Team: Saket Agasti - Assistant Conservation Officer
Bandu Uikey, Dilip Lanjewar – Field
Assistants
Highlights
·
One voluntary work programme programme to build
soak pit at Ghoti village
·
One voluntary work programme to repair a soak
pit at Ghatpendari
·
One voluntary work programme to clean a
waterhole in the forest area
·
Celebrated World Environment Day by
organizing cleanliness drive
·
One anti-plastic programme in Kolitmara
village
·
One nature trail held for children of villages in
buffer zone of PTR
·
Bandu and Dilip joined Forest Department staff
on anti-poaching patrols 3 and 2 times respectively
·
Organized 6 village meetings to discuss
village development issues through Village Eco Development Committee (VEDC)
·
Organized 4 medical camps at which 71 patients
were treated.
·
Satpuda Foundation felicitated for their
conservation efforts by Forest Department along with other stakeholders on
Formation Day of PTR
Conservation
On June 7, Dilip and a team of 13
villagers of Ghoti village built a soak pit near a hand pump on the school
premises. Spill over water from the pump used to stagnate, creating a health
risk for villagers and the students. Diseases like malaria and dengue from such
stagnant water are at their peak in this season. Our team dug a soak pit
through which the spillover water percolates into the ground without
stagnating.
On June 28,
Bandu organized a voluntary work programme programme in Datizira area of west
Pench range to clean a waterhole in the jungle, around 2.5 km inside from Ghatpendari
village. 7 villagers participated in the programme. The waterhole was filled
with leaves and other organic litter, making it difficult for animals to have
access to the water. This waterhole is the only source of water for animals in
the area and it is important to maintain it, particularly as water is scarce in
summer. Deer, wild boar, gaur and monkeys are regularly spotted around the
waterhole while tigers and leopards are sighted occasionally.
On June 24, Bandu organized a voluntary
work programme programme at Ghatpendari village with 8 villagers to repair a
soak pit near a hand-pump. Vegetation growth and organic waste from trees
around had clogged the soak pit. Spillover from the hand –pump was not
percolating through the soak pit. Our team cleared the vegetation, de-silted
the soak pit and reinstalled stones and pebbles to make sure water percolates
into the ground once again.
On June 9, Bandu organized an
anti-plastic drive in Kolitmara village in which tourist guides from the area
participated. The team cleared all the plastic litter along the road in the
village.
On June 5, a programme was
organized by Dilip to celebrate World Environment Day at Ghoti village. 20
villagers participated in the event which focused on public hygiene and
cleanliness. Our team spread awareness about the need for cleanliness and
hygiene thorough the drive. It was in the support to the “Swacch Bharat
Abhiyaan” (Clean India Mission) initiated by Prime Minister of India.
Dilip joined Village Eco-Development
Committee (VEDC) members and Forest Department staff on patrols on June 23 and June
25 in the forest adjoining Khapa and Wagholi villages. The team patrolled the
borders of the villages, checking for signs of illegal activities. Bandu joined
similar patrols on June 7, 8 and 14 in West Pench Range. No illegal activity
was detected on these patrols. Pugmarks of tiger were encountered near Ghorad
village, which was noted by the forest guards accompanying the patrol for
further monitoring.
On June 19, Dilip took students from
Sillari and Pipariya on a nature trail during which he spoke to the students
about the trees and insects in the forest around their villages. The impact of
degradation of natural resources was explained to the students.
Environmental Education Programmes
There was no education programme in
June as schools were shut for the annual summer holiday.
Employment Cell
Satpuda Foundation
under its Employment Cell initiative
started a four wheeler’s driver training programme in the buffer zone of Pench
Tiger Reserve on World Environment Day, June 5. 60 youths were selected from 14
villages for the training. The candidates will be trained in driving skills and
provided with the driving licenses upon successful completion of the programme.
Job opportunities are available both locally and in nearby urban and semi-urban
centres. Locally, jobs are available as drivers of vehicles which take tourists
into the Pench Tiger Reserve. There are also jobs available as drivers of taxis
ferrying villagers locally.
Education Van Programme
There were no film shows in June
as schools were shut for the annual summer holiday.
Mobile Health Service (MHS)
There were 4 medical camps in June in which 71 patients were treated.
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