The City-dweller and the Tiger: Activity Update November 2013: Pench Maharashtra

Team: Saket Agasti - Assistant Conservation Officer

Bandu Uikey, Dilip Lanjewar – Field Assistants

Highlights

· One voluntary work project to construct check dam at Sillari

· One voluntary work project to clean water tank at Ghatpendari

· Two nature trails at Ghoti and Ghatpendari

· One voluntary work project to clean water body for wildlife at Ghatpendari

· 2 medical camps – 54 patients treated

· Environment education programme in 12 villages in which we addressed 346 students

· Assisted Tribal Dance troop from Sawara village to organize a dance program at Go Flamingo Resort, Pauni

· Jai Gondwana SHG of Usaripar earned 600/- rupees and Geeta Dhurve of Kirangisarra earned 200 /- rupees through Souvenir Shop at Amaltas Complex, Sillari

· Assisted Forest Department to organize exposure visit for Forest Department staff and EDC members of Buldana, Akola and Khamgaon

· A meeting for the members of SHGs from Wagholi, Sillari and Pipariya was organized to tell about products that can be kept for sale at the Souvenir Shop at Amaltas Complex, Sillari

· A training was organized for SHG members and unemployed youths of nearby villages in the use of Sublimation Press Machine to print images on T-shirts, caps and mugs

· Organized 2 village meetings at Fulzari related to their relocation. One exposure visit was organized for the Fulzari villagers to Saundad village, Gondia

· Organized 5 EDC meetings of villagers on self-employment and information about new Government schemes and policies. Capacity building programmes were conducted at Ghatkukda, Ghatpendari, Kolitmara, Wanera and Kirangisarra

Conservation

On November 19, field assistant Bandu Uikey organized a voluntary work project programme at Ghatpendari village to clean water tanks built in the village. The tanks are used by cattle for drinking and by villagers for washing clothes. Photo below.

On November 16, field assistant Dilip Lanjewar and Education Officer Mandar Pingle organized a voluntary work project programme at Sillari village to build a check dam. Members of the village eco-development committee (VEDC) joined hands with our staff in the programme. The water body will help farming activities as well as wildlife in the area. Photos below.

During November, Bandu joined Forest Department staff and VEDC members on patrols in the jungle on 4 occasions (November 5, 20, 22, 30). New recruits of the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) joined the patrols and Bandu used the occasions to teach them about pug marks and techniques to make plaster casts of pug marks. On one patrol, the team recovered a net from the Pench River used by villagers for illegal fishing at Pipariya Pani, in Saat talao beat. In the patrolling near Ghatpendari village, pug marks of a tiger, leopard and sloth bear were found. Pictures were taken of the pug marks and forwarded to the Forest Department for future monitoring.

Bandu helps new STPF recruits identify pug marks

Ghatpendari - Bandu and STPF recruits discovered this net used for
illegal fishing

Bandu teaches new STPF recruits the technique
of making plaster casts of pug marks

Members of Khapa VEDC on anti-poaching patrol

Guiding new recruits of STPF on a nature trail

Bandu and STPF members cleaning a water body inside the national park

On November 2, a meeting was organized at Kirangisarra village in which various options for self-employment were discussed with villagers.

Relocation assistance

On November 5 and November 12, we helped organize VEDC meetings in Fulzari village in which issues relating to the relocation of the village were discussed. As part of the programme to facilitate relocation, the Forest Department on November 14 arranged an exposure visit to Saundad, a village in Gondia which had been relocated. The villagers from Fulzari were able to speak to the villagers of Saundad and discuss various issues relating to relocation. Range Forest officer Mr. G P Bobde, Forest Guard Mr. Bisen and our field assistant Dilip Lanjewar accompanied the villagers on this visit.

Interaction between villagers of Saundad and Fulzari

EDC-related activities

During November, we also helped organize meetings at Ghoti to facilitate the formation of a village eco-development committee.

On November 27, Forest Department staff along with VEDC members from Khamgaon, Akola and Buldana visited Sillari to learn from local villagers about the working of JFM, EDC in Pench Tiger Reserve and the resultant change in the lives of people living around the National Park. Range Forest Officer (RFO) Mr. Bhagat of Khamgaon and RFO Mr. Sabale of Buldana led a team of 23 people including forest guards and VEDC members. The team visited Wagholi village along with our field assistant Dilip Lanjewar and forest guard Mr. R.B. Bhagat and discussed issues related to EDC patrolling, JFM committees and various Government schemes and the positive effect on the lives of the villagers.

Dilip, forest department staff and others in Wagholi, discussing the working
Joint Forest Management, the Eco Development Committee and its impact
on lives of the villagers.

Environment education

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

Bandu explains the life cycle of tigers to children.
At the Nature Interpretation Centre, Sillari.

Saket Agasti and Mandar Pingle speaking to children about nature and
wildlife - at Sillari

A nature game to demonstrate how all life is connected - at Sawara

IT Education Programme

Our initiative to expose village children to computers continues at Pipariya and Sawara.

On November 9 and 10, we organized a workshop at Sillari at which our Mumbai-based volunteer Kirti Chavan taught participants computer applications including Adobe Photoshop and Corel Draw. The programme was attended by Ishwar Dhawle, our IT instructor; field assistant Dilip Lanjewar and our assistant education officer Nikhil Saryam.

Employment Cell

We assisted 11 villagers from Sawara to organize a tribal dance at Go Flamingo Resort at Pauni. They earned five thousand rupees from this programme.

On November 28, we organized a programme at Sillari in which villagers were trained in printing images on T-shirts, mugs and caps. The programme, sponsored by the Forest Department, was conducted by Madan Verma of Hira Foto Labs, of Nagpur. The villagers were taught how to use a Sublimation Press Machine to print the images. Around 15 people, including members of women’s self-help groups (SHGs) from Wagholi, Sillari and Pipariya, village youths and Forest Department staff from Pench Tiger Reserve and Tadoba-Andhari Tiger reserve participated. Photos below.

A day before the training programme, we had done the preparatory work by organizing a meeting for members of women’s SHGs from Wagholi, Sillari and Pipariya. At this meeting, Dilip Lanjewar and our Education Officer Mandar Pingle motivated the women and explained to them the opportunities to earn regular income through the souvenir shop at the Tourism Complex at Sillari. They showed them some products that could be made locally and offered for sale to tourists. 8 ladies attended this meeting.
Photo below.

As part our livelihood assistance programme, we had identified Geeta Dhurve, a girl who is hearing- and speech-impaired. Geeta, who is talented at drawing and designing, drew designs on T-shirts provided by us. These T-shirts were sold by us to tourists through the souvenir shop at the Sillari Tourism complex and Geeta earned 600 rupees from these sales. We are providing more materials to Geeta to help her generate regular income. Photo below.