Ms. Chami Murmu is an environmentalist who is popularly known as the Lady
Tarzan of Jharkhand because of her determination to protect the forests and wildlife and
enhance the livelihood of locals.

Born on 6 November, 1971 in a poor family in a small village Bhursa in Seraikela th
district, Ms. Murmu started her social life about 30 years ago. The condition was extremely
pathetic in her surrounding areas. Some people could barely manage two meals a day. She
made a team of 10 women and started working in local areas for the forests, plants and
livelihood for the local poor people. She has been mobilising women from more than 500
villages to plant Eucalyptus, Sal, and Acacia trees, among others, to replenish the forests in
Jharkhand that had been destroyed by the timber mafia. She and her group plants Neem,
Sal, and Sheesham because they are good for making furniture and building homes.

Ms. Murmu is the former Secretary of Sahayogi Mahila, Bagraisai which is
empowering women and making them self-dependent. To enhance the livelihood of the
farmers, she and the members of Sahayogi Mahila, Bagraisai are building watersheds, not
just in Seraikela Kharsawan but in the other districts, to save rainwater, which can then be
used for farming purposes.The team has also started making diversion canals and water
harvesting tanks. Through these initiatives, she and her team have given hope to the locals
and now, farmers of Jharkhand are able to plant paddy, vegetables and arhar dal and enjoy
good harvests all year around. In the last decade, more than two million trees have been
planted, under her supervision and wildlife in the region has made a comeback to
Jharkhand because of the revival of their habitat – the forests.

Ms. Murmu’s network of women has become so strong that when a tree is being cut
down illegally, information reaches to them and they immediately prevent any tree from
being chopped off. She has connected 2800 SHG (Self Help Group) groups with her and
each group have 10-15 women members. In this way she has managed to reach out to
30,000 women. All these women are able to earn by the help of SHG groups, Bank Loans
are being distributed among them with the help of Sahayogi Mahila. With the help of Bank
Loans, women are now capable for earning themselves by goat rearing, piggery, poultry
farms. They are learning hybrid technical agriculture methods. She is also providing free
education to the hundreds of poor primitive tribal girls of Jharkhand who cannot afford
study. Free hostel facilities are also provided to them.

Ms. Murmu has been awarded with ‘Indira Priyadarshini Vriksha Mitra Award’
by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India and
‘Nari Shakti Puraskar’ by the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of
India.