Haryana State is one of the younger and smaller states of Indian union. Geographically, it is situated in the Indo-Gangetic plains of northern India. With a population of 16.5 million urban population is 4.1 million and rural population is 12.4 million (GOI, 1991). The entire northern border of Haryana state falls in the Shivalik hills belt, which is 5 to 15 km in width and runs for about 100 km from the south-east to north-west, parallel to the outer Himalayas, at a distance of 10 to 15 km from it. State of Haryana has an area of 44 000 km², 82% of which is under cultivation. Recorded forest area is about 1685 km² which is 3.8% of the total geographic area of the state, whereas the per capita forest area is only 0.013 ha. About 40% of the forests are concentrated in the Siwaliks, lying in the Ambala, Panchkula and Yamunanagar districts, which form the northern boundary of the State.

Since the early 1800s the Siwalik Hill Forests have been used as grazing areas by neighboring village communities. Agriculture being labor intensive people kept large herds of cattle as well as sheep and goats and grazed them in the forest. The open access resource system in the hills led to severe erosion and poor agricultural production. Decreasing agricultural production led to increased pressure in the forest area and thus to decreased productivity. Restrictions on access to the forest were imposed on communities by the State. With the uncertainty of dry-land agriculture and the reduction of the area under communal farming, the pressure on the forests for grazing areas, fodder grass and timber increased.

In the absence of adequate vegetative cover in the Shivaliks, its inherent soil properties govern the extent of soil erosion in the region. In the hill watersheds, the shale’s, the clay formations and the sand stones occur side by side in horizontal and vertical bands, and due to the variation in their nature and properties, there is lack of cohesion and heterogeneity in strata which causes land slides, slips and pot holes leading to release of a large amount of sediments.

Undercutting of hill sides and stream banks by high velocity detritus laden rain waters resulted in displacement of large quantities of soil to downstream areas. The land slips caused due to undercutting of hill sides by flowing water are the major contributors of heavy sediment load in the seasonal streams. The detritus carried by the flash floods got deposited over productive agricultural fields year after year rendering them unfit for cultivation. Biological factors like deforestation, uncontrolled grazing and frequent fires further aided the menace of excessive soil erosion, land slides and slips in the Shivalik hills.

The ecological equilibrium of the Shivalik belt which has a fragile geological structure was severely affected due to a combination of climatic factors and biotic interference. The loss of tree and ground cover resulted in exposure of the top soil to forces of wind and water. The degradation had gone beyond such limits that all attempts to re-vegetate the area remained unsuccessful as extreme forces of nature on the barren land took its toll. There were extreme temperatures going up to 47º Celsius in summers, frost in winters while extensive biotic pressures continued to cause high water and soil run-off, resultant flooding of the rivers and streams causing enormous damage to the predominantly agricultural economy of the region. An example of the seriousness of the problem of soil erosion in the Shivaliks came into sharp focus in mid-1970s when deforestation in the catchment of Lake Sukhna was causing serious siltation of the lake. The rate of erosion in the catchment was estimated to be nearly 700 tons per hectare per year with 70% of the rainfall lost as run-off from the catchment. This was symptomatic of the problems of the majority of the area in the Shivalik.

The (HFD) developed a strategy to provide water for irrigation to neighboring communities by building earthen water harvesting structures (dams) on or near the forest area. The HFD approached communities in the village Sukhomajri forest area of which formed the catchment of lake Sukhna. After a great deal of debate on the proposal for rehabilitating the watershed, the communities agreed to cooperate in the protection of the water catchment area in return for the water for irrigation. This developed a new approach in terms of water catchment management and protection.

The water from the dams was distributed equally to all households, irrespective of land holding, caste or gender. The increased crop yields resulted in reduced the pressure on the forest for fodder and fuelwood. The communities voluntarily decided to stop grazing their livestock in the forest. The numbers of goats decreased and villagers resorted to stall feeding their cattle instead of open grazing. They formed a Water User’s Association (WUA) in 1980 to regulate water distribution and catchment protection.

