Nov

Renovation of Football Ground Kick-starts Village Reserve Forest in Meghalaya

Bibragre, Meghalaya, June 9, 2016: A football match was played on a village ground in the West Garo Hills of Meghalaya ten days ago. Now there may seem nothing particularly noteworthy in that – football is, after all, the most popular sport in Meghalaya, and it is played in every corner of the state. But it’s what happened before and in the aftermath of the match that makes it important.

Not too long ago, the football ground in Bibragre village had been all but abandoned. It was covered in unkempt vegetation, Areca nut plantations had encroached upon its area, and the village youth seldom used it at all.

_{The football ground at Bibragre, West Garo Hills, before the renovation activity began}

But Bibragre is a village of critical importance in the Garo Green Spine Conservation Project, and when Wildlife Trust of India and the World Land Trust (WTI-WLT) visited the Nokma, the village chief, in the hope of convincing villagers to set aside community forest lands to be notified as a Village Reserve Forest (VRF), he identified the renovation of the football ground as a key confidence building activity.

The WTI-WLT team commissioned a local contractor to level the ground and clear the area of vegetation and weeds. The villagers helped with the renovation as well, by tackling the manual work required. Makeshift goalposts made of bamboo were erected and WTI-WLT gifted 30 football jerseys and two footballs so that the ground could be used as soon as possible. The match held on May 30 marked the inauguration of the renovated ground.

_{Players on the renovated ground during the football match on May 30}

Changson Sangma, the Nokma, is hopeful that this initiative will cut through the idleness and monotony that had settled upon his village in recent times. He believes the initiative will help to channelise the local youth towards the constructive development of the region, including the conservation of its flora and fauna. Sunil Kyarong, Head – Garo Projects, WTI, also feels that this initiative will help to attract the youth of other villages towards both sports and conservation, and aid in creating a team of young nature lovers and conservationists in the region. Clid Sangma, the Nokma’s son-in-law pointed out that the football ground is the only place for recreational activity in the village. “We are thankful to WLT-WTI for this support and hope that this will strengthen unity among the youth, not only from this village but nearby villages as well”, he said.

What is even more heartening is that this community activity has already had an effect: villagers have set aside six hectares of community forest land and the WTI-WLT team has facilitated the registration and declaration of this land as Bibragre VRF with the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council.