Activity Update February 2014: Tadoba

Team:

Bandu Kumare – Field assistant

Highlights

·      One water conservation activity – voluntary work project to build check dam near Moharli

·      3 community assistance voluntary work projects – two programmes to clean areas around wells at Katwal and Sitarampeth and one programme at Chorgaon to clean area around hand pump

·      One programme to clear a water tank near Kondegaon used for drinking by both domestic livestock and wild animals 

·      Anti-plastic programmes in 3 villages – Sitarampeth, Mudholi and Bamdeli

·      Follow-up to plantation done earlier at Kondegaon and Kutwanda

·      Classroom visits to 10 schools as part of our environment education program – attended by 279 students

·      1 nature trail for students of Kutwanda

·      Film shows on nature and wildlife conservation at 11 places – attended by 504 people

·      Health camps in 6 villages – 250 patients treated

·      2 visits to Bhagwanpur to follow up on status of relocated villagers  

Conservation

As part of our water conservation work, Bandu organized a voluntary work project on February 20 to build a check dam around 3.5 km from Moharli on a stream in the jungle. Two villagers, two youths, 4 teachers and 40 students from the village’s Zilla Parishad Primary School joined hands with Bandu in the programme. The resultant body will benefit wildlife. Chital, wild boars and barking deer are regularly seen in the area while tigers, leopards and sloth bears are sighted occasionally.

Stream on which the dam was built

Volunteers build check dam

40 school children took part

Team poses after completing the check dam

On February 6, Bandu organized an anti-plastic programme at Sitarampeth in which 15 students of the village’s Zilla Parishad Primary School (ZPPS) participated. Bandu explained the harmful effects of plastic on the environment and the need to keep plastic litter and waste buried so that they aren’t blown away into jungle areas. The children first cleared the main road of the village of plastic litter and waste and later cleared the village temple premises as well. Photo below.

Two other anti-plastic programmes were organized -- at Mudholi on February 17 and at Bamdeli on February 20.  

Bandu also organized 3 community assistance programmes during the month. On February 15, he organized a programme to clear the area around a well at Katwal and on February 18 at Sitarampeth. In both places water, which had spilled over while people drew from the well, had stagnated, leading to proliferation of mosquitoes and insects. Our teams cleared the areas, removing scum and organic growth and dug canals to drain away the water. At Katwal, 3 youths from the village joined Bandu in the programme. At Sitarampeth, 3 youths from the village joined Bandu. A similar programme was organized on February 26 at Chorgaon to clean the area around a hand pump.

Chorgaon - canal dug to drain away spillover water

On February 17, Bandu organized a programme at Kondegaon to follow up on plantation of saplings done last year. This is to ensure that saplings planted during the monsoon are live and have sufficient protection from grazing livestock. 14 students from the village school joined Bandu in the programme. A similar programme was organized on February 18 at Kutwanda in which 17 students participated.

Education

During the month, our team made classroom visits to 10 schools to educate children about nature and wildlife conservation.

Katwal - Bandu speaks to school children about nature and conservation

Education Van

During February, we organized 11 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation, attended by 504 people. The details are given below:

Talk before the film show at Chorgaon

Junona - the film being screened in the evening so adults can attend
after the day's work

MHU

There were 6 health camps in February.

Dewada - patients register for our free medical camp