Sendhwa (Madhya Pradesh): Under the Green India Mission, the new initiative of Anupam Sharma, DFO of Sendhwa forest division and Forest Department is proving to be very effective.
Sendhwa Forest Department has imparted tribal traditional painting training to the artists of the area for self-employment and revival of tribal culture and help is also being provided to sell their paintings.
According to information, nearly 100 paintings prepared by local artists were sold at the Van Mela held in Bhopal recently for about Rs 80,000.
With this initiative of the department, the tribal families and local residents have got an additional means of income.
The traditional painting training was organised two months ago. Its objective was to revive the tribal culture and promote self-employment.
In this, Bhil painters Padmashree Bhuribai Baria, Shanta Bhuria, Anil Baria, Sudarshan Shaw, and Surabhi Bhadani gave seven days of training to the artists of all classes including tribal. After this, the Forest Department procured the painting material and distributed it to the trained participants.
From December 20 to 26, the paintings were displayed and sold at the Van Mela organised by Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and State Minor Forest Produce Association in Bhopal.
Governor Mangubhai Patel, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, forest minister Kunwar Vijay Shah and all the senior officers of the Forest Department who came to the fair appreciated the initiative of Sendhwa Forest Division and the talent of the artists trained by the Forest Department.
The material was purchased by the Sendhwa Forest Department from the amount received by selling the plastic waste generated after the plantation. With the help from the Forest Department and the encouragement of the DFO, the participants from the Forest Department made many beautiful paintings in 3 weeks.
DFO Anupam Sharma said that 95 paintings were sold for Rs 76,000 in seven days in Van Mela. The remaining paintings have been sent to the Pench Tiger Reserve, where tourists will be able to purchase them. Along with the DFO, his wife Bhavna Srivastava Sharma also helped in making and selling the paintings.
Artists Rupali Solanki, Sarita Dudve, Abhay Jangid, Priyanka Dubey, Sunder Bhandari, Adarsh Mandloi, Amrita Vyas, Asha Kanungo, Sarika Mandloi, Pragya Kanungo, Rajesh Barde, Dinesh Nargave, Inesh Vasave got additional income by selling paintings at the International Forest Fair. . All the participants and their families are extremely excited by this and all appreciated the help of the Forest Department.
The participants expressed their gratitude to the forest department.
Order for 500 paintings received
Sharma said that impressed by the paintings in the exhibition, a big interior design company has placed an order for 500 paintings with the department and the Forest Department is making preparations in this direction. The Department is also taking steps by contacting other chain hotels and other mediums.
