Gondri | A Traditional Tribal System That Helps Conserve Water And Nature

Shahdol: Tribals of Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh, continue to rely on an ancient system of water conservation and continue to reap its benefits in terms of fresh greens for consumption.

The system of Gondri is known to conserve water as well as nature. An expert in tribal affairs, Chand Singh Pattavi, told ETV Bharat, "The word Gondri is derived from the Gondi language and means a garden or barn from where we get green vegetables every day. The tribal community is very fond of Gondri, even if they build a house on a small plot of land, some space is always kept vacant for Gondri adjacent to their house."

He further explained that the tribals get green vegetables to eat every day from this Gondri. There is normally a well on this patch of land, and even if it is not there, the tribals fetch water and perform the household chores like washing utensils and bathing on this land. They develop a garden on it, growing chillies, garlic, brinjal, onion, ginger, banana, papaya, and tomatoes.

“The water used for washing utensils and bathing is managed in such a way that it is used for irrigating vegetables. They also plant gourd, pumpkin, ridge gourd, rerua and barbati. These vines of vegetables climb the scaffolding and bear good harvest ensuring that the tribal family gets to eat green vegetables every day,” Pattavi explained.

Munna Baiga of Aintazhar village (ETV Bharat)

Munna Baiga of Aintazhar village related, "I have a small well in my garden and I also wash utensils nearby. The water used for washing utensils and bathing is used to irrigate the eggplant and green chillies I grow nearby. Only when more water is needed, I draw water from the well separately."​​​​​

He explained that while washing utensils, the leftover food gets mixed with the soil and becomes manure that helps vegetables grow. This manure helps in growth of large sized potatoes.

According to Munna Baiga this tradition of Gondri has been prevalent for ages and can be seen in almost every house.

A resident of Jamunia Tola of Jodhpur Gram Panchayat, Jettu Kol disclosed that the system of Gondri has helped him grow many vegetables along with bananas and papaya at his house.

"It helps save money as buying vegetables from the market is very expensive. When we sow seeds using the Gondri system, the vegetables grow easily at home providing us with green and nutritious food for consumption," he said.

Jackfruits from a tree in Munna Baiga's land (ETV Bharat)

He further contended that growing vegetables from organic manure ensures that the family does not consume any chemicals that are used to boost the yield of crops available in the market. It also translates into no visits to the doctor.

"The money saved from healthy living improves our financial situation. The Gondri system is a boon for the tribal society that we have been practising since the beginning," Kol added.​

Meanwhile, Pattavi observed that the Gondri system is the foundation of a simple lifestyle for the tribal society.

"This system balances the financial set-up and reduces unnecessary household expenses like relying on the market for vegetables," he said.

At a time when saving water and conserving nature have emerged as major challenges, traditional practices like Gondri can be extremely helpful in dealing with them.