The outstanding work of octogenarian environmental activist of Jharkhand, Simon Oraon, popularly known as the 'Pahra Raja' (King of village) among villagers of Bero Block of Ranchi district has finally been recognised on Monday. Oraon has been chosen to be among the recipients of Padma Shri award 2016.
The 84 year-old tribal man is responsible for teaching people of 51 villages in the Bero area to combat low rainfall by taming rivers and streams and making the most of the monsoon by constructing check dams and canals for irrigation in about 1000 acres of land.
Residing in a small village in Bero block about 45 kilometres from Ranchi Oraon started working for environment protection way back in the 1960s with his indigenous techniques when he was just 15 year-old. He found that the plateau region was devoid of water for irrigation and agriculture was primarily dependent on the monsoon.
Oraon, with the help of fellow villagers built the first check dam in Bero in 1961. It did not stand too long though; he had to reconstruct the dam three times to make it stay solid till date. The journey began from one check dam led to construction of many such dams. Villagers also dug ponds in the area and the rainwater conserved in the dams and ponds was being taken to agricultural farms through small canals. Additionally, Oraon also worked to save the depleting forest cover in the region and stop soil erosion. He, alongwith villagers planted over 35,000 trees of Mango, Jamun, Sal and jackfruit in the area.
Due to abundant water resources today about 2,000 families in the area cultivate vegetables and paddy without any glitch. Bero area has become a vegetable hub from where thousands of tonnes of vegetables are transported to nearby States and cities.
Oraon has been a role model for fellow villagers as he devoted his life mobilizing people to conserve water and environment. His work has been documented in a dissertation by Sarah Jewitt for her PhD degree at Department of Geography, Newnham College, University of Cambridge and also by the Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi.