BANA BANDHU

WHAT IS BANA BANDHU?

The economy of forest-adjacent communities is highly unstable, often forcing them to rely on daily wages for survival. Due to financial hardships, many are drawn into poaching or unsustainable forest-related activities. This project aims to provide them with a sustainable alternative by engaging them in wasteland management and ecological farming. By creating livelihood opportunities through conservation-driven practices, we can empower these communities, ensuring both economic stability and environmental restoration.

'Bana Bandhu', is a Bengali word, which means Friend of Forest. The basic concept of the project is to become a friend of forest and conserve it. Judging by its basic concept, we implemented this project Bana Bandhu.

The origin of this project is Ajodhya Hills of Purulia District, West Bengal but the idea later expanded in other areas of Purulia and Some remote areas of Sundarbans. Currently this program has crossed its boundary from West Bengal to Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. More than 150 beneficiary families are involved in this project currently.

Plantation Work done to promote agroforestry in Unfertile Lands

BACKGROUND OF BANA BANDHU

Each year the forest lands are shrinking drastically due to anthropogenic pressure and developmental works. But as we all know, forest plays a vital role in handling climate change and biodiversity conservation inside the Planet Earth. They purify the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, prevent erosion and act as an important buffer against climate change. According to the FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, the world has a total forest area of 4.06 billion hectares, which is 31% of the total land area. As per the government report of 2021, the total forest cover in India is 80.9 million hectares, which is 24.62% of the total geographical area of the country. whereas in West Bengal, the total forest cover is only 11,879 sq. km, which is only 13% of the total land area of West Bengal. But as per the National Forest Policy 1988, a minimum of one third of the total land area of a country should be covered under trees/forests. So, there is a huge deficit of forest cover in West Bengal (so as in India).

It is very much necessary to ensure that the conservation of the forest lands. Our project Bana Bandhu directly deals in completing necessity. In one hand its focus is to reduce the biotic pressures on the forest in the project area to zero through sustainable developmental programs and in the other, to ensure the economical, educational and cultural sustainability of the tribal forest dwellers inside the project area. a comprehensive planning of these two, shall reduce the destruction of the forest and ensure the increase of green cover in West Bengal and India.

Preparing Melia Dubia Seedlings to Promote Agro-Forestry in the Wastelands. This photo is taken in our Teliabhasa Botanic Research Centre at Ajodhya Hills, Purulia, West Bengal

Activities Under Bana Bandhu

We have organized multiple activities under this project Bana Bandhu. Here are the following activities,

Teliabhasa Botanical Research Center (TBRC):

Back in the year 2019, we have started a center inside Ajodhya Hills, Purulia. The objective of the center is to conserve the native species of Ajodhya Hills and promote the green cover of the Hills due to massive forest fragmentation done in the last few decades. After running the center very successfully for two years, we have planned to convert it into Teliabhasa Botanical Research Center or Simply TBRC, where we will try to work on the conservation of the native flora species of Ajodhya Hills.

We have germinated and raised more than 25 lacs seedlings in the last 6 years (2019-20 to 2024-25). Out of these seedlings, 35% is Kusum (Schleichera oleosa), 15% is Sal (Shorea robusta), 12% is Amla (Phyllanthus emblica), 11% is Kumbhi (Careya arborea), 10% is Bael (Aegle marmelos), 7% is Malabar Neem (Melia dubia) and the rest are all other native plants. Overall, we have successfully raised 42 tree species so far and looking forward to increasing the tally in the upcoming years. Currently our team is focusing on these following issues,

Increasing the germination rate of the Malabar Neem species to promote the Agro-forestry in Ajodhya Hills and its surroundings.
Conservation of comparatively less known wild tree species in Ajodhya Hills.
Conservation of Herbal plants inside the Ajodhya Hills.
Increase the success rate of plantation in Ajodhya Hills.
Successful plantation of 5,000 trees in Ajodhya Hills.
Involve at least 5 Ha lands (low fertile or no fertile or wasteland) into plantation program to generation income.

