Basanti Devi, an environmentalist and social worker from Uttarakhand, has spent decades bringing rural women together to protect forests and revive the Kosi River. Through women’s collectives, awareness campaigns and community-led conservation, she encouraged villagers to use fallen wood instead of cutting living trees, prevent forest fires and restore local water sources.
Her work demonstrated how environmental protection and women’s participation can strengthen one another. Recognised with the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2016 and the Padma Shri in 2022, Devi’s journey remains an example of grassroots action for a healthier planet.
From Personal Adversity To Community Leadership
Basanti Devi’s journey began in difficult circumstances. Married as a child, she was widowed at a young age. Following her husband’s death, she found a home at Lakshmi Ashram in Kausani, Uttarakhand, where she continued her education and became involved in social work. The ashram became an important part of her life, helping her develop the confidence and skills to work with women and children in rural communities. She later took up initiatives to promote education, including opening Balwadis, or children’s centres, in villages.
Her work gradually extended beyond education and social welfare to environmental conservation. The Kosi River, an important water source in the Kumaon region, was facing declining water levels. Increasing demand for water, deforestation and pressure on the surrounding ecosystem threatened the river and the communities dependent on it. According to a government profile published by the Press Information Bureau, concerns over the river’s declining flow and deforestation prompted Devi to begin efforts to protect it in 2003.
Bringing Women Together To Protect Forests And Water
While visiting villages along the Kosi, Devi noticed that many women spent considerable time collecting firewood from forests. She began speaking to them about the consequences of cutting living trees, explaining how forest degradation could affect springs, streams and the river itself. Instead, she encouraged them to collect fallen and dry wood for fuel.
To turn awareness into collective action, Devi helped organise women into groups, including Mahila Mangal Dals and other women’s collectives. These groups encouraged households to protect trees, participate in forest conservation and take responsibility for their local natural resources. The women also undertook awareness campaigns and a padayatra along the Kosi River, speaking to communities about the importance of protecting the river basin.
The movement was not without resistance. In communities where women had limited opportunities to participate in public decision-making, their involvement in conservation required challenging established social attitudes. Devi continued engaging with villagers, encouraging women to take an active role in protecting forests and addressing local concerns. Over time, the collectives also became platforms for wider community participation and women’s empowerment.
How Forest Conservation Helped The Kosi
The impact of the community’s efforts extended beyond protecting trees. An account published by India Water Portal in 2011 documented the regeneration of broad-leaved vegetation, including oak, rhododendron and kaafal, in areas where forests had earlier been dominated by sparse pine growth. It also reported that some seasonal water sources, locally known as naulas, which had previously dried up during summer, began flowing throughout the year.
These developments highlighted the connection between healthy forests and water security. Forest ecosystems help regulate water flows, support soil health and sustain springs that communities depend on. By encouraging people to protect local vegetation, Devi’s initiative addressed environmental concerns while also strengthening the relationship between villagers and their surroundings.
The conservation effort also helped women become more active in village-level institutions. India Water Portal noted that the Mahila Sanghatan with which Devi worked participated in gram panchayats, while women increasingly took on leadership roles in local decision-making. The movement showed that environmental responsibility could create opportunities for women to influence issues affecting their communities.
Recognition And The Road Ahead
Basanti Devi received the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2016 and the Padma Shri in 2022 for her contributions to social work, environmental protection and women’s empowerment. These honours recognised decades of work rooted in community participation rather than large-scale interventions alone.
Her work also offers an important lesson for environmental action across India. Protecting rivers cannot be separated from protecting the forests, springs and communities that sustain them. Local residents, particularly women who depend closely on natural resources, must have a meaningful role in decisions concerning their conservation.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Basanti Devi’s journey reflects the idea behind Pro Planet People: environmental protection becomes more effective when individuals and communities take responsibility for the resources around them. Her work demonstrates that restoring ecosystems is not only about planting trees or conserving water; it is also about building awareness, encouraging collective participation and strengthening local leadership.
As communities across the country face water scarcity, deforestation and climate-related challenges, her experience offers a valuable example of grassroots environmental action. By bringing women together to protect the Kosi River and its forests, Devi showed how local initiatives can contribute to ecological recovery while creating space for social change. Her story reminds us that a sustainable future depends on people working together to protect the planet.
Also Read: From Firewood to Solar Energy: How HRG Is Transforming Life in Himalayan Villages
