Woman for Trees Class 6 English Lesson 16
Bhalapur is a village nearly 84 kilometers from the block office of Mohla in the Rajnandagaon district of Chhattisgarh. Today, on what was a 12-hectare plot of deforested land, stands a dense green forest. In the mid-eighties, Vikram of Bhalapur organized all the women in the village, largely Dalits and Adivasis, into Mahila Mandal.
The Mahila Mandal had discussions on village problems. It was evident from the discussions that the greatest problem was collecting firewood. The village forest was shrinking. Thanks to the felling of trees by insensitive people.
The forestland at the time was full of stumps of felled trees. For protection from grazing animals, the women dug deep trenches all around the deforested area. They stood up as guards against poachers and the timber mafia.
Soon leaves started to sprout on the stumps. Today, a dense forest stands on the outskirts of the village. The dry twigs fulfill the locals’ need for firewood and the biodiversity of the new forest is a reward for their efforts. Later, plantations were done by the locals. The successful initiative has also inspired those in the village who had initially opposed the effort. It is not big projects and money that will protect the forests. But if due importance is given to local needs, people will come forward themselves to protect our forests.
A. Answer the following questions:
1. Where is Bhalapur situated?
Answer – Bhalapur village is situated nearly 84 kilometers from the block office of Mohla in the Rajnandagaon district of Chhattisgarh.
2. Who were the members of the Mahila Mandal of Bhalapur?
Answer –The members of the Mahila Mandal of Bhalapur were mostly Dalit and Adivasi.
3. What was the greatest problem that the women faced?
Answer – The greatest problem that the women faced was collecting firewood.
4. Why was the village forest shrinking?
Answer – The village forest was shrinking because some insensitive and greedy people were cutting trees rapidly for their personal profit.
5. What did the women do to protect the forest from grazing animals?
Answer – The women dug deep trenches all around the deforested area to protect the forest from grazing animals.
6. What is the result of the efforts made by the women of Bhalapur?
Answer – The deforested area converted into a dense forest on the outskirts of the village. The dry twigs fulfill the local’s need for firewood. The new forest of Bhala our Village is a reward for the woman efforts.
B. Write True/False in the boxes:
1. The Mahila Mandal was formed in the year 1998. (False)
2. We should be thankful to the insensitive people who fell trees. (False)
3. Now the women cut the trees for fuel and wood. (False)
4. The women dug trenches around the forest. (True)
5. Other people of Bhalapur also tried to do what the women of the village did. (True)
6. The women of Mahila Mandal were united. (True)
7. The women had to work hard to protect the forest. (True)
8. The women had to protect the trees against animals only. (False)
Vocabulary
A. Match the words with the pictures:
(A) Arrange the letters to make words related to the given words.
(1) Wood: timber, stick, log, twig
(2) fuel : burn ,wood ,gas, petrol
(3) Sprout: grow, begin to germinate
( B ): With the help of the given sentences – write a paragraph about making tea things you need for making tea:
Tea leaves, sugar, water, milk, ginger.
(1) Add 4 teaspoons of sugar.
(2) Add one cup of milk.
(3) Add two teaspoons of tea leaves.
(4) Take a cup of water.
(5) Pour water into a vessel or a container.
(6) If you like, add some ginger.
(7) Boil it.
(8) Grate/Crush some ginger.
(9) Remove from the fire and filter it in a cup.
(10) Put the vessel on fire.
Ans. (1) Take a cup of water.
(2) Pour water into a vessel or a container.
(3) Add four teaspoons of sugar.
( 4 )Add one cup of milk.
(5) Add two teaspoons of tea leaves.
(6) If you like, add some ginger.
(7) Grate/Crush some ginger.
( 8) Put the vessel on fire.
(9) Boil it.
( 10) Remove from the fire and filter in a cup.
