepper, banana, pineapple, Paddy field etc. People came to observe and realize that the hill is gradually losing its soil fertility and water retention properties. There are 64 HH farmers, and 6 HH are Service and 1 HH entrepreneur.

ACTIVITIES

GROUND TRUTHING AND SENSITIZATION PROGRAMME

DPMU team of West Garo Hills visited Okkapara Songgitcham village for Sensitization cum Ground Truthing on 4^th Feb, 2020.

CASE FINDINGS AND LIST OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

1. The village has 71 HH with 457 population .

2. Shortage of water March- April and during rainy season ,their water not good for drinking

3. The village has Community forest

4. Low soil fertility

5. No proper drinking water facilities .The village water sources is streams. It has 3 streams and 9 springs and 2 rivers.

6. No irrigation facilities for farming

7. The community own water catchment area has about of 0.03 ha

8. The village has few medicinal herbs and endangered species in forest .

9. The village has many local tree species such as :-

NATURAL RESOURCES

10. Boldak, bolbret, Gambare, Sakap, Bolchubret, Tegatchu, tebrong, Belati, Tewek, Chram, Changsim, Golmatra, Ajari, Kilwe, Bolsal, Letchu, Cheeng, Bolchiring, Prap, Gondu, Chambu,Siso, Chaku, Kiring, aritak, Arjun, Gasampe, Dengadoti, Chambu

11. Chaku, Aritak,Arjun,Cheeng, Tegatchu, Tebrong,Bakwebudu, Terikgalwangbudu,Gasampe, Tepatang, Dengadoti, Chambu are medicinal shrubs/trees etc

12. Chambu, Bolbret, Bolsal, Gambare, Siso, Boldak, Kilwe are Commercially valued Trees/ Shrubs/Plants available in the forests

13. Matchaduri, Pangpangsi, ampang are Valuable grasses available in the forests.

PRA EXERCISE AND CNRM PLAN PREPARATION

The District team of West Garo Hills conducted PRA and CNRM plan at Okkapara Songgitcham Village on the 17th June 2020. Gambegre Block, WGH.

The exercises were conducted by the district team of West Garo Hills. 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 34 participants for the programme.

2.0 Signing of Documents:

As an acceptance and agreement to the project, every member of the village households had to sign green charter on 6th March, 2020 and submitted the Village agreement and Expression of Interest to DPMU.

1. Formation of the VNRMC

On 6th March, 2020 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.

2. 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	Markin Ch Marak	M	51	Class 3	President	Farmer	Garo	9366130385
2	Grenalitha Ch Marak	F	41	Class 10	Secretary	Farmer	Garo	6002237946
3	Robaline M Sangma	F	37	Class 10	Member	Farmer	Garo	7005933474
4	Ellingstone Ch Marak	F	M	33	Class 12	Member	Garo	7005933474
5	Bandilla S Sangma		M	32	Class 12	Member	Garo	6009079954	__
6	Pastina S Sangma	F	24	Class 10	Member	Farmer	Garo	9366453993
7	Rakjilla S Sangma	F	34	Class 6	Member	Farmer	Garo
8	Silsrang Marak	M	23	Class 10	Member	Farmer	Garo
9	Baygerd D Sangma	M	26	Class 12	Book keeper	Farmer	Garo	6003235537

2.3 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	Fhillin S Sangma	M	29	Class 10	M&E	Yes	9366050522
2	Wesber Sangma	M	27	Class 10	NRM&GIS	Yes	6002780307
3	Santinna Ch Marak	F	22	Class 12	SM&KM	Yes	9366415414

Plan Estimate:

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

3. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

Sl No	Implemented Activities	Name of Site	Work Status
1.	Community Nursery	Ringdi Chisam	Completed
2	Plantation	Dam Reserve (Du. katchua A.bri)	Completed
3	CC Check Dam with CC Canal	Mengong Chiring	Completed
4	Plantation	Gingtong A.bri	Completed
5	Plantation	Songgitcham Reserve1	Completed
6	Plantation	Songgitcham Reserve-2	Completed
7	CC Check Dam	Dudek Chiring	Completed
8	Dug out pond	Ringdi Gittim	Completed
9	Dug out pond	Songma Gittim	Completed
10	Erosion Control Gabion Bund	Mellim Chiring	Completed
11	Erosion Control Wall	Mellim Chiring	Completed
12	Trenches with Plantation	Chaksin chimik-1	Completed
13	Trenches with Plantation	Chaksin chimik-2	Completed
14	Composting pit	Ringdi Chisam	On-going
15	Erosion Control Gabion Wall (Additional)	Tegatchu Chiring	On-going
16	Erosion Control Gabion Wall (Additional)	Dudek Chiring	On-going

4. Fund Status

1	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Community Nursery	Ringdi Chisam	Elevation 63m N 25.44567 E 090.09383	Rs.1,39,000	Completed

2	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Plantation	Dam Reserve (Du. katchua A.bri)	Elevation 266m N 25.43814 E 090.09850	Rs.1,25,000	Completed

3	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	CC Check Dam with CC Canal	Mengong Chiring	Elevation 80m N 25.44876 E 090.09765	Rs.2,32,650	Completed

4	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Plantation	Gingtong A.bri	Elevation 161m N 25.44581 E 090.10965	Rs.1,25,000	Completed

Before After

5	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Plantation	Songgitcham Reserve1	Elevation 108m N 25.44570 E 090.10266	Rs.1,25,000	Completed

6	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Plantation	Songgitcham Reserve-2	Elevation 121m N 25.44489 E 090.09932	RS.1,25,000	Completed

7	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	CC Check Dam	Dudek Chiring	Elevation 78m N 25.44757 E 090.10121	Rs.4,24,050	Completed

Before After

8	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Dug out pond	Ringdi Gittim	Elevation 45m N 25.44540 E 090.09227	Rs.90,000	Completed

Before After

9	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Dug out pond	Songma Gittim	Elevation 49m N 25.44263 E 090.09019	Rs.90,000	Completed

Before After

10	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Erosion Control Gabion Bund	Mellim Chiring	Elevation 73m N 25.43640 E 090.09083	Rs.2,09,300	Completed

Before After

11	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Erosion Control Wall	Mellim Chiring	Elevation 55m N 25.43641 E 090.08901	Rs.3,60,000	Completed

Before After

12	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Trenches with Plantation	Chaksin chimik-1	Elevation 113m N 25.44154 E 090.09341	Rs.29,000	Completed

Before After

13	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Trenches with Plantation	Chaksin chimik-2	Elevation 88m N 25.44859 E 090.09858	Rs.32,000	Completed

Before After

14	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Composting pit	Ringdi Chisam	Elevation 108m N 25.44565 E 090.09409	Rs.49,000	On-going

Before After

15	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Erosion Control Gabion Wall (Additional)	Tegatchu Chiring	Elevation 76M N25.44156 E 90.09028	Rs.230,000	On-going

Before After

16	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Erosion Control Gabion Wall (Additional)	Dudek Chiring	Elevation 54m N 25.44830 E 90.10329	Rs.270,000	On-going

Before After