Activity Update October 2018: Kanha

Highlights:

Plastic litter clean-up drive in Batwar

Environment education class at Batwar school, by Field Assistant
Sampathlal Dhurve

Clearing wild growth around the well in Batwar, to prevent conflict
with snakes and scorpions

Conservation Officer Amit talks to villagers about the advantages
of cooking gas compared with firewood 

Kitchen garden set up at Maya Bai Pusham's home in Chhapri

Chhapri - vermi-compost tank set up by Rambharosh Pusham
with our assistance

Ramnath Uikey preparing a compost pit in his backyard at Kutwahi

Sampathlal Dhurve conducting a nature
education program in Sautiya

Rohit Uikey, who got a job at Kanha Resort through our team

Team: Amit Awasthi – Conservation Officer

            Sampathlal Dhurve – Field assistant

           

Highlights                                                                                                                                                  

·      Celebrated Wildlife Week in 7 villages

·      2 voluntary work projects for community assistance – areas next to well cleaned at Batwar and  Patpara

·      6 awareness programs on LPG connection under Ujjwala scheme

·      Assisted 12 villagers to get LPG connection under Ujjwala scheme

·      3 compost pits prepared in 3 villages

·      One person trained in preparing vermi-compost pit

·      2 anti-plastic programs

·      Environment education program conducted in 10 schools - attended by 342 students

·      6 nature and wildlife film shows -- attended by 533 students

·      3 unemployed young villagers get jobs through our Employment Cell

·      Kitchen garden prepared at SHG member’s house in Chapri

Conservation work

On October 13, Amit and Sampath led a team of 8 people in a program to clear wild growth around a well at Batwar. Due to heavy rains during the monsoon, wild growth had proliferated around the well and access to the well was affected. Our team, which comprised 6 young villagers and 2 women from the village, removed the wild growth and cleaned the area.

A similar program was organised on October 23 to clear the area next to a well at Patpara.

We also held 6 programs during October to promote awareness about the benefits of cooking gas (LPG) over firewood. The Government provides connections under the “Ujjwala” scheme. During these meetings, the villagers were provided information regarding this scheme and the process for applying for connections.

Details of the meetings are given in the table.

We assisted 12 villagers in filling up and submitting applications for connections under the scheme. They will get the LPG connection soon. Details are given in the following table.

Our team encourages organic farming as part of our strategy to reduce the impact of chemical fertilisers on fields adjoining prime wildlife areas. Part of our work includes assistance to villagers in setting up compost pits. During October, we helped 3 villagers dig compost pits – Bharat Markam of Sautiya on October 11, Ramlal Baiga of Dhamangaon on October 14, and Ramnath Uikey of Kutwahi on October 25.    

On October 22, our team provided training to Rambharosh Pusham of Chapri village on preparing vermi-compost.

On October 24, our team organised an anti-plastic program at Batwar. 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. A 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 program was organised at Chapri on October 25.

Education

  

During the month our team organised environment education programs in 10 schools in the villages in our area of operations.

Education van program

There were 6 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation in October.

Employment Cell

We helped 3 young villagers get jobs during the month of October.

Livelihood programs

A kitchen garden was prepared by Mrs. Maya Bai Pusham in Chapri village under the guidance of Amit and Sampath. She is the president of Mahaveer SHG. She was taught to grow vegetables with less water and without using chemical fertilisers. Our team also provided vegetable seeds to Maya Bai. This vegetable garden will help to improve her family’s income.