Activity Update December 2015: Pench Madhya Pradesh

Team: Anoop Awasthi – Assistant Director

            Niranjan Hinge, Kamlesh Pawar – Field Assistants

 

Highlights

• Organized workshop on “Gaon Ke Mann Ki Baat” at Dhutera village situated  in Pench-Kanha corridor
• Organized voluntary work project to prepare soak pits in Dewri and Satosha villages
• Organized anti-plastic and conservation rally programme at Kundai  and Ambadi
• 7 nature trails for school children of  Mohgaon, Turia, Awarghani, Aamajhari, Khamba, Ambadi, Satosha – attended by 65 students
• 20  environmental education programmes – reached   578 students
• Organized  8  film shows on wildlife that reached 352  students and villagers
• Organized 6 medical camps at which 211 patients were treated
• Organized workshop on benefits of solar fencing at Turia
• Conducted micro-plan survey of Khamarpani village
• Assisted 4 unemployed youths in getting vocational training in sewing through BCRLIP

Conservation 

On December 14, Kamlesh led 12 villagers and students of Dewri village in a programme to prepare a soak pit which will take the spill-over water from the hand pump on the school campus. They explained the purpose of the soak pit to the participants. Similar programmes were organized by Niranjan on 23 December at Satosha with the help of 10 villagers and students. Photos below.

On December 20, our team         comprising Anoop Awasthi, Ajay Poddar, Munindra Tikapache and Niranjan Hinge, organized a workshop called 'Gaon Ke Mann Ki Baat' at Dhutera village which is situated in Pench-Kanha corridor at Tehsil Keolari, District Seoni. Representatives  and village eco-development committee (VEDC) members of Dhutera, Sarandi, Chikhali, Bibhari, Mohgaon and Khairi participated. Anoop explained to the participants about the importance of corridors, sustainable development practices, livelihood-based vocational training, livestock management, fodder development, organic farming, eco-tourism and garbage management. The representatives from the villages explained their problems and issues. A film on wildlife conservation was also shown to the participants.

On December 29, Dilip Lanjewar and Niranjan Uikey organized a demonstration of “Improved Solar fencing technique” with the help of Nagpur-based firm Agro Engineering Equipment. Mr. Avinash Jadhav explained the concept to the villagers in detail and demonstrated it. Solar fencing will help control crop depredation by wildlife and, thus, reduce the potential for human-wildlife conflict.

On August 27, Anoop participated in a meeting on ‘’Garbage Management in the buffer area of Pench”. The meeting was attended by the Chief Executive Officer of Janpad Panchayat, Kurai, Mr. Khushram and Sarpanches of Turia and Kohoka, around 21 managers of local resorts and members of the Gram Panchayat. The attendees decided that each resort would contribute 80 rupees per room per month towards garbage management. This amount will be given to the Gram Panchayat, Turia.

The resorts have agreed to segregate their waste into 3 categories – bio-degradable, non-degradable and waste comprising glass and metal. Turia Gram Panchayat will send a vehicle twice a week to collect the garbage. The degradable waste will be converted into compost while the other two varieties will be kept in tanks and sent to urban centres for recycling in bulk. There is no formal garbage management at present and waste is strewn out on to roads and in empty plots. This has led to a proliferation of stray dogs while wild life is also attracted to the food waste, leading to potential human-wildlife conflict. Photos below.

As all the issues mentioned above did not go according to the scheme, Anoop Awasthi wrote a letter along with photographs of demolished tanks to Divisional Commissioner, District Collector and Field Director of Pench, Madhya Pradesh and media outlets.

On December 16, Kamlesh gathered a team of 70 students and teachers of Kundai village and cleared plastic waste littered in the area. This area is just outside the village and is frequently used by wildlife from the Tiger Reserve. An awareness rally was also organized with the help of school staff from the village. Children went through the village spreading awareness about various environmental issues by chanting slogans like “Humara Farz Nibhayenge, Pariyawaran ko Bachayenge”.  Plastic/polythene bags pose a threat to animals that sometimes eat the bags. The litter was collected and stored in a gunny bag for disposal. A similar programme was organized by Niranjan on December 26 at Ambadi with the help of 26 students.

In December, we organized a total of 7 nature trails for the children of Mohgaon, Satosha, Turia, Awarghani, Aamajhari, Khamba and Ambadi villages. On the trails, our staff spoke to the children about the various plants and common medicinal uses of those plants. They were also taught how to spot and identify birds. The role of birds in nature was also explained to the children.

                Environmental Education Programme

There were 20 environment education programmes in classrooms during December.

Employment Cell  

We identified and assisted 4 unemployed women and girls of Tuyepani in getting training in sewing.

The training programme, which is for a total of 4 months, is funded the BCRLIP initiative. The training is in Dewri village.

Details of the participants are given below:

Education Van Programme

There were 8 film shows during December.

Mobile Health Unit (MHU)

We held 6 medical camps in December, in which 211 patients were treated.