Team:
Bandu Kumare – Field
assistant
Highlights
- Awareness programmes on
forest fires in 2 villages
- Follow-up to plantation done
during the monsoon in 4 villages
- Anti-plastic programmes in 3
villages
- 2 nature trails for village
children
- One voluntary work project
to repair hand pump
- Environment education
lectures in 10 schools – attended by 378 students
- 10 film shows on nature and
wildlife – attended by 429 people
- One unemployed youth placed
in job locally
- Medical camps in 6
villages - 365 patients treated
- Two visits to Bhagwanpur to
follow up status of relocated villagers
Conservation
 |
| Cattle shed built at Bhagwanpur |
With the onset of summer, forest fires are a major hazard
across our landscape and our teams start sensitizing villagers about the harmful
effects of fires and the need for a combined effort to fight fires. Villagers
sometimes start fires deliberately to clean the growth from the forest floor.
Once the bush has been burnt, it becomes easier for them to spot and pick Mahua
flowers which fall to the ground during this season. Villagers collect the
Mahua flowers, dry them and sell them to local traders. This is a seasonal
activity, which normally lasts a month or so. These local fires sometimes
escalate into large scale forest fires and cause severe damage. It is,
therefore, necessary to make villagers aware about the dangers of forest fires
and explain to them the need to join hands in fighting this menace.
In March, Bandu conducted two awareness programmes on forest
fires at Adegaon (March 5) and Sitarampeth (March 15).
 |
| Adegaon - awareness programme on forest fires |
During the month, Bandu also 4 organized programmes to
follow-up on plantation done during the monsoon months. Last year, during the
monsoon, we had arranged for planting of saplings in different villages. Now,
we are following up to ensure that the saplings get enough water as well as
protection from grazing livestock. Details are given in the table above.
On March 15, Bandu organized an anti-plastic programme at Chorgaon
in which school students cleaned up the main village road of plastic litter and
waste. They then cleaned up the school premises. The litter/waste was then
buried in pits. 2 more anti-plastic programmes were organized during the month
at Kondegaon (Mar 25) and Junona (Mar 26).
 |
| Kondegaon - litter clean-up and anti-plastic drive |
During March, Bandu organized 2 nature trails for school
students of Dewada (Mar 5) and Katwal (Mar 25). On the trails, Bandu helped the
children identify various birds and plants and spoke to them about nature and
wildlife conservation.
As part our community assistance effort, Bandu organized a
programme on March 12 at Dewada to repair a hand pump which had fallen into
disrepair. Seven men from the village joined Bandu in repairing the hand
pump, which is used to draw drinking water.
 |
| Dewada - Bandu and the team repair the hand pump |
Education
In March, our environment
education programme covered 10 schools.
Bandu also organized a drawing competition for students of
two schools – Moharli and Bamdeli – to celebrate World Forestry Day on March
21.
 |
| Sitarampeth - Bandu speaks to children about nature and wildlife |
 |
| Moharli - children participate in drawing contest on World Forestry Day |
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| Sitarampeth - children on a nature trail |
Employment Cell
 |
| Moharli - Raju Chowke got a job as a gypsy driver through us |
Education Van
There were 10 film
shows on nature and wildlife in March.
 |
| Kutwanda - film show on nature and wildlife conservation |
MHU
There were health camps in 6 villages in March.
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| Piparheti - villagers get free treatment at our medical camp |
