Activity Update December 2014: Pench Madhya Pradesh

Team: Saket Agasti – Assistant Conservation Officer

            Niranjan Hinge, Bandu Uikey – Field Assistants

Highlights

·      One programme to repair a check dam near Khamba

·      One anti-plastic programme at school in Turia

·      One rally to promote awareness about nature conservation

·      Nature excursion for students of Tuyepani village  

·      5 nature trails for school children of Turia, Khamba and Satosha

·      Eight environment education programmes – attended by 225 students

·      6  medical camps at which 100 patients were treated

·      Self Help Group (SHG) meeting organized at Khamba village

Conservation 

On December 12, our team organized an anti-plastic programme at Turia village. 21 students from the Government Primary School participated in the programme. The path connecting Turia with Aamajhari runs across the school campus and as it is heavily used by villagers, a lot of plastic litter gets thrown on the campus. Our programme aimed to clean the campus and promote awareness among villagers on the need to maintain cleanliness.

On December 28, Niranjan gathered a team of 6 people from Khamba to repair a check dam built by our team earlier in the year. Irregular flow of water had damaged the dam’s wall, leading to leakages. Our team repaired and strengthened the dam’s wall and cleared the water body of organic litter which had accumulated there. The dam is located outside the village, adjoining the jungle which lies in the core area of Pench Tiger Reserve.  The water body is used by villagers and domestic livestock in the day and by wild animals at night. Tigers have been sighted often near the water body.  

Repairing the check dam and cleaning the water body, Khamba

On December 25, field assistant Bandu Uikey organized a nature tour for 24 students from Government Middle School, Tuyepani. The students, along with 4 teachers,  were taken to the Nature Interpretation Centre at Sillari, Pench Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra where they learnt about tigers. A film on wildlife conservation was shown to the children. They were also taken on a nature trail after the film. Photos below.

On December 26, Niranjan organized an awareness rally of 56 students of Satosha village. Rally stared from the school campus and went through the village. In the procession, children chanted various conservation related slogans like, “Bagh hai to Jungle hai, Jungle hai toh Jal hai, Jal hai toh Jeevan hai.” (meaning: Forests is there due to Tigers, Water is there due to Forests, Life is there due to Water). Photo below.

In December, five nature trails were organized by Niranjan for the children of Turia, Khamba and Satosha villages. On the trails, he explained to them about the various birds and common wildlife sighted in the area. He also motivated and urged them to support conservation activities.

Nature trail in Khamba

On December 25, we organized a meeting at Khamba to explain the concept of self-help groups (SHGs) to villagers. The benefits of SHGs as well as various facilities extended by the Government to SHGs were explained to the villagers.

Environmental Education Programme

There were 6 environment education programmes in classrooms during December.

Environment education programme at Awarghani school

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 Madhya Pradesh. This programme is being implemented on a pilot basis in Teliya and Turia.

At the Turia office

Mobile Health Unit (MHU)

We held 6 medical camps in December, in which 100 patients were treated.

Aamajhari - free medicines from the ambulance

Dr Bhasme checks a patient at Khamba