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

Team: Amit Awasthi – Conservation Officer

Sampathlal Dhurve – Field assistant

Highlights

· 2 voluntary work programmes on water conservation – check dam built at Choupan jhodi nallah, Bhagpur and Kahua nallah, Chapri

· One voluntary work project for community assistance – cleaning of area around well at Manegaon

· 2 compost pits prepared in 2 villages

· 2 anti-plastic programmes in 2 villages

· 3 awareness programmes on conservation activity and seeds collection for plantation

· Environment education programme conducted in 10 schools - attended by 289 students

· Organized nature camp for children of 8 villages in buffer zone

· Listing of tanks for Fishery programme at villages

· Survey for driver’s training programme for unemployed youths

· 3 unemployed youths placed in resorts

Conservation

In water conservation work, we organized 2 programmes to construct check dams on streams. On December 12, a check dam was constructed at Choupan jhodi nallah, near Bhagpur village, inside the jungle. Nilgai and sambar are spotted regularly in the area and our team found fresh pug marks of a leopard at the site while building the check dam. The team of 14 included members of Sithala and Sharda women’s self-help groups, youths and elder villagers.

A similar programme was organized at Kahua nallah in Chapri with help of the Forest Department on December 24.

Below: The check dam near Bhagpur

The check dam at Chhapri

On December 18, Amit and Sampath led a team of 11people in a programme to clear wild growth around a well at Manegaon. Due to rains during the monsoon, wild growth had proliferated around the well and access to the well was affected. Our team, which comprised 6 youths and 5 students from the village, removed the wild growth and cleaned the area. Photos below.

Our team encourages organic farming as part of our strategy to reduce the impact of chemical fertilizers on fields adjoining prime wildlife areas. Part of our work includes assistance to villagers in setting up vermi-compost tanks and compost pits. During September, we helped 2 villagers dig compost pits – Sarvan Saiyam of Kutwahi on December 14 and Aashdu Uladi of Bhagpur on December 20 (photo below).

On December 10, our team organized an anti-plastic programme at Kutwahi. 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 were then buried in a pit on the outskirts of the village. A similar anti-plastic programme was organized at Bhagpur on December 20. Photo below: Kutwahi

Education

During the month our team organized environment education programmes in 10 schools in the villages in our area of operations.

Education van programme

There were two film shows on nature and wildlife conservation in December.

Chhapri film screening

Nature Camp

List of participants and photos from the camp below

Livelihood programmes

As part of our programme to reduce pressure on forests, we have been encouraging villagers to take up alternative livelihood options. In Kanha, we have been encouraging villagers to take up vegetable farming as there are several resorts around Mocha and there is a steady flow of tourists who require fresh vegetables. Over the past 2 years, we have assisted around 30 villagers in taking up vegetable farming and they are earning around 500-1,000 rupees a week in additional income. The vegetable patches are typically of small size and located in the backyards of the residences. Some villagers have now got enough confidence to expand and are planning to use part of their farm land for this activity.

Photos below: Dharam Markham and Mugiya Bai in their vegetable plots, Kutwahi