(GIST OF KURUKSHETRA) Preserving the Green Cover of Indian Villages

(October-2023)

Villages represent the primary unit of Indian society. However, in recent times, villages are increasingly emulating urban lifestyles and transforming their built environment to reflect the same aspiration.
The initiative of the Local Indicator Framework (LIF) aims to establish traction with Gram Panchayats where ‘Clean and Green Villages’ is one of the themes.

From the perspective of a top-down approach, 278,000 Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have been interfaced by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) through the revised Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojana (RGSY).
It aims to carry out a set of social goals that the United Nations has deemed important for sustainable development.
Local Indicator Framework (LIF) is comprehensive and includes themes, such as poverty-free and enhanced livelihoods; community health; child-friendliness; water sufficiency; self-sufficient infrastructure; socially secured settlements; good governance; and engendered development.

The notion of a green village is inclusive of the idea of using construction materials that are environmentally appropriate.
Bamboo has always been used as a construction material that is available locally, can be produced through planned plantation, and is an excellent green cover solution.
Locally produced materials are the most aesthetically appropriate design solutions. They not only match the local context of topography and geography; they have proven to be effective in climatic response.
There is an ample body of knowledge about the use of local materials in construction and adequate experience to learn from. Efforts are required to upscale the experience to revive village-centric sustainable development.

It is important to create architectural design solutions for the village communities that have design quality and employ locally inspired design elements, such as motifs and carvings.
This has the twin objective of empowering local communities through quality designs as well as creating a sense of pride in the local design elements.
There is also a need for a paradigm shift in the education of various professionals for an understanding of village challenges in the contemporary aspirations of the 21st century.

In essence, village is the premise of ‘living with nature’. Folk life has revolved around the narrative of Jal-Jangal-Jamin. Villages are a potential opportunity for niche tourism opportunities where ‘green cover’ is a novelty for urban life. Access to educational structures imparting modern as well as traditional Indian knowledge of their settlements is vital for the communities to be active participants in the revitalization journey.