Activity Update October 2018: Pench-Bor Corridor

Highlights:

Cleanliness drive at Lohgad

Lohgad children on a rally during Wildlife Week

Painting competition during Wildlife Week in Lohgad

Paper bag made by women in Telgaon after our training

Shubham Gaydhane at the mushroom cultivation
plant he set up after our training - Telgaon

Telgaon children on a conservation rally during Wildlife Week

Telgaon school children after a painting contest during Wildlife Week

Suchit Thakare at his mushroom cultivation unit
at Telgaon

Conservation rally at Telkamthi

Rally and slogans on conservation themes, at Telkamthi

Members of the Durga Mahila SHG learning how to make paper bags
at Umari

The Durga Mahila SHG with paper bags they've made

Essay competition in Umari during Wildlife Week

THE FULL REPORT

Mandar Pingle – Conservation Officer
Nilesh Telang – Field Assistant

Highlights:

·                Wildlife Week celebrated in 9 schools of Pench-Bor corridor; 1900 students participated
·      One women’s self help group (SHG) formed in Umri
·      Organised 2 training programs on making paper bags; 32 women trained
·      Two ‘Primary Response Units’ to tackle man-animal conflict situations formed in Raibasa and       Bidgaon villages
·      Gram Sabha resolution passed in Telgaon to form Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Jan Van Yojna committee
·      Assisted Forest Department in monitoring leopard movement in order to avoid any man-animal conflict in villages of Kalmeshwar range

Activities:

Satpuda Foundation celebrated Wildlife Week during the first week of October 2018 in 7 villages of Pench-Bor corridor.

Around 1900 students of 9 schools took part in various activities during the celebrations. Drawing competition was organised for students of classes 5-7 in Telgaon, Umari, Lohgad and Telkamthi villages. Students painted pictures depicting rich biodiversity of India.

Students of classes 8-10 from Telgaon, Umari, Lohgad and Telkamthi wrote essays to convey why it is necessary to protect wildlife and environment. Students wrote about their experiences from nature camp in Pench Tiger Reserve as well indicating a positive impact. The nature camp was organised earlier by us.

Awareness rallies and cleanliness drive rallies were organised in Telgaon, Lohgad and Telkamthi villages. Students raised slogans to urge villagers to ensure that our natural heritage is protected and conserved for future generations. Classroom awareness sessions were arranged for students of Zilla Parishad primary schools of Bidgaon and Temburdoh villages.

On 17 October, Satpuda Foundation assisted 12 women of Umri village in forming a self help group (SHG). The group is named ‘Durga Mata Mahila Bachat Gat’. A bank account in local branch of Bank of Maharashtra was opened by the SHG. 

Satpuda Foundation assisted the SHG in registering under the Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission (MSRLM) in Panchayat Samiti, Saoner. Mr Roshan Lakadkar, extension officer for MSRLM had provided details of various government schemes during a meeting on 11 October. Satpuda Foundation organised a program to train members of Durga Mata Mahila Bachat Gat in making paper bags. Nilesh taught the members how to prepare paper bags from old newspapers and brown paper. Bags of various sizes were prepared by the ladies during the training. Along with bags, they also learnt to prepare envelopes from the leftover paper. 

On 29 October, a similar training program was organised by Nilesh for 20 women from Gondikhapa village. He also provided information regarding the marketing of the bags and envelopes in local and urban markets.

On 16 September, Mandar had addressed the villagers during a Gram Panchayat meeting in Telgaon village in which he had had explained that it is necessary for the village to ensure that the local environment and forest area is improved. He had explained that socio-economic conditions can be improved by ensuring better forest and environment.

In order to achieve this, Maharashtra State Government is implementing  the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Jan Van Yojana in villages located near tiger reserves and in tiger corridors. Mandar had provided details of the scheme and urged the villagers to implement this scheme in their village.

On 15 October, the villagers of Telgaon passed a Gram Sabha resolution to form a committee to implement Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Jan Van Yojna in their village. The resolution was handed over to RFO Mr Gawande of Kalmeshwar territorial range.

On 16 October, a ‘Primary Response Unit’ to tackle man-animal conflict situations was formed. Mandar and Nilesh along with Forest Guard Mr. Munde organised a meeting at Raibasa village in Khapa territorial range in Saoner taluka.

During the meeting, Mandar cited the example of a leopard rescued from a well in Kocchi village last month and explained to the villagers that it is necessary for them to support the Forest Department.

Mandar explained that it is also responsibility of the villagers to provide information regarding crop damage cases, forest fires or any other man-animal conflict situation that might arise in the village. A  Primary Response Unit of seven young villagers in the age group of 20-35 years was formed. These 7 young villagers volunteered to form the unit.

A similar Primary Response Unit was also formed in Bidgaon (Jatamkhora) village on the same day.

On 21 October, villagers from Panubali of Kalmeshwar territorial range informed Satpuda Foundation about the sighting of a leopard with 4 cubs in a sugarcane field adjoining their village. Our field assistant Nilesh informed Round Officer Mr. Tibole and Forest Guard Mr. Pauljhagade about the leopard sighting.

Nilesh, along with the Forest Department staff, visited the village and confirmed the leopard’s presence from pug marks. They organised a meeting with members of Gram Sabha and instructed them to inform villagers to take precautions to avoid any conflict situation. They were instructed to tie cattle inside sheds, avoid venturing in the farms alone during dusk and after dawn, avoid defecation in the open etc.

On 23 October a similar meeting was organised in Telkamthi village after the leopard was sighted in the farm of Mr Sheshrao Bankar. A foot patrol was also done in the area surrounding these villages to monitor movement of the leopard. No cattle kill or conflict situation has been reported so far from the villages.