Empowering Tribes Through Rights and Resources: The TREE Programme in Palghar

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Project Details

Category: Livelihoods
Project Title: Tribal Rights Expansion and Empowerment (TREE) Programme
Department or District: Office of District Collector, Palghar
State: Maharashtra
Start Date of the Project: 2018
Website: https://palghar.gov.in/en/about-district/whos-who/

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Tribe(s) that the Project Covers: Primarily Scheduled Tribes residing in Palghar district including Warli, Katkari, Malhar Koli, and other forest-dependent communities

Keywords: Forest Rights Act, Tribal Empowerment, Tribal Livelihoods, Women-Led Initiatives

The Tribal Rights Expansion and Empowerment (TREE) Programme was initiated by the District Collector’s Office in Palghar with a mission to improve the quality of life for tribal communities through constitutional rights recognition, sustainable livelihoods, and integrated service delivery. Conceived as a convergence model, TREE coordinated over 100 stakeholders across government departments, private institutions, and NGOs. It was not only celebrated at the state level but also received national recognition for its multidimensional strategy to uplift Scheduled Tribes in Maharashtra. The TREE Programme addressed fundamental rights, economic empowerment, health outcomes, and social inclusion through a systematic and participatory approach.

The Project

TREE was envisioned as a district-wide initiative designed to ensure that tribal communities accessed their rightful entitlements under the Forest Rights Act and other welfare schemes. It facilitated the distribution of 41,770 Individual Forest Rights (IFR) titles, accounting for 54,789 acres of land, and 440 Community Forest Rights (CFR) titles for 70,653 acres. Simultaneously, it launched income-generating activities such as the Swayam Scheme for poultry distribution, Mogra cultivation using low-cost cooling technology, and the establishment of Farmer Producer Companies. TREE also focused on empowering tribal women through tailoring and Godhadi training workshops, while addressing health concerns like maternal malnutrition and child mortality. Integration with national schemes and CSR funding helped deliver impactful outcomes in a short period.

Problems that it Intends to Solve

Palghar’s tribal communities faced structural challenges in land ownership, livelihoods, and service access. A backlog in forest rights claims prevented thousands from securing legal ownership of their ancestral lands. Limited income-generating options forced communities into seasonal migration. Women lacked opportunities for skill-based employment. There were also serious gaps in health and nutrition indicators, such as high child mortality and malnutrition rates. Moreover, low awareness and accessibility to government schemes meant that entitlements often remained out of reach. TREE was conceived as a holistic intervention to systematically address these interconnected problems.

What was the Need

The need for TREE arose from longstanding socio-economic exclusion of tribal communities in Palghar. Dispossession from forest lands and limited livelihood options created a cycle of poverty and dependency. Government benefits often failed to reach intended beneficiaries due to fragmented delivery systems. Tribal women, despite being central to family well-being, were rarely included in employment or development programmes. TREE’s convergent and rights-based model aimed to establish legal security over land, introduce income diversification, and create accountability within service delivery. It responded to a pressing need for equity and inclusion.

What Hindered its Introduction

Introducing TREE encountered hurdles rooted in administrative inertia and community skepticism. Forest rights claims had been pending for years due to documentation challenges and lack of coordination between revenue and forest departments. Tribal communities had little faith in bureaucratic processes and low literacy levels made form-filling and eligibility documentation difficult. There was minimal digital infrastructure to track entitlements, and outreach in remote villages was logistically challenging. Stakeholder alignment across departments, NGOs, and local institutions also required time and trust-building.

Process Followed for Implementation

TREE was implemented through a phased, convergence-based model. First, comprehensive data collection was undertaken to identify eligible beneficiaries for forest rights and welfare schemes. Awareness drives and camps were held in tribal hamlets to inform communities and collect documents. Simultaneously, forest rights claims were processed in coordination with forest and revenue officials. Poultry, fisheries, rice mills, and floriculture activities were initiated as livelihood interventions. CSR partnerships supported skill training for women, while health and nutrition indicators were tracked through Anganwadi outreach. Gram Panchayats were brought under the PESA Act, institutionalising participatory governance. Every intervention was monitored through a centralised district coordination cell.

• Government
  • The project was spearheaded by the Office of the District Collector, Palghar, under the Government of Maharashtra. It brought together departments of tribal development, forest, revenue, agriculture, health, and rural development. The Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), the Borlaug Institute, and IIT Bombay contributed technical support. The programme’s cross-sector coordination enabled efficiency and scale.
• Involvement of NGO
  • TREE engaged civil society groups such as the Swaraj Dighant Foundation and involved experts like Dr. Rajendra Singh to address water scarcity through community-driven dam and CNB construction. NGOs also participated in health and training workshops, supporting last-mile delivery and social mobilisation.
• Involvement of Community
  • Community participation was central to TREE’s success. Tribal villagers were involved in document verification, scheme enrolment, and cooperative formation. Women led tailoring and poultry projects. Farmers participated in the Mogra and horticulture clusters. Panchayats were notified under PESA to formalise local governance. Beneficiaries helped identify needs and co-design responses, embedding trust and ownership in every step.

