Activity Update January 2013: Kanha

Team: Amit Awasthi – Conservation Officer

            Sampathlal Dhurve – Field assistant

           

Highlights

·      Water conservation – two voluntary work projects to build check dams at Samaiya and Chapri

·      2 anti-plastic programmes

·      2 vermi-compost pits

·      2 awareness programmes on vermi-compost

·      Environment education programme conducted in 10 villages - attended by 354 students

·      2 conservation rallies by village students

·      3 unemployed youths placed in local jobs

·      Seven film shows on nature and wildlife conservation – attended by 413 people

Conservation

As part of our water conservation activities, we organized a programme on January 21 to build a check dam on a stream near Samaiya. 10 village youths teamed up with Amit and Sampath to build the check dam on Dala nallh, which is a stream around 100 metres from the village. Thick forest of the buffer zone starts from this stream and wild animals are regularly seen in the area of the check dam. Villagers have reported regular sightings of sloth bears and gaur in this area.

Samaiya - Dala Nallah before the project

Filling bags with sand to build the check dam

Constructing the dam with the sand bags

The dam completed

On January 27, a similar programme was organized at Bawan Jodi nallah, around half a kilometre from Chapri, in the direction of Kutwahi. The stream lies in thick jungle and both tiger and leopard pug marks are seen regularly near the water body. A total of 11 people, including schools students and village youths, joined hands with Amit and Sampath in building the check dam.

Chhapri - Bawanjodi Nallah before our project

Amit Awasthi briefs volunteers on building the check dam

The dam being constructed 

The Bawanjodi Nallah dam completed

On January 5, our team organized an anti-plastic programme at Samaiya. They explained to the students of the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) School about the harmful impact of plastic/polythene on the environment and motivated them to remove such litter from the village. The 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 programme was organized at Manegaon on January 10.

Above, below: the plastic clean-up drive at Samaiya

We also assisted two villagers in preparing vermi-compost tanks as part of our goal to encourage organic farming. Details of the pits are given in the table above. 

Chapri - Omprakash Uikey at his vermi-compost tank

During January, our team also organized two programmes to promote awareness about the benefits of organic farming. The programmes were held at Batwar on January 7 and at Samaiya on January 14.

We had sponsored a cricket tournament for youths in which teams from 26 villages lying on the fringes of Kanha National Park participated. This was part of our strategy to engage communities. The matches were played in December and January. The final was played on January 12. The prize-giving function was attended among others by the Deputy Ranger (Khatiya) R R Jhariya, the sarpanch of Mocha Gram Panchayat  Shri Ramprasad Uikey and the officer in charge of Khatiya police station, sub-inspector Dharmendar Khuswaha. In return for our sponsorship and assistance in conducting the tournament, the youths have promised to assist in conservation activities. The team from Bargi village won the tournament, beating the team from Tatri.

Amit Awasthi at the toss of the tournament final

Mocha Gram Panchayat president Shri Ramprasad Uikey
being introduced to finalists of the tournament

The Sarpanch hands over the first prize

Deputy Ranger (Khatiya Range) R R Jhariya being welcomed at the final

Villagers at the final of the tournament

Winners and runners-up pose with their medals and trophies

Amit speaks to the villagers about conservation
at the conclusion of the tournament

Education

During the month our team organized environment education programmes in 10 schools in the villages in our area of operations.

During the month, our team also organized two conservation rallies – one each at Patpara (Jan 7) and Samaiya (Jan 26). The children went around their villages, chanting slogans in favour of conservation.

Samaiya - Amit speaks to school children after leading them
on a conservation rally on Republic Day

Employment Cell

We helped three youths get jobs during the month of January.

Manoj Marawi outside Green Valley Resort, where he got a job with our help

Our Kanha team has been encouraging local villagers to take up vegetable farming on a commercial basis in a bid to help them generate additional income. There is scope for commercial farming of vegetables due to the large number of hotels and resorts around Kanha.

Pappu Nanda and Paramanand Nanda (of Kutwahi) have earned Rs 1,000/- per week in January. Jaisingh of Patpara earned Rs 500/- per week in January. These earnings represent additional income to them.

Education Van

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

Dhamangaon - film show on wildlife