Activity Update October 2014: Navegaon-Nagzira

Team:

Mukund Dhurve       – Conservation Officer

Jivraj Salam              -   Field assistant

Salimkumar Dhurve – Field assistant

Highlights

·      Joined Forest Department staff on 6 patrols

·      1 community assistance voluntary work project – programme to clean area next to hand pump at Mangezari.

·      1 programme to clean water hole in the buffer area of Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary in compartment  no. 109  

·      Wildlife week celebrated

·      Organized 6 medical camps at which 184 patients got free treatment

Conservation

Our team organized a community assistance programme on October 19 to clear the area around a hand pump at Mangezari. 7 unemployed youths participated in this programme which was led by Mukund and Salimkumar.

In this place, water had spilled over while people drew from the hand pump and had stagnated, leading to proliferation of mosquitoes and insects. Our teams cleared the area, removing scum and organic growth and dug a canal to drain away the water.

Mangezari - volunteers cleaning area around the hand pump

Mangezari plastic litter clean-up drive

Our team joined the Forest Department in day and night patrols on the road from Mangezari to Kodebarra and Mangezari to Jindatola on October 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26.  Patrolling was intensified in the area after a tiger was spotted on October 21 as officials wanted to monitor the movement of the tiger and ensure that it was safe from poachers.

The area is known to attract poachers as power cables are strung on poles erected by the side of the road. In the past, there have been instances of poaching on this road when poachers used hooks and wires to draw power from the cables and killed animals by electrocution. Sometimes, wires are drawn several hundred meters into the jungle from the cables. At least one gaur and one leopard have been killed over the past year, using this method. Besides our staff, volunteers from a youth club at Mangezari also joined in the patrols. The youth club was set up with our assistance and is mentored by Mukund Dhurve.

Anti-poaching patrol in Compartment 110

Patrol in Compartment 109

Night patrol between Mangezari and Kodebarra

On October 18, we also organized a patrol in Compartment 109 during which our team

cleaned a water hole in the Compartment. The water body was clogged with organic litter and dust. Our team removed the litter and de-silted the water body. Photo below.

We also organized a range of activities to celebrate the Wildlife Week between October 12 and October 7. Officials of the Forest Department participated in all the activities which involved 8 schools in our area of operations. .

The Government of Maharashtra has issued the buffer zone notification for the Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve. Following this, doubts have sprung up in the minds of villagers as to how they will be affected by the notification. Due to the doubts, some villagers have started opposing the notification. To clear these doubts and misgiving, we organized a series of awareness programmes in various villages during October. The details are as follows:

Pitezari – October 26

Lendezari – October 30

On October 14, we participated in a programme to train guides working in New Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary. Mukund taught the guides the basics of interaction with tourists and also basics of bird-watching and identification.

MHU

There were 6 health camps in October.

Free medical camp, Asalpani

Activity Update October 2014: Pench Madhya Pradesh

Team: Saket Agasti – Assistant Conservation Officer

            Niranjan Hinge, Bandu Uikey – Field Assistants

 

Highlights

·      One voluntary work programme to rebuild a check dam near Turia

·      One voluntary work programme to repair a check dam at Satosha

·      Wildlife week celebrated from October 1 to October 7

·      4 nature trails for school children of Turia, Satosha, Aamajhari and Awarghani

·      Two environmental education programmes – reached 132 students

·      9  film shows on nature and wildlife – viewed by 482 villagers and students

·      6  medical camps at which 166 patients were treated

Conservation

On October 30, Niranjan led a team of 5 villagers from Turia to rebuild a check dam which was built by our team 3 months earlier. The dam was damaged by heavy rains during the monsoon. The check dam is located just outside Turia village and is used by villagers during the day and by wildlife at night. As rainfall was erratic this year, many natural waterholes have not been replenished and, therefore, check dams are critical in retaining water.

Turia - volunteers repair damaged check dam

On October 22, Niranjan led a team of 15 villagers and students in a programme to repair a check dam near Satosha village. This dam, which was built by our volunteers earlier this year, was damaged by unexpected flash floods during the monsoon.

The damaged mud check dam at Satosha

After repair

On October 28, Niranjan organized a nature trail for the children of Aamajhari village. On the trail he explained to them about the birds and wildlife common to the area. Similar trails were organized at Turia, Satosha and Awarghani villages on October 30 and October 31 respectively.

Aamajhari nature trail

Environmental Education Programme

There were 2 environment education programmes in classrooms during October.

Tuyepani school - Bandu Uikey giving a classroom talk on wildlife

Tuyepani school - students maintain a scrapbook with pressed leaves
to understand the local flora

Tuyepani school: a student shows her leaf scrapbook

IT Education Programme

Satpuda Foundation is running a programme to introduce computers to children living in the remote villages adjoining Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. This programme is being implemented on a pilot basis in Teliya and Turia.

Education Van Programme

There were 9 film shows on nature and wild life conservation during October.

Wildlife film screening at Khamrith school

Mobile Health Unit (MHU)

We held 6 medical camps in October, in which 166 patients were treated.

Dr Ravi More examine a patient at our free health camp, Khamba