For sustaining the interest of the villagers, in protection and management of the forest, it was considered essential to share the increased productivity of forest produce between the HFD and village community. For this purpose, the Water Users’ Associations were reorganized into Hill Resource Management Societies (HRMS) registered under the Societies Registration Act (1860) with responsibilities of: (i) protection of forests against grazing and illicit felling, (ii) distribution of irrigation water, (iii) fixing of rates for water, grass, etc., (iv) maintenance of dams and water distribution systems, (v) maintenance of accounts, and (vi) cooperation and interaction with the staff of the Forest Department. Each household is represented by one male and one female in the General Body of the HRMS. All adults of all families in the village are free to become members of the Society, thereby sharing equal rights and responsibilities.

Following the success of the experimentation at Sukhomajri village, the program was replicated in Nada village to test the concept of Social Fencing and its social, technical, and economic feasibility. Here again the crop yields increased and people undertook to protect the catchment, which improved the forest cover and reduced soil erosion as well as run-off.

After over a decade of experimentation in the villages of the Siwaliks, the HFD developed a number of strategies (Table 1) to enlist the participation of village communities in forest protection and management. From 1983 to 1988, the program was extended to new areas with construction of 54 water harvesting structures. While these strategies effectively motivated the communities to establish social fencing and other protection and management systems, the program did not spread effectively to other areas.

By 1988, due to lack of definition of rights and responsibilities of communities, lack of institutional building capacity within HFD and, the absence of a clear policy and guidelines regarding the sharing of benefits, only 20% of the dams were managed by an HRMS and had functional water distribution system. Only 18% of the established HRMS gained leases for grass from the HFD. The cooperation between the forest department and the village communities was not as effective as in the pilot villages (Sukhomajri and Nada villages) covered in the pilot phase. Before the construction of new dams, communities commitment to protection of forests, and a definition of rights and responsibilities, were overlooked.

In 1990 the Government of India issued a circular on the involvement of village communities and voluntary agencies in regeneration of degraded forests. Specifying the manner in which the NGO/VA could act as an interface between the state FD and the local village communities, the Circular suggested that programs for restoration of degraded forests may be taken up on a tripartite arrangement between these parties. Following some attempts through the 1980s, the HFD sought support from resource persons based outside the department to develop the Program on a sound basis. The result was TERI’s collaboration with HFD starting July 1990, providing the much needed backup to HFD for carrying out the program activities.

The participatory approach to JFM project implementation involving all stakeholders - the HFD, the community represented by HRMSs, facilitator agencies such as TERI and the donor Ford Foundation has been the sustaining factors. This has empowered communities to: plan how to protect and manage the forests; equitably distribute benefits; agree on a system of fines to punish non cooperative members and outsiders and how to reinvest their profits into development projects or forest regeneration.

At the institutional level there are issues of financial viability, sustainability of the HRMS itself, the sustainability of the resource base etc. A significant contribution is currently being made by TERI for institutional strengthening and by the HFD and TERI for providing technical and managerial inputs, respectively. Many of the older societies are now capable of interacting with different agencies, including the HFD, are able to access their requirements, have a functioning system of rules and norms and have the capability to handle all situations, including conflicts. This has resulted from the innumerable training programs that have been organized for different sections of the society including women, General Body, Management Committee members, office bearers, etc. Capacity building training program professionally conducted by TERI have been instrumental in the sustainability of HRMSs and changes in the approach and attitude of the HFD staff.

The maximum average yield of commercial (bhabbar) grass was found to be 0.85 t/ha (oven dry wt) from community protection of six years as against 0.30 to 0.36 t/ha in unprotected areas. However, the total yield of bhabbar and other grasses was maximum (2.8 t/ha) for the area protected for three years compared to 0.30 to 0.38 t/ha in unprotected areas.

