Activity Update December 2015: Satpura Tiger Reserve

Team: Ashfaq Aarbi – Conservation Officer

            Hameed Khan – Field assistant                                                        

Highlights

·      7 water conservation voluntary work projects during the month – built 3 check dams, cleaned 4 water bodies

·      12 awareness programmes on vermi-compost

·      Classroom visits to 14 schools as part of our environment education programme – attended by 898  students

·      6 films shows on wildlife and nature conservation - attended by 387 children

·      Arranged livelihood training at Matkuli under BCRLIP

·      Medical camps in 6 villages - 205 patients treated

·      Arranged 'Gaon Ke Man ki Baat' one-day workshop at Matkuli

·      Participation in Hashtashilpa  Mela  2015 at Pachmarhi

·      Arranged "Gaon Ke Man Ki Baat" one day workshop for water Conservation and sanitation work

·      Visit to check on status of  6 villages which have already been relocated

Conservation

During December, we organized 7 programmes related to water conservation. 

On December 2, we organized a programme to build a check dam on a stream around 3 km from Almod village. A team comprising of 15 adult villagers and Ashfaq built the dam. Range Officer Ashish Kobragade also participated in the programme. The resultant water body will benefit domestic livestock in the day time and wildlife at nights. Spotted deer, monkeys and leopards are spotted in the area.

On December 5, we organized a programme to build a check dam on a stream around 3.5 km from Almod village. A team comprising of 2 teachers, 20 children from Government Primary School, Almod and our field assistant Hameed built the dam. Deputy Ranger Manohar Lal Wadiwa also participated in the programme. The resultant water body will benefit domestic livestock in the day time and wildlife at night. Spotted deer, monkeys and leopards are spotted in the area. Photos below.

On December 26, we organized a programme to build a check dam on a stream in the area of Chakar village. A team comprising of 1 teacher, 26 students from Government Primary School, Chakar and Hameed Khan built the dam. The resultant water body will benefit domestic livestock in the day time and wildlife at nights. Spotted deer, monkeys, leopards and other wild life are spotted in the area. Photos below.

On December 28 and 29, we organized a programme to clean two water bodies in the jungle around 5 km from Chakar village. The water bodies, which are located around 500 metres 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 21 children from Government Primary School, Chakar cleared the litter and made the water bodies accessible to the animals again. Spotted deer are regularly spotted around these water bodies while there are occasional sightings of sloth bears and leopards.  Photo below.

Two similar programmes were organized at Pisuwa on December 30. Photos below.

Education  

During the month, our team organized 14 lectures to educate students about nature and wildlife conservation. Photos: Pisuwa and Tekapar school lectures.

Education Van

During December, our team conducted a total of 6 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation. Photos: Film screenings at Matkuli and Tekapar

Employment Cell -Training programme

Satpuda Foundation and Bio-diversity Management Committee, Matkuli jointly organized a residential training programme to train villagers to make products from lantana such as furniture and artifacts. We identified 25 villagers from Almod village and sent them for the 5-day residential programme, which started on December 6 to 10. The entire cost of the programme is being borne by Satpuda Tiger Reserve, Hoshangabad under BCRLIP Project. Photos below.

Participants received carpentry kits donated by us

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 management of the Tiger Reserve, are run by the Mobile Health Service (MHS) of Satpuda Foundation.

There were health camps in 6 villages in December.

Medical camp at Karer

Medical camp at Khanchari

"Gaon Ke Man Ki Baat" one day workshop

On December 11, we organized a “Gaon ke Man ki Baat” one-day workshop to promote water conservation and rural sanitation.

The main objectives of the programme were :

• ·     Construct model soak pit of bricks
• ·      Garbage removal demonstration
• ·      Establishing Bio-diversity Park in a village
• ·      Sharing Water conservation success stories - “Akhari Paani”.

This programme was attended by Kamal Kishore Pal, Sarpanch, Matkuli, Sohan Jaiswal ex-Sarpanch, Shri V.S. Yadav, Assistant Director, Satpuda Tiger Reserve, Hoshangabad, Shri L.K. Shukla, Deputy Ranger, Matkuli, all forest guards in our area and people from 11 villages in our area of operations in the buffer zone. Photos below.

Relocated villages

Ashfaq and Hameed khan visited the relocated villages of Sonpur, Raikheda, Mongra, Jamandhonga, Parraspani, Anjandana, Dhargaon, Nankot, Kukra and Nandner during December to follow up on the status of the relocated villagers.

The main issues raised by the villagers related to lack of employment, 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. STR management will approach the concerned government agencies to implement livelihood training programmes under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).    

BCRLIP villages

Shri A.K. Mishra, Dep. Director, STR has asked Satpuda Foundation to focus on BCRLIP programmes from Almod, Barud and Kukarpani villages in our livelihood activities. In December, we submitted proposals for training programmes in making products from lantana, bee-keeping and poultry farming for unemployed villagers in the BCRLIP villages of Almod, Barud and Kukarpani. STR management will approach the concerned government agencies to implement livelihood training programmes under the Biodiversity Conservation and Rural Livelihood Improvement Project

Hastashilpa Mela

On December 25- 31, every year, the district administration organizes a 7-day festival at Pachmarhi known as Hastashilpa Mela. At this festival, various Government departments selected NGOs and local artisans and craftsmen put up stalls to showcase their work. Satpuda Foundation put up a stall in which we displayed presentations of our activities and furniture made from lantana by villagers trained by us. Around 50,000 people are estimated to have visited the festival over the 7 days.