The Chipko movement was a forest conservation movement that began in the 1970s in India to protect trees from being cut down. It inspired non-violent protest and helped slow rapid deforestation. The movement started when villagers, primarily women, embraced trees to prevent them from being cut down by loggers. The movement spread across several states in India and was successful in establishing a 15-year ban on tree felling in Himalayan forests. It increased environmental awareness and conservation efforts in India.

1. The chipko movement
Submitted to:
Bharti Singh Raipat
HOD
Dept.of Zoology
St.Xavier’s College
Ranchi
Submitted By:
Sujata Kumari
Class Roll no.:456
Exam Roll no.:22BS57410412

2. INTRODUCTION
▪ It was primarily a forest conservation
movement.
▪ It inspired many eco-groups by helping
slow down rapid deforestation.
▪ It created a precedent for non-violent
protest started in India.
▪ It stirred up the civil society in India to
address the issue of tribal people.

3. ▪ It was started in 1970 aimed to
protect trees.
▪ It was started in the northern
Himalayan segment.
▪ The word “Chipko” refers to
“Stick” or “to hug”.
▪ The word came from a word
meaning “embrace”.
▪ The main objective of this
movement was to ensure an
ecological balance.

4. History of Chipko Movement
▪ Chipko movement was a daring act of non-
violence.
▪ It was carried out all over India in order to
save trees of the forest for being cut down.
▪ It was originated in Rajasthan in 20th
century.
▪ BISHNOI community living around the forest
protested against the king wishes to cut down
the forest trees.
▪ Women and men hugged the trees to prevent
cutting down the trees.
▪ Many people lost their lives during protest.

5. CAUSES OF CHIPKO MOVEMENT
▪ In Uttarakhand during the 20th
century, large scale
deforestation brought a lot of
hardships to common people.
▪ Problems arose due to
inefficient policies of the
government.
▪ Lack of environmental &
ecological awareness in society.
▪ People gave up on keeping
large livestock.

6. ▪ Caused malnutrition among people.
▪ Heavy effect on the ecological balance of the
region. ▪ Poor condition of land.
▪ Scarcity of drinking water.
▪ Government turned deaf ears to the people's
conditions.

7. RISE OF CHIPKO MOVEMENT
▪ On March 26, 1974, in the absence of men of Reni village &
DGSS workers, lumber Laborers arrived by the truckload to start
logging operation.
▪ Gaura Devi, along with 27 of village women confronted the
loggers.
▪ Loggers threatened them.
▪ Women held bravely & hugged the trees.
▪ Next day the movement spread to the neighboring villages.
eventually only after few hours Stand-off the contractors left.
▪ Women were the backbone of the Chipko Movement.
▪ The movement also caught fire in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka.

8. FOUNDER OF CHIPKO MOVEMENT
▪ Sunder Lal Bahuguna
(Environmentalist) .
▪ Enlightened the country
and our world about the
movement, its success, and
environmental impact.
▪ Padmabhushan winner for
his contribution in the
movement.

9. WHY DID WOMEN SUPPORT CHIPKO MOVEMENT?
▪ The message of the Chipko workers made a
direct appeal to rural women.
▪ For rural women, saving the environment was
crucial to their economic survival.
▪ As primary food, fuel, and water gatherers,
women had a strong interest in reversing
deforestation, desertification and water
pollution.
▪ Thus when Mahatma Gandhi gave a call to
women to come out of their homes to work for
the cause, sheer survival made women support
the movement.

10. Women’s role in Chipko movement
▪ In the case of women’s role in the Chipko movement,
(Chipko a word meaning hugging) is used to describe the
movement because local village women literally “hugged”
trees, interposing their bodies between the trees and the
loggers to prevent their being cut down.

11. Success of Chipko movement
▪ Success of Chipko movement.
▪ The movement has spread to many states in the country.
▪ It stopped the felling of trees in the Western Ghats and
the Vindhyas.
▪ Generated pressure for the formulation of natural
resource policy.
▪ Achieved a major victory in 1980 with a 15-year ban on
green felling in the Himalayan forests.
▪ More than 1,00,000 trees have been saved from
excavation.

12. ▪ Started protecting
forest slopes and
Restoring bare ones.
▪ Afterward environmental
awareness increased
dramatically in India.
▪ New methods of forest
farming have been
developed, both to
conserve the forests and
create employment.
▪ By 1981, over a million
trees had been planted
through their efforts.
▪ Villagers paid special
attention in care of the
trees and forest trees are
being used judiciously.

13. THANK
YOU