When the primitive Baiga tribe in Pondi village of Dindori district realized that the depletion of forests was the reason for their water woes, a concerned woman decided to do something about it. Ujiyaro Bai Kevatiya, a 40-year-old woman, started a movement to save 1500 hectares of forests in 2006. She was eventually supported by around 110 Baiga tribe families. 

Their relentless efforts brought back the forest cover including the rich biodiversity of the place. The jungles in Pondi village are home to 43 leafy vegetables, 13 varieties of mushrooms, 18 different kinds of tuber plants, 24 types of fruits, 29 non-timber forest products, and 26 rare and valuable species of herbs.

It was in 2004 that the National Institute of Women, Child and Youth Development Dindori district (NIWCYD)-associated people began working on water conservation in the area, but after a thorough investigation, it was discovered that jungle depletion was the root cause of all issues. Then, in 2006, Ujiyaro Bai and 12 other Pondi village residents teamed up with the NGO headquartered in Nagpur to launch the effort to rescue the forests.

Ujiyaro Bai faced resistance from her husband who didn’t want her to be involved in any movement, instead, he wanted her to stay at home and look after her family. Yet she persevered and was able to change his mind and win support from other families as well.

The crusaders put in place three strict restrictions which are - refraining from cutting down living trees, forbidding strangers from doing so, and adopting measures to prevent forest fires. The efforts eventually began to bear fruit, as the forest cover began to regenerate. Saving forests became the top priority for the villagers of Pondi and after 16 years the forests are now lush green and thriving.