The project under The Himalaya Initiative, implemented through Darjeeling CCC, aims to identify Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS) in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal and transform these invasives into value-added products that can fetch income for people. This promotes ecological restoration and sustainable livelihoods, and our focus is particularly on empowering rural women.

We conducted a rapid survey in the two districts and documented IAPS in agri-ecosystems between 900–2400 m altitudes. Women from self-help groups (SHGs) across five villages in the two districts were trained through various workshops and interventions to make and sell various value-added products, such as Briquette from Lantana camara and Natural Dye extraction from Eupatorium adenphorum, Ageratum conyzoides, Chromoleana odorata and Bidens pilosa. We registered village-level community-based enterprises in the two districts under the village gram panchayat.