Solutions Implemented

TREE’s solutions spanned legal, economic, and social domains. Long-pending forest rights were cleared and distributed. Livelihood solutions included distribution of 2.25 lakh poultry birds, 72 mini rice mills, and horticulture support for 10,500 farmers. The Mogra cluster improved incomes using IIT Bombay’s cooling innovation. Water scarcity in ten villages was resolved through dam and CNB construction. Health improved via Anganwadi-based nutrition camps and institutional deliveries. 179,809 critical certificates were distributed at camps. Self-help workshops trained 320 women in tailoring and Godhadi-making, creating local employment.

Details of the Coverage

TREE impacted more than 90,000 farmers across the district, trained over 320 tribal women, and reached over 1.79 lakh citizens through certification camps. 964 Gram Panchayats were notified under PESA. Over 1,000 fish-farming farmers gained dual incomes. The scale and reach covered almost every block in Palghar.

Innovation and Unique Features

TREE’s uniqueness lies in its convergent model and rights-centric design. The distribution of forest titles was done at unprecedented scale and speed. Livelihoods were tailored to local conditions—from poultry to Mogra. Integration with technology, such as cooling chambers and digital tracking, brought modernisation into traditional settings. Workshops led by fashion designer Anita Dongre created visibility for tribal craftsmanship at global platforms.

• New Approaches: Tech integration, capacity building, culturally sensitive methods
  • TREE integrated IIT Bombay’s low-cost cooling tech for floriculture and digital monitoring of rights distribution. Capacity building was embedded through tailoring and poultry training. Cultural alignment was ensured via Godhadi crafting and fish-farming, both rooted in tribal customs. Implementation methods respected community structures and decision-making.
• Co-creation: How tribal knowledge or leadership shaped the solution
  • Local practices informed choices such as tailoring, poultry, and floriculture. Tribal leaders helped coordinate camps and Gram Sabha participation. Women leaders emerged from workshops to lead SHGs. Decisions were shaped collectively, with cultural values embedded in training and enterprise.
• Any adaptations: How the project evolved during implementation
  • TREE adapted to on-ground needs by expanding from forest rights to livelihoods, then into health, water, and women’s empowerment. Based on positive outcomes, additional camps were added. Partnerships with IIT Bombay and fashion designers introduced technological and market dimensions not initially planned.

Challenges Faced Before Implementation

• Internal Challenges
  • The backlog of forest rights claims demanded massive administrative coordination. Data unavailability, limited trained personnel, and compartmentalised departments impeded progress. Synchronising multiple agencies under one mission took time and constant negotiation.
• External Challenges
  • Beneficiaries lacked basic documents and awareness. Communities were sceptical of previous schemes and often refused participation. Geographic remoteness, lack of connectivity, and linguistic barriers made mobilisation difficult.
• Mitigation Efforts
  • A unified district coordination cell improved inter-agency workflow. Document camps helped generate required certificates. Field officers, NGOs, and community leaders worked together to build trust and ensure outreach.

Challenges Faced During Implementation

• Internal Challenges
  • Scaling across all blocks required strong monitoring. Handling thousands of applications in short timeframes stretched resources. Coordinating between agencies and CSR partners required consistent alignment.
• External Challenges
  • Villagers occasionally resisted participation due to past failures. Technical failures in poultry or irrigation needed timely troubleshooting. Ensuring quality control over distributed resources, such as rice mills, required vigilant supervision.
• Mitigation Efforts
  • Follow-up camps and grievance redressals were organised. Local champions were identified to support handholding. Technology integration improved traceability and feedback collection.

Outcomes

• Quantitative
  • Over 41,770 IFR and 440 CFR titles were distributed, covering over 125,000 acres. 2.25 lakh poultry birds were distributed, and 72 mini rice mills installed. Institutional deliveries rose to over 98%. Over 10,500 farmers gained horticulture support. Malnutrition rates dropped by one-third.
• Qualitative
  • Tribal confidence increased due to land ownership and self-employment. Women became financially independent. Community trust in governance improved. Local governance was strengthened through PESA implementation.
• Monitoring and evaluation
  • TREE was reviewed by the district administration and externally acknowledged by the Prime Minister’s Office. Regular field reports, community feedback, and interdepartmental reviews ensured course correction. CSR audits and technology support maintained transparency.

Beneficiaries

Primary beneficiaries included Scheduled Tribes across all blocks of Palghar, women engaged in tailoring and poultry, farmers in horticulture, and children reached through Anganwadi nutrition programmes.

Replicability / Scalability / Sustainability

• Policy Integration
  • TREE aligns with Forest Rights Act, PESA, and central tribal schemes, reinforcing constitutional entitlements.
• Financial Sustainability
  • Many livelihoods are self-sustaining. Poultry, floriculture, and rice milling now run independently. CSR and departmental funds supported early investment.

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