the verdant forests of Kailadevi Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan, once faced with the threat of being wiped out, are thriving again thanks to the efforts of villagers in the area who have contained the axe with remarkable success.

The sanctuary, an extension of the Ranthambor National Park and spread over 40 km in the south of Karauli district, had witnessed large-scale destruction during 1970-80 due to extensive felling for making coking coal. As a result the area was unable to meet the fuel and fodder needs of the villagers adequately. To protect whatever was left of their trees from the sheep grazers coming from western Rajasthan, the residents of Lakhru ki Gwari introduced the concept of kulhari band (axe ban) in 1985. Since then as many as 36 villages in the sanctuary have adopted it, though in different strengths.

The movement emerged after a huge fight involving exchange of fire between the locals and the grazers, who were cutting branches from the few trees remaining in the area to feed their sheep. This led to the setting up of a kulhari band panchayat (kbp) which had members from each family in the village. To protect the forests, the panchayat set down the ground rules