Raksha villagers in Melghat show the way in water conservation

Amravati: While Maharashtra is fighting against drought, Raksha village in Melghat Tiger Reserve showed the way by constructing a bandh at Hattikindi near Raksha.

As water is a limiting factor in Melghat, there is a shortage of drinking water for wild animals during the summer which forces them to migrate towards human settlements. Once they come close to villages, domestic dogs chase and kill the herbivores. It also leads to human-wildlife conflict.

NCSA decided to address this issue by constructing a bandh in Melghat TR. NCSA conservation officer Rahul Kalmegh explained this idea to the villagers of Raksha who responded positively and immediately.

Suresh Kashiram Hekade, Motilal Dhanu Kasdekar, Ramesh Channu Jamunkar, Arjun Sakharam Kasdekar, Shankar Shinde, Santhulal Lala Bethekar all came forward to build the bandh as a voluntary work project. 

There was a natural perennial water streamlet near Hattikundi close to Raksha Village. Villagers disilted the stream and then worked hard to construct the bandh. Today the entire bandh has filled up. And the villagers are smiling!

Melghat Tiger Reserve staff Mr. Chormange who is a forest Guard, Mr. Dhotre, Forest Guard, also took part.

Activity Update January 2013: Pench Madhya Pradesh

Team: Anoop Awasthi – Conservation Officer

            Niranjan Hinge – Field assistant

            Bandu Uikey – Field assistant

 

Highlights

·      One voluntary work project to clean area around hand pump at Khamba

·      2 nature trails for students of  Aamajhari and Telia

·      Environment Education  Programme in 13  villages – attended by 605 students

·      Wildlife film shows in 6  villages – attended by 193 villagers

·      6  medical camps –  238  patients treated

Conservation

Aawarghani  - tribal dance group performing at a resort

On January 12, Niranjan led 8 children from Aamajhari village on a nature trail in the jungle adjoining the village. On the trail, Niranjan identified various species of local flora and fauna and explained the need for conservation to the children. Another nature trail was organized on January 25 for 14 students of Telia village.

Children of Telia on a nature trail

On January 30, Anoop and Niranjan led a team of 10 children of Khamba village in a programme to clean the area surrounding a hand pump. The ditch next the hand pump, meant to drain spillover water away, had become clogged with organic waste and weeds had sprouted in it, hindering the flow of water.  Our volunteer team cleaned up the ditch to ensure proper drainage of spillover water.

Khamba: Drainage canal being cleaned to allow the spillover water from
the pump to flow away

Khamba: area next to the hand pump being cleaned

Education

In January, our team conducted environment education programmes in 13 schools in our area of operations.

Environment education through a nature game at Telia

Satosha - Niranjan Hinge talks to children about nature and wildlife

Education van programme

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

Wildlife film show at Khamrith

Mobile Health Unit (MHU)

We assisted Nature Conservation Society, Amravati in holding 6 medical camps in January.

Forest Department staff attending our medical amp at Jamtara

Jamtara MHU - a village lady registers for treatment

A patient gets an infected wound treated at our medical camp
in Murer

Camp at Muharjir