Summer 2012 Activity Update: Satpura Tiger Reserve

Highlights

·      4 shramdaans (voluntary work projects) during the month – 2 to build soak pits and 2 bori bandhaans to build check/stop dams

·      Putting up of pots for drinking water for birds

·      7 forest fire awareness programmes in Podar cluster

·      8 unemployed youths placed in jobs at Bhopal/Jabalpur at starting salary of Rs 3300/- per month

·      One training program for security guards for five youths

  Conservation

During May, we organized 4 shramdaans related to water conservation.

On May 5, field assistant Umashankar Yadav organized a program to dig a soak pit at the Government Primary School (GPS), Kukra. 13 students from the school joined hands with Umashankar in digging the pit, which will take spillover water from a hand pump in the school premises. The pit will help to recharge the water table around the hand pump.

On May 9, Umashankar organized a programme to dig a soak pit at the Government anganwadi campus. 10 students from the school joined hands with him in digging the pit, which will take spillover water from a hand pump in the school premises. The pit will help to recharge the water table around the hand pump.

On May 10, we organized a bori bandhaan programme to build a check dam on a stream around 2 kms from Birjikhapa village. 11 children from GPS Birjikhapa joined hands with Umashankar to build the dam. The resultant water body will benefit domestic livestock in the day time and wildlife at nights. Spotted deer and sloth bears are regularly spotted in the area.

 On May 12, we organized a bori bandhaan programme to build a check dam on a stream around 1.5 kms from Raikheda village. 12 People form Raikheda village joined hands with Umashankar to build the dam. The resultant water body will benefit domestic livestock in the day time and wildlife at nights. Spotted deer and sloth bears are regularly spotted in the area.

With the summer season at its peak, our team worked to put up small pots for drinking water at suitable places adjoining all the 15 villages in our area of operations - 8 villages in Matkuli cluster and 7 in the Podar cluster. This will help birds. 

Employment Cell

8 youths from both clusters got jobs in May thanks to our assistance.

Details of the placements are as follows:

Training programme 

Centre for Entrepreneurship Development of Madhya Pradesh (CEDMAP) regularly organizes livelihood and skill-enhancement training programmes at Bhopal. They invited Satpuda Foundation to send candidates from our area of operations to a programme to train youths as security guards. We identified 5 youths from the two clusters where we work and sent them to Bhopal for the programme, which ran from May 26 to 30. Satpuda Foundation bore part of the expenses for the training programme.