Bundelkhand, a region in central rural India, is often called the heartland of India and has commanded an eminent place throughout Indian history. All along its length and breadth, Bundelkhand is richly studded with religious centres, historical sites, monuments and forts, and boasts of a vividly dynamic, rich and colourful cultural fabric. Administratively, the region comprises 13 contiguous districts, viz., Jhansi, Lalitpur, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Banda, Mahoba and Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh, and Sagar, Chattarpur, Tikamgarh, Panna, Damoh and Datia in Madhya Pradesh. Apart from its rich cultural heritage, the region is sadly known for its socio-economic backwardness. Ironically, most of the districts of the region have been identified as the poorest districts of the country.

The rural environment produces a substantial amount of our food and holds a majority of our water, land and forest resources, as well as most of India’s biological diversity, making it critically important to communities and ecosystems across the country. How the rural environment is managed will determine how well these communities live today and for generations to come.

Over the past five years, rural communities in Bundelkhand have been involved in an economic struggle to survive. These struggles have impacted the environment as well. With these trends, there has been a rise in social problems. Rural poverty and environmental problems have increased, while access to quality, affordable health care and good education has diminished. Faced with low market prices for agricultural products (like lumber, grain, milk and meat), farmers, ranchers and loggers typically increase production, hoping to make up for low prices by increased volume. Unfortunately, this strategy often accrues increased costs for the surrounding environments. For example, large-scale agriculture necessitates greater use of land, water and chemicals. Fertilizers, pesticides and other inputs are used to produce food and fiber. To build awareness on the environment in rural Bundelkhand, CLEAN-India Jhansi took up the initiative to start an education programme for children aimed at increasing land care and environmental management awareness across a wide spectrum of interest groups and individuals. The primary aim of taking CLEAN-India to rural Bundelkhand is to determine the relationship between environmental consciousness and socio-economic characteristics of rural inhabitants and to reflect on the ideas that these people have about the solutions to environmental problems. Paying closer attention to the impacts to the environment by using agrochemicals and minimizing or discontinuing their use where possible; being more careful in water management; minimizing deforestation and other changes in environmental attitudes and behavior among rural dwellers are being seen as possible indicators of positive impacts from CLEAN-India programmers.

The prime objective of the programme will be to educate and empower the youth in the villages to care for and protect the environment as well as to further disseminate the spirit of caring for and nurturing the environment to other villagers.