Activity Update June 2015: Satpura Tiger Reserve

Highlights

·      8 water conservation voluntary work projects during the month – 7 water bodies cleaned, 1 soak pit dug

·      18 awareness programmes on sapling plantation

·       4 awareness programmes on rain water harvesting

·      Celebrated World Environment Day at Almod

·      Classroom visits to 13 schools as part of our environment education program – attended by 619 students

·      Medical camps in 6 villages - 135 patients treated

·      Organized lantana training programme at Matkuli 

·      Shri Sanket Bhondwe, Collector, Hoshangabad, visited our candidates making lantana products at Matkuli

·      Visit to check on status of  7 villages which have already been relocated

Conservation

During June, we organized 8 programmes related to water conservation.

On June 4, we organized a programme to clean two water bodies in the jungle around 2 km from Pisuwa village. The water bodies, which are located around 500 meters from each other, were covered with leaves and organic litter and animals were finding it difficult to drink. Our team, consisting of field assistant Hameed Khan and 13 adult villagers from Pisuwa village, cleared the litter and made the water bodies accessible to the animals again. Spotted deer are regularly seen around these water bodies, and there are occasional sightings of sloth bears and leopards.      

On June 5 and 16, we organized a similar programme to clean three more water bodies in the jungle around 2.5 km from Pisuwa village. Photos below.

On June 16 and 19, we organized a similar programme to clean two more water bodies in the jungle around 3-4 km from Bindakheda and Matkuli villages.

On June 4, we organized a programme to dig a soak pit at the Government Primary School (GPS), Mehandikheda. 9 villagers joined hands with Hameed in digging the pit, which will take spillover water from a hand pump on the school premises. The pit will help to recharge the water table around the hand pump.

        

During the month, our team organized 18 awareness programmes in villages to promote awareness about forests and the need to maintain and increase green cover. At these programmes, our team explained to villagers how the forests could be maintained and green cover could be added through plantation drives. Villagers were motivated to collect seeds of native species which could be used in plantation drives during the monsoon

During the month, our team also organized 4 programmes in villages to promote awareness about rain water harvesting, with the support of local government officials. The details are given in the table below.

World Environment Day

On June 5, we organized a function to celebrate the World Environment Day at Almod. This programme was attended by Shri Manohar Lal Wadiwa (Deputy Ranger, Almod) Shri Ramlakhan Sirothiya (Forest Guard) and villagers of Almod also attended the programme. Photo below.

Education 

During the month, our team organized 13 lectures for students to educate them about nature and wildlife conservation.

Classroom lecture on environment, Mehandikheda

Mobile Health Service (MHS)

Satpuda Foundation organizes medical camps at which villagers get free treatment and medicines. These camps, whose schedule is set in conjunction with the managements of the respective Tiger Reserves, are run by the Mobile Health Service (MHS) of Satpuda Foundation.

There were health camps in 6 villages in June.

Free health camp at Matkuli

Free health camp at Chillod

Training programme

Madhya Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, Bhopal and Satpuda Tiger Reserve, Hoshangabad jointly organized a programme to train villagers to make products from lantana such as furniture and fancy items. They invited us to send 13 candidates from villages in our area of operations to be trained as carpenters. We identified 13 villagers from villages in the Matkuli cluster and sent them for the 14-day programme, which started on May 30 and ran till June 12.  The entire cost of the programme is being borne by Madhya Pradesh State Biodiversity Board. On June 12, the concluding day of the programme, Shri R.P. Singh, Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director, Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR), felicitated the candidates who successfully completed the training. Satpuda Foundation provided tool kits to the 13 trainees to help them get started in making lantana products for a living. Shri Mohan Yadav, Asst. Director, STR, Shri Sanjeev Sharma, Range Officer, Pachmarhi and Shri L.K. Shukla Deputy Ranger, Matkuli also attended the programme.

Field Director of STR, Mr R P Singh, speaks
to the trainers at the lantana worksho

Training programme at Matkuli

Hoshangabad Collector Mr Sanket Bhondwe examines products made
at the workshop

Hoshangabad Collector Mr Sanket Bhondwe examining products
made by the trainees at the workshop

Trainees received tool kits from us to help them get started in their new
profession

Closing ceremony of the training programme

On June 13, we invited the Collector, Hoshangabad District, Mr. Sanket Bhondwe to a programme at Matkuli where villagers discussed their local development issues with him.

We arranged for around 50 senior people from villages in our area of operations – Matkuli, Tekapar, Chirrai, Pisuwa and Chillod – to attend the meeting. After the meeting, we took Mr. Bhondwe to visit the site of our lantana training programme. He was highly impressed by our initiatives to promote alternative livelihood options and promised to arrange for a stall on Government land at Pachmarhi where the villagers can market their lantana products. Other officials who attended this meeting included Shri A.K. Mishra, Dep. Director, STR, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Project Officer of Zilla Panchayat and sarpanches of 4 Gram Panchayats.

Relocated villages

Ashfaq and Hameed khan visited the relocated villages of Dhargaon, Nankot, Nayakheda, Jamandhonga, Raikheda, Anjandana and Mongra during June to follow up on the status of the relocated villagers. The main issues raised by the villagers related to lack of employment, lack of electric power and poor approach road. Shri A.K. Mishra, Dep. Director, STR, has asked Satpuda Foundation to focus on youths from relocated villages in our livelihood activities.