Activity Update September 2013: Pench Maharashtra

Team: Saket Agasti - Assistant Conservation Officer

            Bandu Uikey, Dilip Lanjewar – Field Assistants

Highlights

• Awareness programme on wildlife and forests on occasion of  “Pola”
• One voluntary work project to repair the bridge on Kekdi Nullah, on Ghatpendari-Narhar road
• One voluntary work project to clean and restart the use of water tank near Kirangisarra village
• Three awareness rallies held in which 130 students participated
• Field assistant Bandu Uikey, Dilip Lanjewar joined Forest Department staff on anti-poaching patrols seven times. 
• Planted around 450 saplings with the help of VEDC members near Ghatpendari and Salai villages
• Cleaned a lake near Ghatpendari village after “Ganesh Utsav”
• Organized village meetings at Kirangisarra to start community patrolling through Village Eco Development Committee  
• Organized meetings of villagers for Eco friendly celebration of “Ganesh Utsav”
• Environment education programme in 12  villages in which we addressed 396 students
• Assisted 11 unemployed youth to get vocational training to increase their earning power
• 5 medical camps – 258 patients treated

Conservation:

September 9 - 19 was “Ganesh Utsav", a festival in which Hindus worship Lord Ganesha. The festival is marked by community gatherings daily. We used these festival gatherings to spread the message of wildlife conservation by screening films on nature and wildlife conservation and conducting awareness programmes.

Night show at Khapa village

Ghoti village near the Ganesh Utsav stall

On September 14, a voluntary work project was organized at Kirangisarra village. A water tank built by the Village Eco-Development Committee (VEDC) had fallen into disuse due to grass and garbage around the tank. A team led by Field Assistant Mr. Dilip Lanjewar cleaned the area and tank. Fresh water was filled in the tank and the villagers have started to use it.  Chorbauli Range Forest Officer (RFO) Mr. Pokle and his staff also assisted in the programme.

Water tank at Kirangisarra before clean-up

Cleaning in progress

The tank after the area was cleaned

Kolitmara - clearing the school compound of wild growth after heavy
monsoon rains

On September 6,7,15,19,22,27 Field Assistants Mr. Bandu Uikey and Mr. Dilip Lanjewar assisted VEDC members in community patrolling. Photo below.

Kirangisarra - we called villagers to a meeting to discuss the launch of
community patrolling in the area

Around 450 saplings were planted with the help of VEDC and Gram Panchayat near Ghatpendari and Salai villages. Plants included Gulmohar, Karanj, Amla, etc. Photo below.

Environment Education Programmes

In September, our team conducted environment education programmes in 12 schools in our area of operations. 

Bandu talks to children in Kolitmara about nature
conservation

IT Education Programme

Satpuda Foundation has been running an initiative to introduce computers to village children living on the fringes of Pench Tiger Reserve. This is currently being implemented in Sawara and Pipariya and our team is teaching the children the basics of computers and how to use various software packages and IT-based educational tools.

Computer class in Sawara

Employment Cell

The Forest Department had arranged for youths from villages in Pench to get trained as crane operators through a programme run by the Confederation of Indian Industries at Chindwara. In a second programme at Rajnandgaon youths were to get trained as housekeeping supervisors in the hospitality industry. As we have a strong network and have built up a database on unemployed youths, the Forest Department asked us to assist in selecting the right candidates. We identified 11 youths for the 2 programmes and all of them are undergoing training. Their details are given below:

Education Van Programme

There were 8 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation in September.

Children from Pipariya watching a wildlife film

Mobile Health Unit (MHU)

Our team assisted Nature Conservation Society, Amravati in conducting 5 medical camps in September. Photos below of the Ghatpendari camp.