The City-dweller and the Tiger: Activity Update July 2015: Pench Madhya Pradesh

Team: Anoop Awasthi – Assistant Director

Niranjan Hinge, Kamlesh Pawar – Field Assistants

Highlights

· Soak pit dug through voluntary work project at Satosha

· Organized rally with conservation message, anti plastic drive and prepared a soak pit on World Nature Conservation Day at Tuyepani

· Organized rally with conservation message, anti plastic drive on Global Tiger Day at Chirrewani

· Organized rally with conservation message and prepared a soak pit through voluntary work project on Global Tiger Day at Turia

· One voluntary work project to prepare a soak pit near hand pump at Satosha

· 13 nature trails for school children of Turia, Khamba, Satosha, Aamajhari, Ambadi, Potiya, Durgapur, Tuyepani, Chirrewani, Mohgaon and Bisanpur villages – attended by 133 students

· One bio-gas unit repaired and restarted at Aamajhari

· Assisted Forest Department in organising plantation programmes at Satosha, Turia, Kohoka, Dewri, Tuyepani, Khamarpani and Kanhargaon

· 17 environment education lectures – attended by 355 students

· 6 medical camps at which 122 patients were treated

· Assisted 10 youths of Tuyepani and Chirrewani villages in getting selected for vocational training

· Assisted in distribution of 4,000 saplings in Dewri, Tuyepani, Kanhargaon, Khamarpani through BCRLIP

· “Shrusti Swasahyata Samuha Turia” started business of liquid neel and also sold 22 kg mango pickle and 25 kg detergent during July

· Completed and submitted micro plan surveys of Tuyepani and Dewri village

Conservation

On July 24, Anoop and Niranjan led 5 villagers and 31 students from Satosha village in a voluntary programme to prepare a soak pit. The pit will collect the spill over water from the hand pump on the school campus. Our team explained the purpose of the soak pit and how it helps recharge the water table.

Photos below.

On July 28, World Nature Conservation Day, Kamlesh and Bandu organized a rally at Tuyepani in which a total of 98 youths and students participated. The rally went through the village, chanting conservation slogans. The whole team then conducted an anti-plastic programme and later dug a soak pit on the village school campus. The significance of World Nature Conservation Day was explained to the participants. Photos of different activities below.

On July 29, Global Tiger Day, Anoop and Niranjan gave classroom lectures on tiger conservation in the school at Turia. They then led a team of 65 students in a voluntary programme to dig a soak pit to collect spill over water from the hand pump on the school campus. They explained the importance of Global Tiger Day and the purpose of the soak pits to the participants. Photos of the different activities below.

On the same day, Kamlesh organized similar programmes to celebrate Global Tiger Day at Chirrewani. He led a team of 30 students in a rally with conservation message, organized an anti-plastic programme in the village and led the students in a voluntary programme to dig a soak pit on the school campus. Kamlesh explained the importance of Global Tiger Day and purpose of the soak pits to the participants. The anti-plastic drive was aimed at cleaning the village and spreading awareness among the students about cleanliness. Students were told about the hazards of plastic on the environment. Photos below.

In July, a total of 13 nature trails were organized by Anoop, Kamlesh, Bandu and Niranjan for the children of Turia, Khamba, Satosha, Aamajhari, Ambadi, Durgapur, Potiya, Tuyepani, Chirrewani, Mohgaon and Bisanpur village. On the trails, our staff spoke to the children about the various plants and common medicinal uses of those plants. They also spotted and identified local birds along the trail and explained their role in nature.

Young people from Turia, Satosha and Kohoka on a nature trail

Children from Aamajhari on a trail

Children from Khamba on a trail

Environmental Education Programme

There 17 environment education programmes in classrooms during July.

Classroom lecture at Tuyepani

Explaining the food chain - Khamrith

Employment Cell

The Forest Department is running a programme called Biodiversity Conservation Rural Livelihood Improvement Programme (BCRLIP). Under this programme, the Department provide vocational training to villagers in the forest corridor linking Satpura and Pench Tiger Reserves. Officials asked us to identify suitable candidates from villages in our area of operations for training. We identified 10 youths from Tuyepani and Chirrewani and sent them for training.

The different training programmes, which commenced in July, are free for the participants and are being held at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) campus at Chhindwara.

Upon successful completion of the training programmes, the drip irrigation trainees are expected to be offered jobs by the GMR group while the construction trainees are expected to be employed by L&T.

In other Employment Cell work, we have identified 12 women and young girls from Kohoka, Turia and Satosha for training as guides. These candidates are being given training by us to work as tourist guides. Pench Tiger Reserve management has agreed to test these candidates in August and the suitable candidates will be appointed as tourist guides.

Shrusti Swasahyata Samuha, Turia is a self-help (SHG) group mentored by Satpuda Foundation right from its inception. During July, the SHG sold 22 kg of mango pickle and earned 2,640 rupees through this activity. It also sold 25 kg of detergent for 1,000 rupees. A new activity was started during July – of making and selling liquid “neel”. This liquid helps to make white clothes shine brighter. Photo below: SHG capacity-building meeting at Turia.