Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Activity Update July 2015: Navegaon-Nagzira


Team:
Mukund Dhurve         - Conservation Officer
Jivraj Salam                 - Field assistant
Salimkumar Dhurve    - Field assistant

Highlights

·      Joined Forest Department staff on 6 patrols
·      4 community assistance voluntary work projects – programmes to clean area next to hand pumps at Asalpani, Umarzari, Jindatola, Mangezari
·      3 anti-plastic programmes at Kuradi, Bolunda, Mangezari
·      8 sapling plantation programmes – total of 110 saplings planted
·      5 classroom visits to speak to students about nature and wildlife conservation – attended by 874 students
·      6 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation – attended by 710 people
·      Organized 6 medical camps at which 123 patients got free treatment.
·      Celebrated World Tiger Day on July 29th  at Mangezari  
·      10 candidates identified by us have been selected to work as guides in buffer zone of Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve


Conservation 










































Bolunda plantation programme

















Bagadband plantation programme



















Our team organized 4 community assistance programmes on July 04, 18, 19, 31 to clear the areas around hand pumps at Asalpani, Jindatola, Umarzari and Mangezari respectively. Unemployed youths from Mangezari participated in all programmes which were led by Mukund and Salimkumar. In addition, people from each village also joined in the programmes. Photos below.

Jindatola 

Bolunda

































Umarzari



















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 canals to drain away the water.

Our team joined the Forest Department in night patrols on the roads from Mangezari to Kodebarra, Mangezari to Jindatola and Mangezari to Govindtola on July 1, 7, 11, 17, 23 and 29. Patrolling was intensified in the area after a leopard was spotted on July 7 as officials wanted to monitor its movement and ensure that it was safe from poachers.

Jindatola - volunteers with Forest Department on patrol



















Jindatola day patrol



















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. One spotted deer was also killed in this manner. 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.

During the month, our team organized 3 anti-plastic programmes to clear polythene/plastic litter from villages. The programmes were organised on July 16, 12, 18, and 31 at G.E.S. Girls High School, Kuradi, Adilok High School, Bolunda and Mangezari respectively. Mukund, Salimkumar and Jivraj organised the programmes which were attended by villagers and students. The plastic litter has been kept in our Mangezari office and will be sent to Tiroda for recycling. Photos below.

Bolunda

















Mangezari

















Mangezari school


















Berdipar - students with the litter they collected



















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 are opposing the notification. To clear these doubts and misgivings, we organized a total of 5 awareness programmes during July in 5 villages – Sukdi, Sodlagondi, Pitezari, Umarzari and Asalpani. 

On July 29, we organized a programme at Mangezari to celebrate World Tiger Day. Mukund Dhurve, Sarpanch of Mangezari Smt. Anusayabai Kumbhare and Forest Guard Shri M.N. Mehar addressed a gathering of villagers and students of Zilla Parishad Primary School (ZPPS), Mangezari on the importance of the tiger in the eco-system and the need to save tigers. Other officials present included the president of the village eco-development committee, Shri Hivraj Sayyam and Gram Panchayat members.

Before this programme, the students of Z.P.P.S., Mangezari went on a rally through the village chanting slogans for tiger conservation.

Programme at Mangezari





















































Education

There were 5 environment education programmes in schools during July.









Talking to students about biodiversity conservation, Bolunda


















Classroom lecture at Kuradi



















Education van

There were 6 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation in July.  















Mangezari film screening

















Kodebarra film screening



















Employment Cell activities

In June, we had identified 14 candidates from our area of operations for training as guides. They were admitted to a 5-day programme conducted by the Forest Department at Navegaonbandh from July 5 to July 9. Of these, 10 were selected and have been employed as tourist guides in the buffer zone of Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve.    











MHU

There were 6 health camps in July in which 123 patients received free treatment.    

Dr Anup Burade at our free health camp at Chorkamara

Camp at Umarzari




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