Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Activity Update September 2015: Kanha

Team: Amit AwasthiConservation Officer
            Sampathlal Dhurve – Field assistant
           
Highlights                                                                                                                                                  
·      2 voluntary work projects for community assistance – area next to hand pump cleaned at Bhagpur and area next to well cleaned at Batwar
·      4 compost pits prepared in 4 villages
·      2 anti-plastic programmes
·      Environment education programme conducted in 12 schools - attended by 367 students
·      7 nature and wildlife film shows -- attended by 466 students
·      2 unemployed youths get jobs through our Employment Cell
·      4 awareness programmes on vegetable farming and vermi-compost
            

 Conservation 





















On September 13, Amit and Sampath led a team of 9 people in a programme to clear wild growth around a hand pump at Bhagpur. Due to heavy rains, wild growth had proliferated around the hand pump and access to the pump was affected. Our team, which comprised 5 youths and 4 women from the village, removed the wild growth and cleaned the area. Photos below.


















































A similar programme was organized on September 20 to clear the area next to a well at Batwar. Photos below.




















































Our team encourages organic farming as part of our strategy to reduce the impact of chemical fertilizers on fields adjoining prime wildlife areas. Part of our work includes assistance to villagers in setting up vermi-compost tanks and compost pits. During September, we helped 4 villagers dig compost pits – Kashiram of Samaiya on September 17, Chetu Lal Uikey of Kutwahi on September 19, Arjun Markam of Sautiya on September 24, and Drup Singh of Batwar on September 29.    

Sautiya - compost pit dug in Arjun Singh's property



















On September 8, our team organized an anti-plastic programme at Patpara. Amit and Sampath spoke to the villagers about the harmful impact of plastic/polythene on the environment and motivated them to remove such litter from the village. The team of villagers and students went around the village, collecting plastic and polythene litter/waste, which were then buried in a pit on the outskirts of the village. A similar anti-plastic programme was organized at Dhamangaon on September 23.

Dhamangaon - anti-plastic programme



















Education 
 
During the month our team organized environment education programmes in 12 schools in the villages in our area.


















Kutwahi - Sampath conducts a classroom lecture



















Education van programme

There were 7 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation in September.









Dhamangaon film screening



















Employment Cell

We helped 2 youths get jobs during the month of September.










Sant Kumar Uikey at Koushalya Resort, Mocha, his new place of work



















Livelihood programmes

As part of our programme to help villagers find alternative livelihood options which will reduce their dependence on forests, we have been encouraging people residing around Kanha to take up vegetable farming. Due to the presence of several resorts around Mocha and a steady flow of tourists, there is a good demand for fresh vegetables. Over the past 3 years, we have assisted around 15 villagers in taking up vegetable farming and they are earning around 500-1,000 rupees a week in additional income. The vegetable patches are typically of small size and located in the backyards of the residences. Some villagers have now got enough confidence to expand and are planning to use part of their farm land for this activity. To encourage more villagers to take up this activity, we conducted four awareness programmes in September at Manegaon, Batwar, Patpara and Chapri.

Batwar - awareness programme on vegetable farming and vermi-compost






No comments: