The City-dweller and the Tiger: Activity Update July 2015: Kanha

Team: Amit Awasthi – Conservation Officer

Sampathlal Dhurve – Field assistant

Highlights

· 2 voluntary work projects for community assistance – area next to well cleaned at Manegaon and area next to hand pump cleaned at Chapri

· 5 awareness programmes on snake bite, organic farming and plantation

· 3 paddy seedling beds prepared using improved farming techniques

· Plantation programme – 60 saplings planted in 2 villages during monsoon

· 6 compost pits prepared in 3 villages

· 2 anti-plastic programmes

· Global Tiger Day celebrated at Mocha – conservation rally, contests for students

· Environment education programme conducted in 12 schools - attended by 361 students

· 3 unemployed youths get jobs through our Employment Cell

Conservation

On July 11, Amit and Sampath led a team of 9 people in a programme to clear wild growth around a well at Manegaon. Due to heavy rains, wild growth had proliferated around the well and access to the well was affected. Our team, which comprised 5 youths and 4 women from the village, removed the wild growth and cleaned the area.

Photos of the Manegaon programme below.

A similar programme was organized on July 18 to clear the area next to a hand pump at Chapri. Photo below.

During the month, Amit organized 4 awareness programmes on snake bites, organic farming and plantation. During the monsoon, snakes come out of their pits as these get flooded and there is greater occurrence of humans being bitten by snakes. Our awareness programmes focussed on teaching villagers how to identify venomous and non-venomous snakes. We also explained to the villagers what to do when bitten by a snake.

During the programmes, the farmers were also taught how to treat seeds before planting. Details of the programmes are given in the table above.

During the month, the following 3 farmers were also taught to plant paddy using improved techniques:

Batwar: workshop on snake-bites, organic farming and plantation

Patpara: Garjan Singh implementing improved paddy farming techniques

As part of our monsoon activities, our teams across the landscape motivate villagers to collect seeds, prepare saplings and dig pits so that a plantation drive can be launched once the rains set it. During July, we helped plant a total of 60 saplings in 2 villages. The species planted included mango, kanji, jamun, amla.

Photos below: Plantation programme in Chhapri

Our team encourages organic farming as part of our strategy to reduce the impact of chemical fertilisers on fields adjoining prime wildlife areas. Part of our work includes assistance to villagers in setting up vermi-compost tanks and compost pits. During July, we helped 5 villagers dig compost pits – Chandan Singh Markam of Manegaon on July 4, Manisha Bai of Manegaon on July 16, Gendiya Bai of Kutwahi on July 18, Ram Kumar of Kutwahi on July 20, Sanota Bai of Sautiya on July 24, and Ramesh Markam of Sautiya on July 28.

On July19, our team organized an anti-plastic programme at Batwar. Amit and Sampath spoke to the villagers about the harmful impact of plastic/polythene on the environment and motivated them to remove such litter from the village. The team of villagers and students went around the village, collecting plastic and polythene litter/waste, which was then buried in a pit on the outskirts of the village. A similar anti-plastic programme was organized at Dhamangaon on July 25. Photo below.

On July 29, Global Tiger Day, our team organized a function at Government Middle School, Mocha, to promote awareness about tiger conservation. As part of our programme, we organized a rally in which around 240 students walked through the village, chanting slogans for tiger, wildlife and nature conservation. After the rally, the students participated in a drawing contest. Some of the students had their faces painted like tigers. Forest Guard (Mocha) Bhaghirath Singh Kakodiya, local Eco-Development Committee President Bhagwan Singh Parmar and teachers of the High School, Middle School and Primary School participated along with the students.