Activity Update March 2015: Pench Maharashtra

Team: Saket Agasti - Assistant Conservation Officer

            Bandu Uikey, Dilip Lanjewar – Field Assistants

Highlights

·      One programme to build check dam at Khapa

·      One programme to clean a water tank at Kolitmara

·      Celebrated World Wildlife Day, World Forestry Day with the students and villagers of Narhar, Ghoti, Pipariya, Kolitmara, Wagholi

·      Two nature trails held for youth of villages in buffer zone

·      Bandu and Dilip joined Forest Department staff on 2 and 3 anti-poaching patrol respectively

·      Organized village meetings at Kolitmara, Ghatpendari,  Suwardhara to discuss village development issues through Village Eco Development Committee (VEDC)

·      Organized 6 medical camps at which 199 patients were treated

Conservation 

On March 25, a check dam was built by Dilip and team of 12 villagers of Khapa village. The dam was built with the help of sand filled gunny bags, and is situated in the buffer zone, around 100 meters from the boundary of the core area of Pench Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra. The water body created by the dam will provide water to domestic animals in the day and to wild animals at night. Deer, wild boar, jackals are regularly spotted while large carnivores such as tigers and leopards are occasionally spotted in this area. Photos below.

On March 24, Bandu organized a voluntary programme at Kolitmara to clean a water tank in the village. 8 villagers participated in the programme. The water from the tank is used by cattle and also for domestic use. Bandu also used the occasion to promote awareness about public cleanliness and hygiene among the villagers. Photos below.

March had several important days in the environment calendar like World Forestry Day and World Wildlife Day besides a major local festival - Holi. Our team organized a series of awareness programmes in which they explained the need to celebrate festivals in an eco-friendly manner, the importance of forests and wildlife and the need for conservation. A number of conservation rallies and meetings were organized in which 311 students and villagers participated.

Dilip joined VEDC members and Forest Department staff on patrols on March 13 and March 15 at Wagholi and Khapa respectively. The team patrolled the borders of the villages for illegal activities. No illegal activity was detected on these patrols.

West Pench patrol; Bandu joins community members

Dilip with VEDC members on a patrol in the forest near Khapa

Bandu joined similar patrols on March 12 in West Pench Range.

Both of them also assisted forest department in a “Holi” festival special patrolling as in this period poaching for meat has been observed in the area.

In March, Bandu took students on 2 nature trails during which he spoke to the students about the birds, trees and forests. The impact of degradation of natural resources was explained to the students.

Bandu explaining medicinal plants

Children from Narhar, learning about common trees of the area

Mobile Health Unit (MHU)

There were 6 medical camps held in March at which 199 patients were treated.

Dr Kapil Shekhdar examines a patient's x-ray at our free health camp at Ghoti

Our doctor prescribing for a patient at our Khapa camp