Activity Update April 2014: Pench Maharashtra

Team: Saket Agasti - Assistant Conservation Officer

            Bandu Uikey, Dilip Lanjewar – Field Assistants

Highlights 

·      Two programmes to clean water bodies – one at Wagholi and one at Hattigota (West Pench)

·      Field assistant Bandu Uikey and Dilip Lanjewar joined Forest Department staff on anti-poaching patrols four times separately

·      Organized two nature trails for the children of Ghoti and Sillari villages

·      One conservation rally of students from Ghatpendari village

·      4  film shows on nature and wildlife – viewed by 79  students

·      Organized 4 medical camps at which 147 patients were treated

·      Organized 5 village meetings to discuss village development issues through Village Eco Development Committee (VEDC)

·      Prepared micro-plans for development of two villages of the buffer zone

Conservation

Ghatpendari - water provided by us for langurs

On April 25, Field assistant Dilip Lanjewar, with the assistance of VEDC members,  organized a programme to clean “Shiv Kund” near Wagholi village. Shiv Kund  is a religious place and also a tourist attraction. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and a water body next to the temple. Due to the various programmes held in the area, plastic waste is dispersed all around the area, making the area and the water body unsafe for both humans and animals. As the area is on the fringe of the Tiger Reserve, wild animals like spotted deer, leopards, wild boars, etc often visit the water body. Cleaning the area reduces the danger of wild animals ingesting plastic litter.

Wagholi villagers cleaning plastic trash 

School children helped to clean the water body 

Dilip Lanjewar assisting in cleaning the water body

On April 25, Field Assistant Bandu Uikey joined forest department staff and VEDC members in a programme to clean a man-made waterhole at Hattigota beat of West Pench Range. This waterhole is situated inside the Tiger Reserve 3 km from Ghatpendari and is used by wild animals. The programme helped in clearing the stagnant water and also helped to keep tabs on any illegal activities at the waterhole. 

Team cleaning silt and organic litter from the water body

After clean-up

On April 3, Bandu Uikey and the head teacher of Ghatpendari school organized a conservation rally to spread awareness about wildlife and forests in the village. Children went through the village chanting slogans like “Bagh Bachao, Jungle Bachao, Paani Bachao” (Save Tigers, Save Forests, Save Water). Photos below.

Dilip and Bandu joined VEDC members in the community patrolling programme on April 14 and 28 and on April 8 and 14 respectively. Members on patrol searched for signs of illegal activities on the fringes of the Tiger Reserve.

VEDC members of Khapa on patrol

VEDC members of Khapoli on patrol

On April 19 and 28, Dilip took 10 children from Ghoti and 12 children from Sillari on  nature trails. On the trail he explained how to interpret signs of the wildlife in the area. He also showed them various trees and explained their value in human life.

Sillari children on a nature trail

Dilip showing children scratch marks made by a sloth bear
under a mahua tree

SF has prepared micro-plans for the VEDC of Wanera (Pench Kukda) and Siladevi villages, located in the buffer zone area of Pench Tiger Reserve.

Environmental Education Programme

There were no classroom programmes in April as schools were shut for the annual summer holiday. We organized wildlife film shows for children in the village in day time. Four such programmes were organized at Khapa, Pipariya, Sillari and Ghoti villages which were attended by a total of 79 children.

Showing wildlife films on a laptop to Ghoti children

IT Education Programme

Satpuda Foundation has been running a programme to introduce computers to children living in the remote villages adjoining Pench Tiger Reserve in both Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The Foundation has installed computers in 3 villages and hired a local trainer to impart computer skills to the children. In Maharashtra, this programme is being implemented in Sawara, with computers provided by us, and in Pipariya, using the school’s computers.

Employment Cell

On April 11, a meeting was organized for unemployed youths to guide them about livelihood opportunities and possible training options. 15 unemployed youths from Pipariya village attended the meeting.

There are a number of sewing machines lying idle at Sillari in the Forest Department’s building. On seeing these, our team suggested to Range Forest Officer (East Pench) G P Bobde that the machines could be used to train village girls. He agreed and subsequently, we identified a number of candidates who were provided with training at the village Eco-Development Committee’s expense.

Education Van Programme

There were no film shows on nature and wildlife conservation in April as schools were busy with annual exams.

Mobile Health Unit (MHU)

There were 4 medical camps in April.    


    

Dispensing medicines at the Ghatpendari camp

Ghatpendari camp