In the Sathyamangalam forest in Tamil Nadu, tribal communities are cutting down the invasive species lantana camara and converting it into fuel briquettes.
00:00It looks harmless, but it is not Lantana Kamara a
00:05destructive weed brought into India by the British during the colonial era
00:10Today the shrubs can be found everywhere in Tamil Nadu efforts are underway to get it under control
00:16One company turns it into fuel briquettes
00:22There is a weed called Lantana Kamara in the forest which has been destroying the entire ecosystem
00:28So we collaborate with indigenous people to remove this weed and convert it into briquettes
00:34This initiative has enhanced the livelihoods of local people
00:40In the Satya Mangalam forest in Irro district locals now regularly cut down the shrubs for Manju the job has been life-changing
00:50Previously there were no jobs here now and then we did agricultural work earning only
01:01250 rupees a day, but thanks to the company that processes Lantana
01:05We now have regular work and earned 300 rupees a day
01:09My husband and I both got jobs. So now we are able to support our family
01:14We are able to support our family. We are able to support our family. We are able to support our two people and now we are able to support our family
01:22Since 2023 they have worked in the forest most days
01:25In the past year the company collected up to 500 tons of Lantana
01:34The indigenous workers often use our machinery to remove the Lantana plants
01:39But if the machine can't be brought inside the forest they use a belting technique
01:48Then it's done manually
01:53We also shred the shrubs in the forest and then put the shredded chips onto a truck
02:02Finally we bring it to the factory and make briquettes out of it
02:06Native plants in the forest are slowly regaining ground
02:12As biochar Lantana has a number of advantages
02:15The briquettes are a much more environmentally friendly heating option
02:19One that conforms to India's environmental compliance for company's regulations
02:27Initially we made furniture out of the wood
02:30But we couldn't provide many jobs for people
02:32So we thought of an alternative and decided to make it into biochar
02:38The plant has a calorific value of 4200
02:42Kilocalories per kilogram, which is the same as coal briquette
02:46Now we supply this biochar to tea factories and boiler industries
02:50We want to create a better life for the coming generation
02:58And if some of the local people want to become entrepreneurs like us, we will support them
03:04So that's what we are working towards
03:06So far some 300 people have found regular work with the company
03:11It has improved their prospects while also helping to protect the environment
Be the first to comment