Bhils
Topic: Geographical Issues: Pollution, Urban Waste, Slums and Land Degradation · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 9 "Geographical Perspective on Selected Issues and Problems"
Meaning
The Bhils are one of India's largest tribes, or traditional communities. They live in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Most people in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh are Bhils. Jhabua was once one of India's five most backward districts. Damaged forests and worn-out land there made the Bhils' poverty worse. The Bhils matter for UPSC because they show how a community can bring back its own damaged land through watershed management. This means caring for the land, water and plants of one drainage area together, with local people taking part.
Example
In Petlawad block in northern Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh, Bhil villagers in Sat Rundi hamlet of Karravat village worked with the government and an NGO. Each household planted and cared for one tree on common land, and fodder grass was planted on the pastures. They used social fencing, a village agreement to keep animals away from the new plants, for at least two years. After that, they fed their cattle in stalls instead of letting them graze in the open.