The 12-bed Songjatchi Community Nursery is home to different local saplings including the endangered varieties. Fruits to be found here are jackfruits, mangoes, gasampe, che’eng, agol, raju, chandan, bolgisim, chambu, bolkasin, neem, ajari, soksinareng, bolbret, and sakap. Some of the matured saplings are transplanted to the catchment area. The community has been able to sell about 350 saplings to date. The PCC water conservation unit dam and the spring chamber have helped with secured access to water for both domestic and irrigation purposes, directly benefiting 10 and 9 households respectively. The spring chamber, in particular, has also addressed the issues associated with drudgery, sanitation, and agricultural health. Two trenches covering three acres of hill area were built in July 2020, one in Jenggrim (C) and another in Rami Chiga, which have led to increased water levels in the streams. The soil removed during the rainy seasons is used to create a berm just downhill from the trench and is useful in slowing surface water run-off and soil erosion from sloping land and re-vegetating the degraded lands.

The water from the dugout pit at Jenggim Bipek is for the community nursery during the dry seasons and for cleaning and bathing, benefiting 35 families. CLLMP is also promoting the Berkeley hot composting method for achieving fast and efficient production of compost for various plantation activities and also as a source of revenue to sustain various activities undertaken. Compost that is currently priced at Rs. 20 per kg is sold to Tura and other markets. And finally, the community planted different species of tree saplings in Songgitcham Reserve like the Te.brong, the Te.gatchu, and the Gasampe species. The initiative was aimed at recovering lost forest cover and building a sheltered home for animals and birds. During World Environment Day 2021, the community planted nearly 200 trees in the reserve area, in line with the Hon’ble Chief Minister’s One Citizen One Tree Campaign.

These multi-pronged, community-led interventions of the CLLMP project have completely transformed the village’s approach and thinking in terms of how they plan to move forward managing their natural resources and catchment areas and have delivered impactful and quantifiable change. Project personnel are continuously facilitating support to Gambegre through handholding and monitoring of implemented activities. On their part, the community is buoyed by what has been accomplished and is participating in village meetings to chalk out strategies for further rural empowerment and to pose an optimal model for holistic development. In the pipeline are dugout pits in Rangsan Amuchakram, Wa.sik, and Ronggrim Bipek to raise the underground water levels and improve the springs which are critical sources of water for them.

A  Community’s Journey to Water Sustainability: From Scarcity to Ownership

Once again, the Community Led Landscape Management Project has come to the aid of the community in South West Khasi Hills District, this time in Lawblei village. The village is located about 14 km away from Mawkyrwat, the district headquarters of SWKH, and has a total population of 115 households. Lawblei is situated on a hill at an elevation of approximately 1600 m, making it prone to water scarcity. Villagers have to go to great lengths to fetch water, and during the winter season, most of the natural water sources in the village dry up. The few sources that remain functional throughout the year are heavily congested, with people having to stand in line from as early as 3 am to fetch water.

Fig: Overview of Lawblei Village

Earlier Case Finding

The Dom Dih Lang community located a natural water source at Sarangnar, Lawblei, just 2 km away from their locality, which remains available even during the driest season. They dug a small hole in the ground to collect the water and made a makeshift pond. Then, they contributed small amounts to purchase pipes for easy access to water in their homes. Their hard work and collaborative effort proved successful, achieving their goal. However, as time passed, the community began to grow, and the demand for water increased significantly for various purposes such as washing, cooking, cleaning, gardening, and domestic use. They began to realize the scarcity of water and sought help left and right. Fortunately, help was on its way.

Intervention

The residents of Dom Dih Lang approached the village EC to ask for help, and together with the VNRMC, they came up with a solution that would help the locality for years to come. The VNRMC proposed a water conservation dam at Sarangnar, the source of life for the locality. The District Project Management Unit visited the site, saw that it was an absolute necessity, and decided to intervene. The plan was made, an estimate was done, the work order was prepared, and was gladly received by the VNRMC.

A water conservation dam is used to collect or store water, which can then be distributed to different locations. Dams also increase the groundwater level and soil moisture in the close vicinity of the reservoir, making a positive impact on the environment. As a community member mentioned during an interaction for the preparation of this Case Study, the dam also becomes a source of drinking water not only for the people but also for the wildlife existing in the area.

The community worked as a whole to complete the activity at Sarangnar, which took them almost a month to complete. After the implementation was done and deemed a complete success, the Dom Dih Lang community pooled their resources and purchased the private land where the dam was constructed, thereby taking full ownership of the site.

They plan to grow banana plants along the sides of the dam, as they believe these plants retain water and will ensure that their groundwater supplies will be continually replenished. They also choose people from the locality to clean the dam every once in a while as they use the water for drinking too. They turned to the PHE department for further help in distributing the water to their place. They received pipes from the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scheme, and then everything went uphill for them. Everything seemed a huge success in the eyes of the community living there, and everything was done to their heart’s content.

