TIST
January 2006
TIST Wishes you all a Happy & Prosperous New Year and Happy Pongal.
CEZHUMAI ©
Perumal Small Group of Marudham
Perumal is one of the oldest Small Group of TIST in Tamil Nadu. The members of this Small Group are carrying out the ‘Best Practices’ of TIST at Marudham. Their Node meeting is connected with Chittoor Node.
During end 2003, the members of this Small Group started a huge nursery with more than 70,000 casuarina seedlings. Two years after transplanting those seedlings, now the trees are standing more than 10 feet in height. They have also trimmed the side branches of trees, which gave them considerable amount to meet their day-today expenses.
Due to the trimming of the side branches the trees have gained good vertical growth. This Small Group got their first voucher payment only during November 2005, i.e., after more than two years. The main reasons for such a delay are: a) They never attended the node meetings regularly and SGMR submission was very poor, b) They did not have non-relative members in their group, c) They were practicing monoculture, having just casuarinas trees instead of having multiple species. Though the members of this Small Group lost interest with TIST for the delay in voucher payment, but still TIST did not go away from them. TIST continuously followed them and made them perform the basic requirements of TIST and also TIST gave an adhoc amount of Rs.27,000/- as an advance during one of their members marriage. Last month this Small Group received Rs.1,83,733/- from TIST as their first voucher payment. This huge amount is the total voucher for their two years efforts. Immediately after receiving their voucher payment, they returned Rs.27,000/- to TIST which they received as an advance. This Small Group has also signed the GHG contract with TIST.
Small Group – GHG Signing
We have informed through previous Chezhumai about the importance of GHG contract. In short, once again we explain the importance of GHG contract - By signing the GHG contract, a Small Group gives the rights to TIST to sell their carbon credits, that’s it, nothing more. TIST requests the Small Groups to give the rights to sell their carbon credits and follow the ‘Best Practices’ of TIST regularly. Without this rights (GHG) from the Small Groups, TIST will not be able to sell the carbon credits, in other words, TIST will not be able to fund for the voucher payment to the Small Groups without the sale of the carbon credits. Several Small Groups have signed the GHG Contract in the last two months.
WAKEUP, Inactive Small Groups – Sleeping Small Groups
TIST calls all the inactive Small Groups (Sleeping Small Groups) to think about at the Perumal Small Group of Marudham and discuss with them regarding their improvement with TIST. Ask the Perumal Small Group members how TIST helped them in carrying out the basic requirement of TIST.
It is absolutely no problem even if you have not attended the Node meeting even for more than one year. TIST is calling you all once again. Come and meet the TIST officials at the node meeting along with your land ownership certificate (certificate from the VOA) and sign the GHG contract immediately and become the privileged member of TIST like the Perumal Small Group of Marudham.
Avoid monoculture – Have multiple species with good spacing
TIST is not here to encourage one single kind of trees like casuarina or eucalyptus. TIST is encouraging the Small Groups to do reforestation/aforestation. A forest means lot of trees and different types of trees, not just single kind of trees. Now you may wonder that in a forest trees and plants are very tightly grown, but why TIST does not allow you to plant trees with less spacing. The reason for having good spacing between each tree is to allow the tree to grow too good height. For example, if a mango tree is planted with good spacing, the mango tree grows atleast 10 m in height with 4- 5 m long side branches. This full-grown mango tree may sequester the carbon produced by one lorry per day. Suppose the spacing for the mango trees are very minimum, then the tree will grow not 10 m height and the side branches will not reach 4-5 m, automatically the carbon sequester by this tree will fall down. TIST is facilitating to have continuous funding for the Small Group Voucher payment through revenue from the carbon credits market. If the trees grown by you does not attain its normal height then how do we sequester the carbon and how do we market the carbon credits. Grow multiple species of trees and give enough spacing between each tree and enjoy the benefits from TIST.
Small Groups with Monoculture
The several Small Groups have more than 1000 trees, but they are all either casuarina or eucalyptus. Especially the Small Groups of Kattiampandal and Chittoor are still practicing monoculture. All the Small Groups who have single kind of tree should immediately start planting some additional trees other than casuarina and eucalyptus. We have informed through our Chezumai to be ready with seedlings, so that immediately after the rainy season transplanting can be done. Now we had good rain. Immediately start transplanting your seedlings, if you do not have any seedlings, start a nursery with multiple species of seedlings in polythene bags immediately. Your quantifier will be visiting your groves during January-February 2006 for quantification. During the quantification, if you do not have any multiple species, the quantifier will not quantify your single kind trees.
Seedlings Transplanted during 2005
The following Small Groups transplanted their seedlings during 2005.
1. Nelli Small Group of Vandhavasi
2. Vasudevan Small Group of Vandhavasi
3. Chamundhi Small Group of Chittoor
4. Saroja Small Group of Kandoor
5. Aseeamman Small Group of Kandoor
6. Nila Small Group of Sokandhi
7. Sakthi Small Group of Sokandhi
Note from Melkodungalur Small Group Since the day
TIST started afforestation program in our village, 8 groups have been formed. We have also received, with thanks, an amount of Rs. 21,302 as voucher payment towards our voluntary approach and efforts by following the best practices of TIST.Several programs approached our village to enhance the status of the villages, but they all went away without reaching the villagers, but TIST is a breath of fresh air, because TIST activities are continuous for more than two years and TIST also planning to stay with us for more than 3 decades. The groups that gain good amount of incentives are helping more groups to spring up. For example, the Balaji Small Group that gets an incentive of Rs.13,000, has assisted new groups like “Malligai”, “Murugan”, “Roja”, “Rose”, etc., by helping them open a bank account, by offering them assistance in raising / buying new saplings, etc. The successful groups have even contributed upto 10% of their incentive as financial assistance to the newer groups, thereby exhibiting a true spirit of social justice and forging a strong bond of unison among us in this act of afforestation. In the absence of such financial aid, it would have been arduous for the members of the newer groups to contribute the minimum required amount of Rs.250, towards the oening of a new bank account.
Sign the GHG agreement and take the Voucher payment.
In our humble opinion, such self-evolved systems would yield results in other villages too. We also request TIST to publish more such news of symbiotic relationship between the farmers and TIST in their “Chezumai” magazine.
R. Sridhar – Balaji Small Group
M.Krishnamoorthy, Rose Wood Small Group
Note from TIST
It is very good to see that Small Groups have started to help one another by forming a trust and sharing 10% from their voucher payment. TIST advise is that, once the voucher is paid, the amount becomes yours (Small Groups). You should not include TIST or any of its workforce as guarantor or support to hold or to have control over your trust amount. Those jobs should be taken care by yourselves, because it is purely your own money and your own personal job. Small Groups should have this point in mind.
Upcoming New Small Groups of TIST
Vellaputur Village
Vellaputur is a small village, which is one kilometer from Kattiampandal. TIST made several efforts to register Small Groups from this village, but they were all very slow in picking up. Now four Small Groups from Kattiampandal have received huge amount from TIST as voucher payment. This voucher payment to the Small Groups of Kattiampandal has attracted the people of Vellaputur and many have come forward to join TIST voluntarily to follow the ‘Best Practices’ of TIST. More details about Vellaputur will feature in the next Chezhumai.
Poondithangal Village
Poondithangal is a village in Chengelpetu District. From this village, there are few people who are prepared to join TIST voluntarily. Mrs.Chempakalakshmi, Ex-Chairman of Tamilnadu State Social Welfare Board belongs to Poondithangal village. She is impressed with the activities of TIST and planning to join TIST by forming Small Group. More details about Poondithangal will feature in the next Chezhumai.
