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

Rongramgre village is situated under the Rongram C&RD block of West Garo Hills District of Meghalaya. The village is about 26 km from the Rongram Block and 40 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 466 with 192 number of households. The village Latitude is 25.68990°"North and Longitude 090.29169°"East.

The total geographical area of the village is around 1003.72Ha with 10.0372sq.Km. The village has large community forest reserved and has springs.

History

In 1825, the sisters Kalsi and Toksi along with 100 numbers of families came from A.la Waka Jidda Dreang Rongram Rongpil to settle in Ditde Dai where in later they migrated to Dobu A.kong. Then in 1830, they began to practice jhum cultivation in order to remember the name of A.la Waka Jindra Dreang Rongram Rongpil. Since then, they started practising burn or slash cultivation called jhum cultivation where they struggled for their survival as there was no proper source of movement for exchanging goods and services. Hence, in order to remember that they have named the village as Rongramgre.

SOCIAL PROFILE

The Village is about 26 km away from Rongram Block and 40 km away from district headquarters Tura. The public transport facilities to and from village is in Auto rickshaw transport, bus, sumo 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.

When it comes to use of fuel /LPG /biomass/gas most of the households are using Wood sand 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 180 households still uses woods for cooking whereas about 12 households use LPG.

Rongramgre village has total no of 192 households with the total population of 466. Out of which are 211 males and 255 are females.

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

Agriculture is the main source of the Rongramgre village. The community mostly depends on farming. They mostly go to the fields to earn a living. Rongramgre village are still into farming which includes agriculture and multi cropping. Unlike any other village’s Arecanut is always one of the most grown cash crops followed by cashew nut, black pepper, banana etc. People came to observe and realize that the hill is gradually losing its soil fertility and water retention properties. There are 192 HH Farmer.

ACTIVITIES

GROUND TRUTHING AND SENSITIZATION PROGRAMME

State Project Manager (SPM), Assistant District Project Manager (ADPM), District Project Manager (DPM) and Knowledge Management of West Garo Hills visited Rongramgre village for Sensitization cum Ground Truthing on 13^th September 2019.

CASE FINDINGS AND LIST OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

1. The village has 192 HH with 466 total populations.

2. The village has Community forest

3. No proper irrigation facilities

4. Land degradation

5. Drinking water problem during summer season

6. The village water sources are springs and streams. It has 2 streams and 11 springs.

7. The village has many local tree species such as :- Schima wallichii (Boldak), Prap, Duabanga grandiflora (Bolchim), Tetachap, Bolsil, Chirore, Range, Kantap, Bolong, Wakinde, Golmatra, Bauhinia variegate (Megong), Matme, Bombyx ceiba (Bolchu), Chram, Jengjal, Namiaga, Boldukaki, Bolbok, Kimbal, Bolbret, Gambar, Bolgisim, Gonsuri

8. The village Forest has medicinal shrubs/trees such as Tematchi, mandal, Memangnarang, chambil, mandal, Bamboo, Teksra

9. Commercially valued Trees/ Shrubs/Plants in forests available in the village forest are Gambar, Bolbret, Dalbergia Sisoo, Schima wallichii (Boldak),

10. The village has such as Fodder Species/ Valuable grasses in forests Vetiver grass, Bamboo grass, Mega, Solsrip, Cheksru.

PRA EXERCISE AND CNRM PLAN PREPARATION

The District team of West Garo Hills conducted PRA and CNRM plan on 22nd October 2019 PRA at Rongramgre Village Rongram Block, WGH.

The exercises were conducted by the district team Environment and Field Engineer. 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.

1. Signing of Documents:

As an acceptance and agreement to the project, every member of the village households had to sign green charter on 13^th September 2019 and submitted the Village agreement and Expression of Interest to DPMU.

2. Formation of the VNRMC

On 13^th September 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.

3. 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	Romison B Marak	M	40	III	President	Farmer	Garo	9366045743
2	Silmeritha Marak	F	33	X	Secretary	Farmer	Garo	9366092448
3	Minils Marak	F	42	X	EC Member	Farmer	Garo
4	Willson A Sangma	M	35	X	Accountant	Farmer	Garo	9366092448
5	Jorep Sangma	F	35	II	EC Member	Farmer	Garo	-
6	Adong Sangma	M	55	II	EC Member	Farmer	Garo	-
7	Rothonsing Sangma	M			EC Member	Farmer	Garo	7005514805
8	Nonsing Sangma	M	66	II	EC Member	Farmer	Garo	-
	Motjeng Marak	M	55	IV	EC Member	Farmer	Garo
9

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	Salchina B Marak	Female			SM & KM	Yes
2	Walsengbirth T Sangma	Male			M&E	Yes	8787621973
3	Sapson Marak	Male			NRM	Yes	8837011370

Plan Estimate:

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

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

Sl No	Implemented Activities	Name of Site	Work Status
1.	Community Nursery	Chigitchakgre	Completed
2.	Dug out pond	Chigitchakgre	Completed
3.	Gabion Check Dam	Waka Dare	Completed
4.	Horticulture	Nakatok Bisik	Completed
5.	RCC Check Dam	Sangrong Bisik	Completed
6.	Water Conservation Dam	Reru bisik	Completed
7.	Water reservoir	Nakatok Bisik	Completed
8.	Composting Pit	Chigitchakgre, near Nursery	Completed
9.	Spring chamber	Chombi chimik	Completed

4. Fund Status

1	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Community Nursery	Chigitchakgre	Elevation: 433m N25.69979 E 090.30420	Rs.1,27,000	Completed

2	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Dug out pond	Chigitchakgre	Elevation 436m N 25.69979 E 090.30449	Rs.22,000	Completed

3	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Gabion Check Dam	Waka Dare	Elevation 476m N 25.68869 E 090.30273	Rs. 1,09,000	Completed

4	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Horticulture	Nakatok Bisik	Elevation 432m N 25.69985 E 090.30566	Rs.1,74,000	Completed

5	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	RCC Check Dam	Sangrong Bisik	Elevation 487m N 25.69032 E 090.30103	Rs.4,25,000	Completed

Before After

6	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Water Conservation Dam	Reru bisik	Elevation 416m N 25.68793 E 090.30569	Rs. 4,41,000	Completed

Before After

7	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Water reservoir	Nakatok Bisik	Elevation 430m N 25.69981 E 090.30564	Rs. 4,99,000	Completed

Before After

8	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Composting Pit	Chigitchakgre, near Nursery	Elevation 433m N 25.69979 E 090.3042	Rs. 72,000	Completed

Before After

9	Type Of Intervention	Site Name	GPS Co-ordinates	Amount	Work Status
	Spring chamber	Chombi Chimik	Elevation 477m N 25.69515 E 090.29594	Rs. 2,86,000	Completed

Before After