The community of Dom Dih Lang expresses their deep appreciation to the DPMU team and VNRMC for their unwavering assistance in their time of need and for ensuring a successful implementation. They also extend their gratitude to the World Bank for supporting the CLLMP project, which made their aspirations possible. Their sense of appreciation is heartfelt, and they wish the team the very best in their future endeavors, hoping that other communities can also benefit from their excellent work.

“Success is achieved by ordinary people with extraordinary determination”

Water Conservation Dam at Sarangnar and the Dom Dih Lang locality.

Nongbah Nongnah is located in the South West Khasi Hills District, approximately 40 kilometers from Mawkyrwat, which serves as the headquarters of the district. It is the oldest village in the Nongnah area, comprising a total of 45 households.

Sasatgre Village lies at the foothill of Nokrek peak, under Rongram Block in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district and is 32 kilometres away from Tura. Shri Dharmen Momin is an entrepreneur, and tourists know him for his warm welcoming nature. As a sole earner and active member of Sasatgre village, Shri Dharmen longed to revive the oldest Garo recipe “Karitchi” or local soda, and was selected as one of the Innovators under the Community-Led Landscape Management (CLLMP) project in 2020.

Shri. Dharmen also stated that at first, he made the soda for personal consumption and only began making Karitchi for commercial sale in 2020.

 

CLLMP INITIATIVE TO PROMOTE “KARITCHI”

It was then when the District Knowledge Management (KM) team of West Garo Hills met him in 2020 to learn more about his interest in reviving “Karitchi”. He narrated his story and came to know that he was well-known among various departments.

A Technical & Financial Feasibility tour was conducted on 20th January 2020 to his proposed site and the CLLMP field engineer along with the KM unit of West Garo Hills submitted the reports to the SPMU-KM.

 

BEST PRACTICE

“When I was in Italy, I was nervous but when I started talking about my traditional indigenous liquid soda I was proud.”

On closer observation, this became a unique proposal that could be showcased all over the world.

The indigenous way of making liquid soda is considered a best practice because it is not seen or practised anywhere else. Through CLLMP, Shri. Dharmen was presented with an opportunity to expand his business and focus more on encouraging the locals to consume locally available Sodas for cooking as this is better than Sodium Bicarbonate.

That way, he wanted to promote and revive this lost “Indigenous Liquid Soda”.

Above all of his qualities, he is well equipped with communication skills. He has become an example for all the other upcoming and interested entrepreneurs who wanted to revive their cultural values and traditional knowledge. As mentioned earlier, he had been to Italy all by himself and was confident in taking on the challenges ahead.

 

The process of making “Karitchi”

The process of making karitchi involved peeling and drying the banana stalk. It begins in October, and the peeled-off stalk is put out to dry till December. The stalk is then burnt, and the ashes are put in the “gengreng” spoon made of bamboo. Three layers of bamboo leaves line the gengreng, and a piece of charcoal is used at the bottom to filter the water that is poured into it. The charcoal can also be adjusted with a small piece of bamboo if the water droplets flow too fast.

One disadvantage is that the ashes cannot be kept in bamboo baskets or aluminium utensils, as this would cause the ashes to lose their potency. Therefore, the ashes are kept in airtight plastic containers. After the filtration, the final product can be used for consumption.

The Karitchi is sold for Rs 100 per litre and Rs 50 for half a litre. According to Shri. Dharmen, the final product can be stored up to a year and lasts longer if kept in glass bottles.

On being asked, Shri. Dharmen stated that he would start making the soda in October and would carry on up to April. The process ensures that he has enough stock to sell for the entire year.

Kalchi in Cooking

A few tablespoons of ‘kalchi’ are enough to prepare some well-known Garo recipes such as wak kappa, do’o kappa, nakam bitchi, etc.

While cooking soda can be harmful for daily consumption, it is believed that ‘kalchi’ is organic and safe for daily consumption. However, there is no scientific evidence to support it.

 

Method of preparing ‘kalchi’

Step 1: ‘Kalchi’ is generally prepared from banana tree trunks.

Step 2: Peeling off the skins of banana trunks.

Step 3: Let the peels dry out in the sun for few days.

Step 4: Burn the dried banana trunks to ashes.

Step 5: Crush till it turns into a fine powder and is ready to be stored in containers.

Over the years, there has been a global observation of a decline in traditional healing methods due to the preference for modern Western medicine or alternative medicine. However, traditional remedies still hold significant value in certain pockets where access to modern medical facilities is limited or even non-existent.

Traditional medicine, as the most ancient healthcare system, has been developed by traditional healers throughout history to effectively combat a wide range of diseases. These healers possess the knowledge and skills to perform various healing methods, which they have acquired through the practice of passing down knowledge from one generation to the next. One notable example is the Ri Bhoi Traditional Healer Association, which has been making substantial efforts to revive traditional healing practices and preserve medicinal herbs.

