An alternative to forest resources

IN 1973, there were around 70,000 people living around the Ranthambore National Park in south-eastern Rajasthan.Today,that number has increased to over 200,000 people. This tremendous growth has led to dwindling tiger populations, thanks to rampant poaching and habitat destruction,aggravated by the demand for fuelwood. Recognising the need fro pproviding people with alternative renewable resources,Goverdhan Rathore,son of Fateh Singh Rathore,Ranthambore's celebrated park director set up the Prakratik Society in Sawai Madhopur in 1994."I could see that this park verss ppeopple conflict would ultimately result in the destruction of both the tiger and Ranthambore. I knew the long term solution lay in finding a way in which both improve the livesof the local people and allow them to have a symboitic relationship with the park and its tigers," says Rathore. The PrakratikSociet works with local people to help fin alternative means of reaning a lielihood;means that are not dependent on the park as a aresource. The society hasinitiated anintergrated programme incorporation healthcare and family planning,alternative energy sources,education afforestation efforts and community building. "The PrakratikSociety has offered three valuable means to improve the quality of our lives, I have used the artificial insemination prgramme to improve the quality of my cattle,planted trees under the agro-forestry programme to become self-releaint for my fuelwood requirements and built biogas units for my entire joint family,provideing light and energy for the family. Today,our need for fuel and fodder from inside the park have been minimised. I don't rememberwhen I last went inside th park," says Pparmand Meena of Charoda village. Providing villagers living around the park with 'biogas digesters' for cooking has been one of the Prakratik Society's most important contributions,helping ease the pressures on dwindling forest resources. The digester uses cowdung as a raw material. It not only produces gas for cooking but also provides organic fertiliser in the form of slurry-- a better and cheaper alternative to commercial fertilisers. Crop yields have gone up 25 %. So far the society has insalled 225 biogas ppplants; over 1350 villagers are currently benefitting from this technology.People are also gainfully employed in the construction and maintenance of the biogas plants. "The benefits of biogas have changed our lives forever. We no longer have to go inside the forest for fuelwood collection and the by-product isexcellent manure, which inreases the productivity ofor land. Today,nearly every household in our village is using biogas," says Prithviraj Meena, a tribal from Padli village. "People have improved the breed of their cattle the aretrificial inseminbation certre ar Kundera,started by the Pprakratic Society. As a result, stall-feeding hasbecome ciable andmilk yields have increaed 10-fold. Our dependence on the tiger reserve has reduced dramatically," Prithvi adds. Biogas degestyers offer many benefits. They save around 1500 metric tonnes of fuelwood,which contributes towards saving entire habitats and their animal andplant populations. Biogas also improves the health of women by reducing their exposure to smoke. In recognition of its innovative renewable energy prooject, the Prakritik Societ has been nominated a contender for the prestigious Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy to be announced later in the year.