Text in brief defines the journey of Village Khonoma in Nagaland from a , hunting focussed and non-caring environment village to become first green village of the country- which has banned hunting of birds/animals; set up first community led sanctuary and promoted protection of flora/fauna in both village and the periphery- to create a model & set an example in hill area development for promoting environment and ecology

1. First Green Hill Village of India--Village Khonoma ; Nagaland
.
With history spanning over 700 years, located at a distance of about 20 km west
from Kohima, capital of Nagaland, at an altitude of 1621 meters, housing a population of
1943, settled in 424 households, valued for eco-tourism and historical battles with British,
Village Khonoma, home to Angami Naga Tribe of Nagaland, is known as Asia’s first
green village. Known for active involvement and intensity of hunting animals and cutting
down of trees in the forests, Village Khonoma suffered enormous damage, dilution and
destruction of ecology, biodiversity and environment besides loss of valuable rare fauna.
Climax of this persistent damage and destruction was recorded in the year 1998, when
300 birds, belonging to the endangered Blyth's tragopans specie, were killed by the
villagers in one week, as part of a hunting competition. This mass killing of rare bird and
destruction of flora and fauna led the ultimate transformation of villagers of Khonoma,
from destroyers to protectors of environment and the birds.
The radical transformation was the outcome of active involvement of the government
officials, village elders, village council, engaging villagers and involving the experienced
hunters, to save the local ecology and fast extinguishing bird population. As part of great
initiative, spanning over five years, village Council demarcated a 20 sq km area within
which cutting of trees and hunting was banned. In addition, village also witnessed the
coming up of first community-led, conservation project in India by the name, Khonoma
Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary (KNCTS) in the year 2005, due to the
successful conservation efforts. Shifting of almost all the families from hunting to farming
" and exemplary efforts/decision of the village to ban all cutting & felling of trees and

2. hunting birds, gradually started grabbing national attention as well as sourcing
international recognition, which led to village Khonoma earning the name- India's first
"green village.
Khonoma is now universally known for its fort, dense jungles and unique terraced form
of agriculture, locally and globally. Asa part of green initiative homes of the local people
have undergone total transformation which remain decorated with exotic orchids and
flowers in various hues, making it a unique experience to walk around the narrow lanes
and alleys of village of Khonoma. Roofs of all the homes of Khonoma were also painted
in green as part of the ‘Green Village Project’. In addition, village is known for its initiative
in cleanliness. Dustbins have been placed all across the village streets, shops, walls
and railings in order to ensure no non-degradable waste is thrown on the streets. With
children of Khonoma, being taught about the cleanliness at a very early age; cleanliness
has emerged as a culture and made part of human living. This is how village Khonoma
manages to remain clean and clutter free throughout the year. Taking ownership of its
ecosystem, the community follows its own eco-friendly version of farming called Jhum
agriculture, which is known to enrich the soil from within.
Note ; Text detailed above is based on the input received from; Barua Ananaya;
Inspirational Rural India; 20 Inspiring Villages Giving Life to India’s Vision for a Self-
Reliant Future; January 26, 2022- for Inspirational Villages & .Dey Panchali; Khonoma,
India’s first green village—its journey from hunting to conservation;
timesofindia.com/Travel Trends, Kohima; updated : Sep 26, 2020; which is gratefully and
thankfully acknowledged.