The City-dweller and the Tiger: Activity Update September 2014: Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve

Team:

Bandu Kumare – Field assistant

Highlights

· One workshop on snake bites for STPF staff

· 2 community assistance voluntary work projects – one programme to clean area around hand pump at Dewada and one programme at Chorgaon to clean area around well

· One programme to dig compost pit at Bhamdeli

· Anti-plastic programmes in 2 villages – Kutwanda and Kondegaon

· One programme to celebrate Ganesha festival in eco-friendly manner at Moharli

· One programme to plant flower saplings at Adegaon

· Follow-up to plantation done earlier at Adegaon

· Classroom visits to 10 schools as part of our environment education programme – attended by 286 students

· Film shows on nature and wildlife conservation at 10 places – attended by 366 people

· Health camps in 7 villages – 175 patients treated for free

· 2 visits to follow up on status of relocated villagers of Jamni and Navegaon

Conservation

On September 9, Bandu organized a programme at Dewada to clear the area around a hand pump. Water had spilled over while people drew from the pump. Over a period of time, this had created a small marshy area, leading to proliferation of mosquitoes and insects. Our team cleared the area, removing scum and organic growth and dug a canal to drain away the water. 3 youths from the village joined Bandu in the programme. Another programme was organized on September 12 at Chorgaon to clean the area around a well. 2 youths from the village joined Bandu in this programme.

Volunteer at Chorgaon, cleaning canal for spillover water

During September, Satpuda Foundation also organized a workshop on snake bites. During the monsoon, snakes come out of their pits as these get flooded and there is greater occurrence of humans being bitten by snakes. Deputy Director of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Mr. Kadaskar, had asked us to organize workshops to provide knowledge to the members of the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) on how to deal with snake bites. We arranged for a doctor with experience in snake-bite treatment, to address the members of the STPF at Pangdi (Kolasa Range). The doctor, Pankaj Kohole, was part of our Mobile Health Unit visiting Tadoba.

Kolsa - our MHU doctor conducting a workshop on snake bites for the
Forest Department staff

On September 6, Bandu organized an anti-plastic programme at Kutwanda in which 21 students of the village’s Zilla Parishad Primary School 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 by the wind into jungle areas. The children first cleared the main road of the village of plastic litter and waste and later cleared the school premises as well.

One other anti-plastic programme was organized at Kondegaon on September 11.

On September 9, Bandu organized a programme at Adegaon to plant saplings of flowering plants. 16 students from the school joined Bandu in the programme. A total of 15 saplings were planted. The saplings included zandu, supari gend, shevanti and jagnath.

Adegaon plantation programme

On September 12, Bandu organized a programme at Adegaon to follow up on plantation of saplings done earlier in the monsoon season. This is to ensure that saplings planted during the monsoon are alive and have sufficient protection from grazing livestock. 14 students from the village school joined Bandu in the programme. Photo below.

On September 11, Bandu organized a programme at Zilla Parishad Primary School, Bamdeli to dig a compost pit into which students and school staff can drop their meal leftovers and other organic litter. 10 students of the school and one school teacher joined Bandu in this programme.