Brief Introduction
C.P.B. Center for Environment and Development was established as a trust on March 24, 2014. Established from the award money from ‘Green Legend’ award received by Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt. The trust is registered in Tehsil Chamoli’s deed registrar in district Chamoli with the aim of promoting environmental conservation.
The trust is being managed with the funds received by Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt from Gandhi Peace Prize from govt. of India. This money has been kept in the trust’s corpus fund on the direction of Shri Bhatt. Activities pertaining to environment are being organized from the interest accrued from this fund.
Board of Trustees include administrator Shri B. D. Singh, Sarvodaya worker and environmentalist Shri Murari Lal, Shri Bhupal Singh from Dasholi Gram Swarajya Mandal, social worker Shri Mangla Kothiyal and, journalist and social worker Shri Om Prakash Bhatt. All are providing their services in a honorary position.
Below are the activities of the trust in the duration from March 2014 to onward.
1. Bugyal Bachao Abhiyaan (Save Alpine Meadows Movement):
Bugyals (Alpine meadows) play an important role in Himalayan ecosystem. To create public awareness and policy changes for conservation of Bugyals, a number of activities were conducted in year 2014 and 2015. Public awareness campaigns were conducted to keep the bugyals, near to the Nanda Devi Rajjaat yatra path’s camps in the high himalayan region, free from the non-biodegradable waste. In September 2014 and July 2015 two large moments joined by volunteering students, scientists, journalists and advocates were organized. They did a brief study of the negative impact of the non-biodegradable wastes. The volunteers also collected and carried the wastes to the nearest waste processing plants. Similarly in August 2015 a similar drive was organized in the bugyals surrounding Rudranath in which the trekkers and pilgrims were informed about the bad consequences of the non-biodegradable wastes. Volunteers collected wastes like wrappers and plastics amounting to 10 quintals and brought them to nearest waste processing plants on their backs.
2. Banj Bachao, Kheti Sudharo Abhiyaan (Save Oak, Enhance farming movement)
This is being organized with the participation of women farmers. Forests are the backbone of farming in himalayas and oak play a major supporting role. Besides increasing soil fertility, forests provides with various farming tools used in agriculture. For example, an oak tree is required to make a new plough every year. Since Oak forests are endangered in various locations so there is a need to create improved farming tools. VPKAS Almora has helped in designing a new improved iron plough named V L Syahi loh hal. These plough are being provided free of cost to women farming organizations. These organizations are giving these ploughs only to those women farmers who are in need and will be using these ploughs. In 2014 these ploughs were distributed in 17 villages in 3 blocks in district chamoli. In 2015-16 these have been distributed to 7 villages. In this year these have been distributed in 3 villages namely Bemru and Kunkali in Dasholi block and Kulendu in Pokhri Block. Due to distribution of VL Syahi loh plough, oak felling for making plough has subsided in these villages. In two years these ploughs have been distributed in total of 19 villages in Dasholi, Pokhri and Karnaprayag blocks in chamoli.
3. Kedar Singh Rawat Paryavaran Puraskar (Kedar Singh Rawat Environmental Prize)
Late Shri Kedar Singh Rawat was one of the pioneer revolutionary in the early days of Chipko Movement. In his memory an award has been initiated in 2015. A part of the award money received by Chandi Prasad Bhatt from Gandhi Peace Prize has been kept for this award. The award will felicitate the heroes of Chipko movement with an award money of Rs 21,000, citation and an Angvastra.
4.Paryavaran Jagrukta Karyakram (Environmental Awareness Program)
This program aims to increase the awareness of school children about their surroundings and environment. It was started on May, 2014 with the theme of “Natural Disasters and Environmental Conservation” with students of secondary schools in and nearby Gopeshwar, Chamoli. Environmental Awareness seminars were held in a dozen schools. Every student participant planted a Gooseberry plant in his house. In May, 2015, similar program was held in Government Inter College in Pokhari tehsil.
5. World Environment Day
In 2014, A seminar was organized on the eve of World Environment Day, attended by scientists, social workers, journalists and advocates.
In 2015, the day was celebrated with villagers of Sainti Village, Ghat, Chamoli. Various issues related to village ecosystem were discussed and participating officials of governmental agencies noted their issues.
6. Wildlife Week
The trust organized events on the occasion of wildlife weak in Govt. Girls Inter College Gopeshwar. A seminar on wildlife protection was organized on 6th october in which Director and officers of wildlife department, social workers, journalists and teachers and students participated. Trainee officers from the Lal Bahadur Shastri Administrative Academy also joined the seminar.
7. Haritima Samvardhan Karyakram
Trust is working towards increasing the green cover. With this aim the trust is working with various mahila mangal dals, women farming groups, gram panchayats, students and the parent organization of chipko andolan Dasholi Gram Swarajya Mandal. In this program 285 plants were planted in 2014 and in 2015 till January 2016 a total of 11900 plants were planted. The plants include walnut, mulberry, Bheemal, Baheda and wild apricots among others.
8. Environmental Lecture Series
To spread the need of Environmental Protection among citizens and students and to propagate the experience and thoughts of people working in this field an environmental lecture series has been started. There are three lectures in an year organised in the memory of Late Smt. Shyama Devi, Late Shri Aalam Singh Bisht and Late Shri Chiranji Lal Bhatt respectively.
9. School Forest Program
This program has been started so that children especially the secondary school students get first hand experience to work for environmental protection. It has been started in district Chamoli and 5 schools have been selected for the first year. Schools will be selected by a committee presided by Chief Education Officer. Every block is asked for a list of the schools who can volunteer to participate in this program. When a school is selected then along with environmental awareness programs, efforts to create a School Forest will be started. Plans are that the trust will provide plants and token money to the schools for implementing the School Forest. Trust is planning to start this program from February 2016.
10. Village Level Disaster Management Program
The program will build the capacity of villagers to be prepared in case of disasters. With the help of volunteers this program will be run in disaster prone villages in Chamoli district. The main aim of this program is to decrease the disaster response time and have a better coordination with authorities and improve the quality of relief work.
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Om Prakash Bhatt
Managing Trustee,
C.P.B. Center For Environment and Development
Gopeshwar,
Dist. Chamoli Uttarakhand
Email- opbhatt@gmail.com
Mob. 09411368874
