What do the field reports tell us? That the situation of work burden and associated health problems in rural India is horrendous to say the least. All the reports point to severe reproductive health problems in women. In Uttarakhand, there is evidence that women are even becoming victims of mental problems. The anti-women trend in Tamil Nadu poses a serious threat to the survival of women. The added work burden almost makes it certain that women may become an endangered species. The situation in Assam is also bleak. People’s participation in Nagaland to preserve forest cover could be a reason why the situation in Nagaland is somewhat better, although there are is evidence that deforestation and lack of forest cover is posing health problems.
Clearly, if the issue is not addressed with a war footing approach, coming generations are at serious threat. Simple. They may not come at all. There are three levels at which the government can address the problem. (1) Reduce deforestation (2) Take measures to reduce the work burden and (3) better manage the health status of women. But although these are solutions its implementation is possible only if several ministries are sensitised about the seriousness of the issue and play a role in addressing the problem. Further, there is need for a coordination mechanism with can coordinate and network with the entire government machinery to implement solutions.
Promoting afforestation is a big challenge for the Ministry of Environment and Forests to take up. This would need changes in the government policy. This can be done by “strengthening the local natural resource management through elected bodies like Van Panchayat and ensuring that at least to 2 to 3 members are women” proposes Dasgupta. The State of India’s Environment – Fifth Citizen’s Report has documented studies about village communities in India, especially in Orissa, the Chotanagpur region of Bihar, and the Panchmahal district of Gujarat who have in recent years begun to undertake forest protection to their biomass needs on their own initiative without the intervention of any governmental or non-governmental agency. In the Tehri Garhwal region of Uttar Pradesh one study shows that the people of 140 villages were voluntarily protecting vast areas of forest land most of which was government-regulated reserved forest land. All of this scattered evidence shows that people are themselves responding to the firewood crisis, but in every case the role of women has not been central to the issue.