The stocking of trees by 30-cm diameter classes show that the number of trees/ha, both in different girth-classes as well as the total, has progressively increased with increasing years of protection, with variations. The total number of trees/ha varies from a minimum of 700 in unprotected forest areas to a maximum of 3,960 in the case of 10 years of protection. The maximum number of trees/ha are in girth class 5-35 cm, followed by 35-65 cm, which reflects the status of natural regeneration of these areas as a result of effective protection mainly through coppicing.

There is a perceptible increase in the basal area per ha with increasing years of protection. It has been noted that on an average the basal area/has progressively increased from 6.55 m²/ha in unprotected forest areas to 21.84 m²/ha in case of forest areas having been protected for 10 years, indicating an increase of over 233%.

Wheat production, the staple rabi crop, has increased several fold in response to irrigation input provided by the water harvesting structures. Earlier, the average yield was 900 Kgs/ha (360 Kgs/acre), owing to deficient soil moisture and scanty and uncertain rains. The present scenario of yields of major crops ranges between 1330 to 2000 kgs/ha for rice; 4500 to 5500 kgs/ha for maize and; 3500 to 5000 kgs/ha for wheat. Villagers now sell their produce, though on a small scale, in contrast to the earlier situation when cereals and pulses had to be purchased. Increased agricultural residues and growing berseem (green fodder), which can be harvested till mid-April, has eased the problem of fodder shortage. Earlier, the Gujjars (traditional graziers) used to migrate with their cattle to cooler parts of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh for almost eight months a year, which has now been reduced to about four months.

Bhabbar grass that grows in this region, though commercially valuable (it is an excellent raw material for paper pulp), is used in rope-making by the local village communities. The Banjara community is dependent on rope (baan) making for its livelihood. Traditionally, bhabbar from these forest areas was leased to various paper mills located in Ambala and Yamunanagar districts. Villagers were allowed to cut a head load each for their domestic consumption. After the launching of JFMP, bhabbar leases were allotted to HRMS in some forest areas. While some HRMSs obtain bhabbar leases from the HFD and sell them in open auctions, some HRMSs sell the bhabbar to individual members of the Society.

The Shiwalik hills of Haryana are mostly inhabited by pastoral communities and the livestock population is high. With high livestock populations, fodder grasses are obtained from the forests where extraction is regulated through dati system and is restricted to the period October to March. Under the earlier system wherein the contractor was given lease for the forest areas for harvesting fodder grasses, the communities had to pay a higher fee (dati) which ranged from Rs. 700 to Rs. 1000/household/season. However with lease being given to the HRMSs under the JFM, the dati now ranges between Rs. 50 and Rs. 350/member/season.

The lower dati rate and increased fodder availability from the forests, due to protection, and from the agricultural fields has encouraged stall-feeding and put an end to open grazing, resulting in enhanced productivity of grasses and protection of tree species, eventually leading to environmental security. Stall-feeding has also changed the livestock-mix in favor of buffaloes.

HRMSs have managed to deal with the problem of equitable distribution of benefits across different castes, gender and other disadvantaged members of the society. This has enhanced unity amongst villagers which is essential for the success of the principle of JFM projects. The socially and economically marginalised sections of the community have also found equal representation in the HRMSs and the Management Committee. Thus, HRMSs have been able to create stakes for all individuals in the forest protection and management.

Greater interest generated in functioning of the HRMS has in turn led to the need for approvals from the General Body for all major events and decisions. The rising need for clarity and accountability of all systems related to monetary transactions, decision making, management options, are seen to guide the functioning of the society reflecting control of members on the society’s functioning. The role and functions of the Management Committee has also come in for revision, wherein except for routine functioning all major decisions demand the approval from the General Body. While the GB reserves the right to remove the MC or the office bearers from their posts for non-performance or any kind of discrepancies; the outgoing office bearers are expected to provide an updated income and expenditure statement and explain all transactions.

