Forget logging or hunting – two Assam villages in India embrace eco-tourism

Gurvinder Singh

Giving up hunting and tree felling, two Assamese villages are conserving their forest habitat rather than let their natural resources erode. With their villages now on the eco-tourism map, they are embracing alternate livelihoods.

Notun Leikol village in Assam is rich in natural beauty with green mountains, silvery waterfalls, orange orchards and scenic surroundings.

Around 900 people live in the village in the Dima Hasao district, most of them farmers. They belong to the Kuki tribe, which were traditionally hunters. They also cut forest trees for timber.

“Our ancestors were traditionally into hunting and cutting trees for their livelihood. We also followed them,” said Letjahao Singson, the village head. 

But their hunting and tree felling slowly destroyed the natural assets of the village, which the younger generation found appalling as it was so harmful to nature. 

They decided to embrace the natural beauty of their village instead and turn it into a way of earning a living.

Youth lead conservation 

About a decade ago the village youth met with the village elders and explained the importance of saving the wildlife and trees.

Their efforts took root in 2014 when the village head declared hunting and deforestation illegal.

The youth started conservation, allowing nature to survive and thrive. In addition to taking steps for restoration, the younger generation also started to explore the eco-tourism potential of their village.

“We felt that the waterfalls and mountains, along with our orange orchards, could attract tourists looking for a reprieve from the hustle-and-bustle of city life,” said Joshuathanggin Singson, a local guide who also owns a homestay.

Promoting eco-tourism

The younger villagers decided to use social media platforms to popularise the beauty of the landscape.

“We started uploading pictures of the waterfalls, village scenery, orchards and mountains,” said Joshuathanggin Singson. 

“The mountain offers ample scope for trekking,” he added.

Naturally, the social media posts garnered a lot of interest and soon the villagers started receiving queries.

An alternate livelihood

“We informed the prospective visitors about the homestays, tourist points and local cuisine available in Notun Leikol,” said Henminlun Singson, a village youth. 

“Soon we got visitors who really enjoyed trekking and visiting the waterfalls and enjoying the calmness and pristine beauty of our village,” he said.

This of course helped the local economy.

There was not only a registration fee for all visitors, but many villagers opened their homes up to the tourists for accommodation and food.

That was not all.

“The local youths also got a livelihood as they began working as guides and also accompanied visitors on trekking routes,” said Henminlun Singson.

Notun Leikol received around 1,000 visitors during the winters prior to the pandemic when the cottage industry took a hit.

Luckily, things have started to look brighter again with around 400 people visiting the village last December. 

A remote village sans livelihood 

Notun Leikol is not the only village to embrace this perspective.

About 30 kilometres away is the remote but picturesque village of Boljan – surrounded by green hills and roads crisscrossing the mountains. 

Around 300 people live in Boljang, most of them are small-holder farmers who cultivate fruits and vegetables.

But public transportation is rare and one has to depend on private vehicles to reach the village. Connectivity in this digital era is also poor in Boljan. It is so bad that the villagers use a church bell to alert others about happy and sad news. 

The residents pleaded to the government to help them with avenues for livelihoods. But their pleas went unheeded. They were disappointed but not deterred.

“We then decided to do something of our own rather than depending on the government,” said KC Singson, the village head. 

Sowing the seeds of a livelihood

In 2014 the village head of Boljang decided to plant around 40,000 saplings in over 20 acres of barren land in hopes of converting it into a forest. The woods would not only be a beautiful attraction, and spur on a rich eco-system, but the branches of the carefully chosen trees could eventually be harvested for medicinal purposes.

“We managed to arrange around Rs 50,000 to buy the saplings. We mostly planted neem that has medicinal properties,” said KC Singson. “We thought that the villagers would be able to earn a livelihood when the trees grew as well as generate revenue through eco-tourism.”

Almost eight years later, the barren land is now a dense forest with tall trees. 

“It will take another 6-7 years before the branches of the trees could be used for medicinal purposes,” said Letsat Simte, a villager. 

“We are already planning to build homestays and guest houses to promote eco-tourism. The trees are our legacy that will stay forever. Nobody would live in poverty if the natural assets are properly utilised,” he added.

The villagers are also trying to revive a pond, to provide a place for fish to thrive and multiply.

“We never knew that a forest and wild animals could be a source of tourism and revenue,” said Letjahao Singson of Notun Leikol.

Food for the soul

More than just providing a livelihood, the new forest provides food for the soul.

The people of Boljang are happy the trees attract wildlife they have never seen before. Many are so delighted with the new forest – especially the older villagers – they even hug the trees sometimes.

Haokhothong Singson, who played an active role in converting the wasteland into a forest, loves going for morning walks through the woods. 

“We’ve been living here for the past several generations. This used to be a barren land even a few years ago,” he said with a smile. “The tall trees offer us relief from the harsh weather in summers and shelter many birds that flock here.”

Eco efforts worth following

Environmentalists are praising these two villages and believe such efforts could be replicated throughout the country.

“It’s really praiseworthy that the villagers are trying to save the environment. Undoubtedly, they have a vested interest, but still it’s helping conserve the wildlife and biodiversity that are vital to minimise the harmful effects of climate change,” said Kunal Deb, a Kolkata-based environmentalist.  

Gurvinder Singh is a journalist based in Kolkata.