The City-dweller and the Tiger: Activity Update June 2014: Kanha

Team: Amit Awasthi – Conservation Officer

Sampathlal Dhurve – Field assistant

Highlights

· 2 voluntary work projects for community assistance – area next to well cleaned at Samaiya and area next to hand pump cleared at Manegaon

· 3 awareness programmes on seeds, improved farming techniques and bio-gas

· Plantation programme – 75 pits dug in 3 villages for planting saplings during monsoon

· 3 compost tanks built in 3 villages

· 2 anti-plastic programmes

· 2 bio-gas units repaired

· 2 unemployed youths placed in local jobs

Conservation

In community assistance work, our team organized a programme on June 13 to clean the area next to a well at Samaiya. There was substantial water stagnation from water spilt when villagers filled up buckets and vessels from the well. This had created a small marsh and water was spreading to the village road. Insects were also breeding in the water, creating a health hazard. Six youths, two male adults and four ladies from the village joined Amit and Sampath in clearing the area. Photo below.

A similar programme was organized on June 21 to clear the area next to a hand pump at Manegaon. Photos below.

During the month, Amit organized 3 awareness programmes on improved farming techniques so that farmers can improve their yield. During the programmes, the farmers were also taught how to treat seeds before planting. Amit also used the programmes to promote the use of bio-gas. Details of the programmes are given in the table above.

Manegaon - awareness programme on treatment of seeds and improved
farming techniques

Our team encourages organic farming as part of our strategy to reduce the impact of chemical fertilizers on fields adjoining prime wildlife areas. Part of our work includes assistance to villagers in setting up vermi-compost tanks and compost pits. During May, we helped 3 villagers dig compost pits – Drup Singh of Batwar on June 12, Santo Bai Maravi of Patpara on June 19 and Ujiyar Singh of Sautiya on June 20.

Compost pit in Santo Bai Maravi's backyard

Sautiya - compost pit dug in Ujiyar Singh Uikey's backyard

Ahead of the monsoon, our teams across the landscape have been motivating and assisting villagers to collect seeds, prepare saplings and dig pits so that a plantation drive can be launched once the rains set in. In villages in our area of operations, Amit organized for 75 pits to be dug during June. Field Director, Kanha Tiger Reserve, has promised to support our initiative and will provide saplings free of cost for the programme.

Chapri - Pits dug for plantation at EGS school

Manegaon - pits dug for planting saplings in Tulsiram Pandre's yard

On June 16, our team organized an anti-plastic programme at Kutwahi. Amit and Sampath spoke to the students of the village school about the harmful impact of plastic/polythene on the environment and motivated them to remove such litter from the village. The students went around the village, collecting plastic and polythene litter/waste, which were then buried in a pit on the outskirts of the village. A similar programme was organized at Patpara on June 22.

Kutwahi - plastic litter collected

In order to reduce the dependence of villagers on forests for firewood, we encourage them to use alternative sources of energy. As part of this programme, we assist villagers in repairing bio-gas units (set up by the Forest Department) which have fallen into disrepair. In June, we helped two villagers, Balram Choudhry and Pancho Bai Uladi of Batwar restart their units.