Tuesday, March 26, 2013

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.


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