Govt and Mala villagers undertake eco-drive project under MGNREGA

Time of India

2 days ago

Udupi: An environmentalist is serving as a vital link between the govt and the public, facilitating a conservation initiative under the MGNREGA programme that merges ecological restoration with rural employment in Mala village.
In collaboration with the social forestry department, residents of Mala village are undertaking an ecological restoration project under the MGNREGA scheme. The effort began in Sept last year when environmentalist Arathi Ashok submitted a proposal for a green project on the cut road in the village. With 5–10 locals ready to participate, the project was greenlit, and by April, the work order was issued after an inspection by the Range Forest Officer (RFO).
Arathi told TOI that the project involves planting 150 saplings (local species supporting the biodiversity of the Western Ghats) on a 1.5km stretch of the two-kilometre Gundipalke-Mala road. A total of Rs 2 lakh was sanctioned, covering material costs and wages. The road is lined with saplings protected using bamboo fences and 150 acacia sticks, safeguarding them from grazing animals. Locals Govinda Gowda and Santhosh took the lead in managing and distributing bamboo fencing materials to each planting spot, with 30 saplings assigned per location.
An MGNREGA project board has also been installed on-site.
She said that so far, 70 saplings were planted manually, with work timed perfectly in June when the soil is soft and rainfall is manageable. The initiative helps in environmental restoration, but also offers a valuable income opportunity, especially for rural women, with a simple process of taking before and after photos of their work to ensure transparency and credit.
"Though such projects are popular in Kerala, they remain under-utilised in Karnataka. However, the Mala initiative is proving that change is possible when local people take the lead. Looking ahead, plans are in place to dig percolation pits in the next phase, particularly in areas where afforestation was taken up by the social forestry department. Coming Sept, attention will turn to weeding and fertilising the planted saplings," Arathi said.
The success of this project lies not just in the green cover but in its potential to attract more funds, empower rural communities, and combat poverty through sustainable livelihood. "For initiatives like this to truly scale as a national model, panchayat members must play an active role in informing citizens about such govt-supported schemes, something that, unfortunately, rarely happens in practice. While there is institutional support and intent to expand green cover, these programmes often remain underutilised simply because people are not made aware of them.
Concerned authorities must treat such awareness as a mandatory responsibility," she said.