In a majority of Haryana villages, collection of fuel, fodder and water for household consumption define the role of women and their relationship with natural resources. Women’s equal and active participation in the HRMS which is a community institution, management committees and the decision making processes pose the challenge of changing cultural attitudes, norms and traditions and dealing with the constraint of their having been excluded from such forums for ages. In such an atmosphere, the success with the involvement of women from every household in the HRMS and its different processes is commendable. Membership of Management Committee involves participation in higher level decision making, being in a leadership role, acquiring a higher social status within the community, gaining greater access to information and decision making experience, greater exposure to outsiders and different world views, and an opportunity to negotiate and lobby for the interests of the sub-group or section of the membership one represents.

The stability and effectiveness of the institutions is rooted in equitable sharing of costs and benefits among members, consensus based decision making and the capacity to enforce agreed upon access rules, primarily through social pressure and control, with women very much an integral part of the system.

The funds with the HRMSs are basically derived from membership, fee levied by the HRMS on fodder grass and water that are accessed by the members; and a majority is from the management of forest areas for bhabbar grass. The amount fetched by societies over and above the lease amount submitted to the HFD, on the sale of bhabbar goes to the HRMS fund. This fund has been used in many instances for installing and creating infrastructure for use by the entire village. Among the constructions are schools, community halls, roads, pipelines, equipment, etc. There are instances wherein the HRMSs have often contributed to the Panchayat (local self-governance institution) funds to facilitate the completion of certain activities when funds fell short. The involvement of HRMSs by the Panchayats have been prominent in afforestation activities where land has been provided by the Panchayats to the HRMSs. Most plantations have been fruit bearing species to accommodate peoples’ mandate.

The enabling environment provided by various legal instruments and guidelines have contributed towards sustainability of the JFM Program. The JFM Program has been successfully implemented due to the tri-partite arrangement recommended by the National Forest Policy of 1988. The continuity of approach by the HFD and the development of viable village institutions, has been a key success factor.

The HRMSs apart from providing an opportunity to all sections of the village society to be equal partners in its functioning and decision-making process, have also evolved over the years as sustainable and strong institutions. A clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities vis-à-vis those of the HFD, and the impartial and transparent functioning have led to the establishing of HRMSs as distinguished institutions. With the fairly large amounts of funds available with the HRMSs and the recent Government rules regarding the contribution of the HRMS towards the village and forest resource development, is a recognition of the capacity of the HRMS to make a meaningful contribution to the village development process as a whole.

The identification by the Haryana Forest Department of interventions which link the economic interests of the villagers to sustainable management and protection of the state forests, has been a key to the success of this JFM project. In this case the key intervention by the HFD was the provision of water.

This led to increased agricultural production and thus allowed the change from catchment grazing to stall feeding of livestock in the village areas. Other incentives were grass for fodder, bhabbar for rope making, bamboo for basket making and timber for fuelwood and other uses.

Certain significance is observed in looking at socio-economic and demographic composition of the HRMS villages in Haryana in the context of the protection that is accorded to the forests. The cohesiveness observed in small villages is an encouraging factor for the successful implementation of a micro level planning. The easy identification of incentives required and the ability to arrive at equitable distribution of benefits has helped in bringing about perceptible changes. A total or near homogeneous caste composition of the villages ensures greater access to all families owing to an almost similar socio-economic status. The dependence of the landed and the land less is observed on the forests for extraction of fuelwood and fodder. While the landed also derive these products from their agricultural land their requirements are seen to be significantly higher than the land less who have limited livestock. This results in an equal dependence for the two sections resulting in equal stake in the forests.

The concept of JFM as an adaptive social process is striving to create sufficient future opportunity to satisfy potentially conflicting interests that would lead to degradation of the forest if left unresolved. The challenge with participatory management approach has been to develop dynamic local institutions which effectively address the local needs.

TERI focused on the development of institutions for the joint management of forests both within the HFD and within the target communities. The new tripartite arrangement had impacts in social, ecological, legal, economic and institutional areas and developed the new objective of integrating JFM into the policies, program, procedures and operations of the HFD and to motivate local communities to protect and manage the forests on a sustainable basis for their own benefit.