Nurturing of Amla Seedlings that are germinated in our facility after collecting from forest lands

Our facility is currently supporting 11 families to make themselves financially stable. All of those 11 families are from the nearby forest adjacent villages of the TBRC. Apart from these 11 families more than 25 beneficiary families are also indirectly involved in this program.

Promoting Agro-Industries and Infrastruture:

We believe industry and infrastructure are the only way to strengthen the backbone of the economy. And unless we do it for the forest dwellers, all the efforts for the conservation of wildlife will not be a success story. Since the forest dwellers are the eyes of the forest, without helping them to have a stable economy, all the efforts will goes in vein.

So far, we have promoted multiple agro based products for the villagers which turned out to be a very successful story for the villagers.
Firstly, we focused on the Value addition of Traditional Crops and later work on market linkage of those products so that the beneficiaries get good profit from selling. We brought back the production of Hand Pound Rice in Ajodhya Hill. In the last two years local people have sold more than 1 ton Hand Pound Rice to multiple companies in B2B platforms. We have also encouraged them to produce organic Dal, Tomatoes and Mustard. These organic items are also sold to big companies. In the upcoming years our goal is to engage more beneficiaries into this program.
Secondly, we have targeted the Non-Timber Forest Procurement (NTFP). We help the villagers in selling, Amla, Haritaki and Bahara in the form

Cultivation of Organic Pineapple in Puncha Block of Purulia district

of Triphala, apart from that selling of Tamarind paste, dry aparajita flower, Sal Seed and Mahua Flower also generate good revenue for the beneficiaries. In the upcoming years, the procurement will be increased.
Thirdly, we have promoted the cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Crops (MAPs) in the low fertile lands. The first ever cultivation of Chamomile is done by us in West Bengal. Apart from that the cultivation of Mentha, Chia, Lemon Grass also become a successful story for the beneficiary families. Though all of these products are currently sold in B2B model but in the upcoming years, these products will be sold under FPO model so that a proper Supply and Demand Chain can be prepared.

Raising Kusum Seedling in TBRC

Dried Chamomile ready for sale

Seed Bed Preparation for Ashwagandha Germination

Preparing Temporary Construction for drying Chamomile

View from the inside during Drying of Chamomile

Cultivation of Lemon Grass in Bankura

Soil Testing before the MAP Cultivation

Production Manager, Sales Manager and Lead Advisor of Aricha Organic visiting TBRC facility during collaborating with WNE

BANA BANDHU

WHAT IS BANA BANDHU?

BACKGROUND OF BANA BANDHU

Activities Under Bana Bandhu

We have organized multiple activities under this project Bana Bandhu. Here are the following activities,

Teliabhasa Botanical Research Center (TBRC):

Increasing the germination rate of the Malabar Neem species to promote the Agro-forestry in Ajodhya Hills and its surroundings.

Conservation of comparatively less known wild tree species in Ajodhya Hills.

Conservation of Herbal plants inside the Ajodhya Hills.

Increase the success rate of plantation in Ajodhya Hills.

Successful plantation of 5,000 trees in Ajodhya Hills.

Involve at least 5 Ha lands (low fertile or no fertile or wasteland) into plantation program to generation income. ​

​Our facility is currently supporting 11 families to make themselves financially stable. All of those 11 families are from the nearby forest adjacent villages of the TBRC. Apart from these 11 families more than 25 beneficiary families are also indirectly involved in this program.

Promoting Agro-Industries and Infrastruture:

Involve at least 5 Ha lands (low fertile or no fertile or wasteland) into plantation program to generation income.

Our facility is currently supporting 11 families to make themselves financially stable. All of those 11 families are from the nearby forest adjacent villages of the TBRC. Apart from these 11 families more than 25 beneficiary families are also indirectly involved in this program.