THE WOMEN FORESTERS OF AMBOYA
“Yes, its hard……” asserts Kamla Devi when nudged about the balancing act she performs everyday along with nine other women of her village. And the balancing act consists of unending domestic chores on one side and nurturing a patch of dense sal forest on the other side. “…..but we do it!” The ten women of Amboya village have been performing a sacred act since more than two decades – protecting a forest patch that was once degraded due to heavy lopping, illicit felling and uncontrolled grazing. Women marching towards forest for patrolling Amboya village is located 16 kms away towards North Eastern direction from the town of Paonta Sahib of Sirmour district in Himachal Pradesh. The area falls under the Bhagani Range of Paonta Sahib Forest Division. Characterized by the dominance of Shorea robusta (sal) trees, the forests are situated on gentle to steep slopes, vulnerable to heavy top soil erosion and severe anthropogenic factors like ruthless lopping, intensive grazing, want