Activity Update January 2015: Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve

Team:

Mukund Dhurve       – Conservation Officer

Jivraj Salam              -   Field assistant

Salimkumar Dhurve – Field assistant

Highlights

·      1 water conservation activity – programme to build check dam in Garadtondi area

·      5 water conservation activities – programmes to repair/clean water holes in compartments  no. 108, 109, 110

·      Joined Forest Department staff on 3 patrols

·      1 community assistance voluntary work project to clean area next to hand pump at Bagadbagan  

·      1 anti-plastic programme at Jindatola

·      1 nature trail for the students of Kodebarra school

·      Organized 8 film shows on wildlife and nature conservation which were attended by 1,797 people

·      Organized 7 medical camps at which  165  patients got free treatment

Conservation

Our team organized 2 community assistance programmes on January 20 and 21 to clear the area around hand pumps at Bagadband and Jindatola respectively. Unemployed youths from Mangezari participated in the programmes which were led by Mukund and Salimkumar.

Water had spilled over while people drew from the hand pumps 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.

Our team joined the Forest Department in day and night patrols on the road from Mangezari to Kodebarra, Mangezari to Jindatola, Mangezari to Bagadhban on January 12, 13, 15   Patrolling was intensified in the area after a tiger was spotted on January 12 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.

On January 13, we organized a patrol during which our team cleaned a waterhole in Compartment no. 108 and repaired a water hole in the Compartment no. 109. The water body was clogged with organic litter and dust. Our team removed the litter and de-silted the water body.

On January 14, Mukund organized a programme to build a check dam on a stream in Garadtondi. (Co. No. 107 in the buffer zone of Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve. The stream is around 2.5 km from Mangezari and located inside thick jungle.Leopards, spotted deer, sambar, wild boar and wild dogs are regularly sighted in this area. 6 youths from Mangezari, 6 Forest Guards and 2 temporary workers of the Forest Department joined Mukund, Salim and Jivraj in the programme.

On January 15, we organized programmes to plug leaks in waterholes in Co. No. 108, 109 and 110. Youths from Mangezari, staff of Forest Department and our team participated.

On January 20, Mukund and Salimkumar led a team of 27 youths and school students of Bagadband in a programme to clean the main road of the village. The team picked up plastic litter and stored it away to be sent for recycling later. The team also cleared the area around a hand pump next to the village school, where spillover water had stagnated.

On January 23, we organized one nature trail for the students of ZPPS, Kodebarra in the jungle in the buffer zone area of NNTR. 39 students, Mukund, Salim and Jivraj participated.

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 misgivings, we organized a total of 4 awareness programmes during January in 2 villages – Chorkamara and Thadezari.

Education van

There were 8 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation in December.

Mobile Health Service

There were 8 health camps in January.