How a Story in The Better India Led to Happier Bees in Thane’s Municipal Parks

How often do you come across stories of individuals and organisations that inspire you enough to take up the cause?

Over the years, The Better India has covered many initiatives taken up by ordinary people. Many times, these stories have not only made a difference locally but have inspired many readers across the country, propelling them to act.

And here is one such moment.

A non-profit organisation, based in Thane, took up the task of beekeeping a few months back, after being motivated by the story of an engineer who left his well-paid job to work towards beekeeping and conservation activities.

Concerned Citizen’s Forum is a group of people from varied professional backgrounds, who came together three years ago to help facilitate initiatives and campaigns undertaken by other NGOs and groups in the region.

“After reading the story published by TBI, we had realised that even our knowledge on the subject was limited. Understanding the concern that the young man featured in the article harboured about our survival, which was interlinked with the survival of bees, we decided to take a dive into the cause,” said Samir Pradhan, one of the active members of the Concerned Citizen’s Forum.

With a keen interest in learning about the process of beekeeping, the organisation found its guide at the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in Thane.

An organisation constituted on Gandhian principles, KVIC imparts knowledge of beekeeping and its maintenance free of cost!

“Anyone can approach KVIC to learn about beekeeping. If a group of 20-25 individuals are willing to learn, the concerned authorities will organise workshops at your doorstep,” states Samir.

Following the training, CCF has conducted many public awareness camps in collaboration with KVIC officials with practical hands-on sessions and FAQ sessions in both rural and urban sections in Thane along with informative programs for school children.

One of the best initiatives that they could undertake was installing a beekeeping box at Yusuf Meherally Centre, where members of the Adivasi community in the region were trained and employed for care and maintenance.

“Apart from helping save the bees, this initiative is helping the community have a livelihood from selling the honey that they can collect from the box,” Samir mentions.

CCF had recently approached the city’s municipal corporation authorities with a proposal of placing at least one bee box in every municipal park in Thane.

And, they have gotten approval from the authorities!

“Through this initiative, we will be able to raise greater awareness about bees and help bust the myths surrounding the beings. Hopefully, we’ll be able to pull along more people on board towards making the environment a lot more friendly for the bees,” Samir adds.

You can read the original story that inspired the organisation here.

To get in touch with Concerned Citizen’s Forum, you can call at 9004074434 or ping them on Facebook.

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