The Association faced challenges due to the depletion of natural vegetation and medicinal plants caused by jhum cultivation and wildfires. However, through the Innovations Fund support of CLLMP, which amounted to Rs. 3 lakhs for preserving and cultivating medicinal herbs, the group has since been able to alleviate most of their issues. They have even been successful in halting the over-extraction of medicinal herbs from forests to ensure their conservation and long-term availability.
With time, the Association’s efforts became fruitful. They experienced growth in their membership, increasing from 320 members in April 2019 to 500 members by July 2021. They organized four awareness programs between 2020 and 2021, training 50 individuals in various aspects of traditional healing, including the treatment of pregnant mothers, the use of medicinal herbs, massage techniques, and the scientific basis of traditional medicines.

The Ri Bhoi Traditional Healer Association has also established a 10,000 sq. ft nursery to nurture and protect endangered medicinal plant species, where 13 saplings of rare medicinal plants have been propagated. The nursery yielded a harvest of over 1,500 kg of medicinal herbs, which were distributed to six sub-centres—Patharkhmah, Umden, Lumsaw, Nongpoh, Umsning, and Bhoirymbong—for use by their members. Furthermore, 302 kg of medicinal herbs were sold, generating a revenue of Rs. 29,820.

Declared a “Green Village” by environmental organizations from Germany and Belgium, Mawtneng Village in Ri Bhoi is an exemplary model of an environmentally conscious community. From its immaculate cleanliness to the proactive nature of its residents, Mawtneng is renowned in the area for its progressive NRM-first efforts. In fact, on 5 June 2018, on the occasion of World Environment Day, Mawtneng Village launched an initiative to commit to the “Preservation & Protection” of the environment and its ecosystems.

The community has been recognized for its innovative governance. Unlike traditional practices where the headman assumes the role of the committee chairman, Mawtneng implemented a far-sighted system. Here, the headman focuses on systematically monitoring the work of the committees, while the community participates in decision-making for advancing development. This unique approach essentially offers a blueprint for effective governance in sustainable NRM, easily adoptable by the neighbouring villages.

Mawtneng Village operates through seven sub-committees, each responsible for specific aspects of sustainable development. These are the Bio-Diversity Committee, the Green Household Committee, the Mawtneng Youth Welfare & Development Society, the Pond Development Committee, the Joint Forest Management Committee, the Community Green Squad, and the Village Water & Sanitation Committee. To support its initiatives, CLLMP has supported Mawtneng with an Innovations Fund of Rs. 5 lakhs to help sustain and maintain its works.

CLLMP’s commitment to support and scale up grassroots innovations led to Jorsing’s innovation being funded with Rs 3 lakhs. He has since utilized the support to establish a 5000-square-foot nursery for raising saplings of essential ingredients. A small retail outlet has also been set up for storing and selling his organic pesticide. To date, 600 bottles have been sold to 120 farmers who cultivate across a total of 200 hectares of farmland. Each bottle is priced at only Rs 15, making it an affordable and accessible option for farmers and reducing their dependence on harmful chemicals.

Key highlights of Mawtneng’s Green Village initiatives include grass-carpeting to prevent soil erosion, the establishment of kitchen gardens in 70 households to encourage self-sufficiency in food production, and the planting of wild fruits, flowers, and trees to enhance biodiversity. The village has replaced plastic bags with eco-friendly alternatives made from phrynium pubinerve (Sla Lamet) leaves. Nurseries have been established for indigenous flora to preserve local plant species, and a community fishery pond has been constructed to promote responsible fishing practices. Mawtneng Village has also constructed a green museum.

  70-year-old Jorsing Syngkli has been cultivating paddy for decades. However, it was only in recent years that this activity became less stressful for him, thanks to his own innovative clean farming method that enabled him to effectively manage pests.

Throughout his farming journey, Jorsing always opted for organic alternatives over chemical pesticides. There were two primary reasons for this choice. Firstly, chemical pesticides are expensive, making them an impractical option for him over the long term. Secondly, as a proponent of organic practices, he has found that chemical pesticides are toxic to his garden, his farms, and the environment.

To manage expenses and adhere to his organic principles, Jorsing dedicated years to finding an eco-friendly farming solution for pests by tapping into resources such as well-founded traditional knowledge. Over time, he succeeded in developing a homemade, low-cost organic pesticide that has since demonstrated to be just as effective as its chemical counterparts. Jorsing’s invention has not only provided a solution for his own crops but for fellow all-organic farmers in the region.

CLLMP’s commitment to support and scale up grassroots innovations led to Jorsing’s innovation being funded with Rs 3 lakhs. He has since utilized the support to establish a 5000-square-foot nursery for raising saplings of essential ingredients. A small retail outlet has also been set up for storing and selling his organic pesticide. To date, 600 bottles have been sold to 120 farmers who cultivate across a total of 200 hectares of farmland. Each bottle is priced at only Rs 15, making it an affordable and accessible option for farmers and reducing their dependence on harmful chemicals.