NTFP ban: Barter, haat system collapse
Saturday October 27 2007 12:58 IST

Express News Service

NUAPADA: Barter system, which until recently remained an informal source of credit and trading, received a setback ever since the proposal for the tiger project at Sunabeda wildlife sanctuary in Nuapada district was made.

A ban was put on the collection of minor forest produce (MFP) and non-timber forest produce (NTFP) and the age-old ‘barter system’ collapsed in the area.

Prior to imposition of the ban, traders used to do business in NTFPs from sanctuary giving the tribals a fair price for their collection.

The ban instilled fear among the traders as sanctuary laws deter them from involving in any kind of NTFP trading. Similarly, trading of NTFP in the local haat also stopped.

Not only that, even if people managed to collect some NTFP, their collection fetched less returns as they no longer enjoyed the control they had on their resources.

Earlier, access to NTFP facilitated people to have a potential liquid assets, which could be bartered for meeting consumption and other needs.

Sunabeda Sangharsa Bahini (SSB) secretary Duryodhan Majhi said the informal financial linkage stopped after people lost their control over the forest resources.

Before the ban, tribals used to collect amla, harida, bahada and mahul and sell them. The traders would pay the tribals either in cash or in the form of essential commodities like clothes, soaps, edible oil and other eatables, informed Majhi.

Tribals were being benefited through NTFP collection in many ways. They could source credit from the traders who were willing to extend financial support considering the NTFP potential of the area and control of people over their resources.

This informal financial linkage, one of the major bulwarks for the people, was snapped after the ban.

Sunabeda is spread across 600 sq km. There are 75 villages among which 17 hamlets are coming under core area of the sanctuary. Nearly 2,000 persons are going to be evicted following the project. As per 2004 census, the big cat population in the sanctuary stood at 68.

However, the 2005 census has reported presence of only 34 tigers. While the SSB is spearheading a movement to stop the tiger project, the Forest Department is waiting for the Central Government’s nod.

SSB members, however, argue that Primitive Tribal Group (PTG) and pre-agricultural communities cannot be evicted from the forest on any ground.

‘‘If forest dwelling tribals are evicted, it will be a historical injustice to them,’’ said Sunabeda GP Sarpanch Narad Singh Chhatria.