On-going Projects:  

Activities of Hariyali are generally described in the “Work Highlight” section. However, it would be worthwhile making mention of the following two projects undertaken, which would need concentration of the Organization and participation of volunteers and associate organizations on a sustained basis. These can be enumerated as follows: -

Ecological Restoration of denuded forest land at Bhavale, Tal. Bhiwandi, Dist. Thane, India:

Highlights:

Hariyali has undertaken to develop about ten Hectres of forest land, which forms part of a larger portion denuded forest at Bhavale, Tal. Bhiwandi, Dist: Thane, India under an Agreement of Lease for a period of seven years for developing forest over the same.

1.      It is proposed to plant about 25,000 trees over the area by the monsoon of 2010 and most of the work is over.
2.      The land has tremendous potential for rainwater harvesting and Hariyali has already begun the work by constructing a number of small earthen bunds, parallel trenches, etc.
3.      One can still notice a reasonable movement of birds and butterflies in the region in view of small paddy fields and water bodies in the region.
4.      The site when developed as a jungle would automatically help restore the ecology of the region and come up as a good eco-tourist place in view of a number of ancient caves and temples (dilapidated, though) in the vicinity.
5.      The project is to be executed, monitored and financed by Hariyali only, without any support from the Forest Department for the same.
6.      Hariyali is not entitled to exploit the place for any commercial forest produce and construct any structures over the same – not even in the nature of utility structures.
7.      The region suffers from a number of factors in the nature of biotic interference, such as, man-made forest fires, cattle-grazing, fire-wood collection, illegal quarrying for soil and stone, probable encroachment, etc.
8.      The land is totally unsecured and without fencing. Rightly or wrongly, the Forest Department finds itself inadequately equipped to  cope up with the problems of security.
9.      Although the site is surrounded by a number of small villages, it is a herculean task to secure local participation in view of general lack of environmental awareness, inertia, apathy, alternative employment opportunities available to local residents in several industrial units, etc.

10.  The site is at a distance of  about 25 k.m. from Thane. Although there is a direct and excellent tar/concrete approach road to the site, it does not have a direct public transport route. This makes it difficult, tedious, expensive and time-consuming for volunteers to reach the site.

11.  On the other hand, the land has tremendous potential for absorbing carbon, generating oxygen and nitrogen, forest produce, etc.

12.  It is, therefore, a great challenge to develop this site and restore its ecology, which Hariyali aspires to achieve through the “Participatory Approach” and “Volunteering services” of people from various walks of life.

Requirements of the Organization vis a vis the Project:

1. Volunteering Services in large number on a sustained basis.
2. Support in cash and kind to meet the monetary requirements of the project.
3. Participation of other social service organizations working in the field of empowerment of women, socio-economic upliftment of local habitants, generation of environmental awareness, etc.
4. Expert volunteering services for evaluation of existing wood stock.
5. Similar services for assessing the potential of absorption of carbon, generation of oxygen and forest wealth, etc.
6. Assessment and evaluation of annual loss of forest wealth on account of man-made fires.
7. Exploring the possibility and providing expertise on securing carbon credit.
8. Advising the Organization of making the project of self-sufficient to meet the monetary requirements of the project and in general terms.
9. To achieve better capacity building.

 

Development and Management of a Plant Nursery at Kasar Vadavali, Thane-Ghodbunder Road, Thane, India, in co-ordination with the Thane Municipal Corporation.

Highlights:

1. Hariyali is developing and monitoring a Plant Nursery in co-ordination with Thane Municipal Corporation at Kasar Vadavali, Thane-Ghodbunder Road, Thane over an area of about half an acre.
2. Volunteering sessions are held at this Centre regularly on week-ends on holidays. School children keep coming on working days.
3. Activities at the Centre involve seed sowing on seed beds, sapling making and transferring to polybags, watering and maintaining the saplings until they grow to a height of about two feet before they transferred to plantation sites, etc.
4. It is also proposed to hold short duration workshops on kitchen gardening, bonsai making, solid waste management, etc at the Centre.
5. Saplings grown at the Centre would be used by Thane Municipal Corporation and Hariyali for planting at their respective plantation sites. Surplus saplings would be expected to be distributed amongst the residents of Thane for plantation at their respective housing complexes, etc.
6. No commercial activity is contemplated at the moment.
7. Although equipped with basic minimum facilities, it is has been the endeavor of the Organizers to continuously improve upon the infrastructure to achieve better results and render greater service to the society.
8. The Nursery aspires to make not less than 50,000 saplings through mere volunteer services during the year ending 31^st March 2011.

Necessary instructions for aspiring volunteers:

1. Road directions to the respective sites are given separately.
2. One can take any bus plying on Ghodbunder Road from Thane towards Borivali, Bhayander, Vasai, etc. for reaching the Nursery at Kasar Vadavali. Those coming from Borivali site have to follow the reverse direction.
3. Nursery is situated at a distance of about seven k.m. from Kapurbawdi Road Jn. Of Old Agra Road (Bhiwandi Road) and Ghodbunder Road in Thane. It would be about thirteen k.m. from the Ahmedabad Highway on the Western Side near Hotel Fountain, before the Creek Bridge.
4. Bhavale Site can be reached either from Thane, Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Dombivali, etc. It is about three k.m. on Pise Dam Road from Panjrapol BMC Water Filtration Plant off N.H. No. 3 (Nasik Road).
5. All the volunteers are expected to come at their own cost and risk, well equipped with drinking water bottle, one-time refreshment for self, cap on head and appropriate footware.
6. Working sessions at both the Centres are normally held during the period from 08.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon under expert guidance.
7. Groups of volunteers and other individuals are expected to reach the site directly with prior intimation by 08.00 a.m.
8. Organizations/groups intending to come for volunteering are requested to confirm their participation at least one week in advance on our contact Ids.
9. Whereas there is no restriction on the number of volunteers coming for participation at Bhavale on any particular day, not more than 50 volunteers can be accommodated at the Kasar Vadavali Nursery at any session in view of the paucity of working space.