Activity Update April 2016: Kanha

Highlights:

Ganesh Dhurwey, of Chapri, who got a job with our help
at Royal Sylvan Resort

Sampath speaks to village children about conservation during a nature trail,
Batwar

Bhagpur - Compost pit dug in Indram Maravi's backyard 

Bhagpur - Conservation slogan painted on a wall to promote awareness

Hand pump site before our programme

Our volunteers clear area around hand pump and soak pi

Chapri - Area around hand pump and soak pit being cleaned
by volunteers in a programme organised by us

Hand pump site after our programme

Employment, Chhapri - Sarita Bai tends to her vegetable patch 

Kutwahi - Children collect plastic and polythene litter
during our anti-plastic drive

Kutwahi - Conservation slogan painted on wall 

Employment, Kutwahi - Mungiya Bai tends to her
vegetable patch set up with our help 

Kutwahi - Students watch film on nature and wildlife conservation

Patpara - hand pump site before our cleaning programme

Volunteers cleaning the area around the hand pump and soak pit

Patpara - Hand pump site after our programme 

Patpara - Our field assistant Sampathlal
conducting awareness programme on forest fires

Patpara - Sampath speaks to students of village school
about nature and wildlife

THE FULL REPORT

Team: Amit Awasthi – Conservation Officer

            Sampathlal Dhurve – Field assistant

           

Highlights                                                                                                                       

·      Two voluntary work projects for community assistance – area next to hand pump at Chapri and Patpara cleaned

·      3 compost pits prepared in 3 villages

·      Painting of conservation slogans on walls in 3 villages

·      4 awareness programmes on forest fires

·      3 anti-plastic programmes

·      2 nature trails for village children to promote awareness about nature and conservation

·      Environment education programme conducted in 7 schools – attended by 165 students

·      8 film shows on nature and wildlife – attended by 347 students

·      2 unemployed youths get jobs with our help

           

 Conservation work

On April 15, Sampath led a team of 8 people in a programme to clear wild growth around a hand pump at Batwar. Wild growth had proliferated around the hand pump and access to the pump was affected. Our team, which comprised 8 youths from the village, removed the wild growth and cleaned the soak pit.  A similar programme was organized on April 17 to clear the area next to a hand pump at Patpara.

Our team encourages organic farming as part of our strategy to reduce the impact of chemical fertilisers on fields adjoining prime wildlife areas. Part of our work includes assistance to villagers in setting up vermi-compost tanks and compost pits. During April, we helped 3 villagers dig compost pits – Dheer Singh of Patpara on April 4, Chhater Singh of Manegaon on April 10, and Indram Maravi of Bhagpur on April 21.     

During the month, we arranged for conservation slogans to be painted on walls of houses in prominent places in 3 villages to promote awareness about conservation.

During the month, Amit also organized 4 awareness programmes on forest fires.

Fires are a recurring hazard during summers. Sometimes, villagers start fires as they believe that tendu leaves sprout better after such fires. Collection of tendu leaves takes place during April. In our awareness programmes, we explained the dangers that such fires cause to the forest and to wildlife and how they could harm villages if they blazed out of control.

On April 5, our team organized an anti-plastic programme at Kutwahi. Sampath spoke to the villagers of the village 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. Two similar anti-plastic programmes were organized at Sautiya on April 19 and at Chapri on April 26. 

Education  

During the month, our team organized environment education programmes in 7 schools in the villages in our area of operations.

Amit and Sampath led children of Dhamangaon and Batwar on nature trails on April 25 and April 29 respectively. On the trails, they helped children identify various species of plants and animals and explained the importance of preserving our environment.

Education van programme

There were 8 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation in March.

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.

Employment Cell

We helped 2 youths get jobs during the month of April.