: Forest Officer Creates Odisha’s First Eco-Village, Helps Residents Earn Rs 2 Crore #IndiaNEWS #Civil Servants Situated on the banks of the Mahanadi river, and adjoining the Satkosia gorge, Muduligadia,

Forest Officer Creates Odisha’s First Eco-Village, Helps Residents Earn Rs 2 Crore #IndiaNEWS #Civil Servants
Situated on the banks of the Mahanadi river, and adjoining the Satkosia gorge, Muduligadia, a tiny hamlet in the Nayagarh district with barely thirty-five households holds a unique distinction. In 2019, it became the first village in Odisha to attain self-sustainability with zero-waste and 100% eco-friendly initiatives of livelihood.
One might find other eco-villages or experiential eco-resorts in Odisha. But what keeps Muduligadia a class apart is that it was the first ever hamlet to be remodelled into an eco-village exclusively by the community members. Their hard work and dedication deserve the sole credit for this incredible achievement.
Anshu Pragyan Das, the formal Divisional Forest Officer of Mahanadi Wildlife division was instrumental in spearheading this transition. Talking to The Better India, Anshu, the present Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Ecotourism, reveals more details about the project.
Muduligadia
Setting Up an Eco-Village in Odisha
Since 2016, the small villages around the Satkosia Tiger Reserve had been integrated into a Community Managed Nature Tourism programme. As a part of this project, around 45 ecotourism destinations were developed in the forested area, which was exclusively managed by the local villagers.
“These eco-tourism spots were generating considerable revenue for them, and they gradually became less dependent on forest products for earning their livelihood. The Odisha model of eco-tourism is the only existing community-based model in India where over 80% of the entire tourism revenue is returned to the community as wages, while the remaining 20% is invested for maintenance, upkeep and up-gradation of the tourist spots,??? informs Anshu.
From this 80% revenue, around 10% was officially allocated to village development.
Part of the ecotourism project
“So, after a while, a committee from the village approached me, seeking my advice on how to invest in developing their village. That’s when the idea of an eco-village crossed my mind,??? says the officer, who is also an avid wildlife photographer and has authored two books.
Transforming a Community with Sustainability
Living in the buffer zone of Satkosia Tiger Reserve, Muduligadia’s residents have traditionally engaged in gathering forest resources like honey and timber. They used firewood for cooking and drew water from the Mahanadi river.
Without proper awareness about the environment and hygiene, the villagers used to bathe and wash in the river, and use the same river water for drinking purposes. Open defecation was rampant, often leading to disease breakouts in the village.
The mud huts in the eco-village
The creation of the eco-village was life-altering for them.