Activity Update June 2016: Pench Madhya Pradesh

Highlights:

Durgapur- Intern Abhijeet Thosar conducts nature education programme 

Durgapur- Our field assistant Niranjan and villagers
 clean a water tank for livestock

Durgapur- Our field assistant Niranjan explain students
how to identify birds during a nature trail 

Marjatpur- Our field assistant Kamlesh explains
the importance of trees in our ecosystem

Turiya- Niranjan demonstrates a smokeless stove to villagers

Team: Anoop Awasthi - Assistant Director

            Niranjan Hinge, Kamlesh Pawar– Field Assistants

Highlights    

              

·      One voluntary work project to clean water tank for livestock at Durgapur

·      Two  voluntary work projects to dig compost pits in Satosha and Tuyepani

·      One  voluntary work project to dig soak pit in Chirrewani village

·      Two anti plastic programmes at Kundai and Satosha

·      Repaired 2 bio gas units at Turia and Aamajhari

·      Six  nature trails at Ambadi, Turia, Awarghani, Chirrewani, Mohgaon and Tuyepani

·      Four  demonstrations on “smokeless chullahs”organized in Turia, Aamajhari, Mohgaon and Kundai 

·      Celebrated International Environment Day 2016 on June 5  at Durgapur and Tuyepani

·      Celebrated International Yoga Day 2016 on June 8 at Aamajhari

·      6 medical camps – 96 patients treated

·      Environment education programme in 8 schools covered 172 students

·      Assisted 2 unemployed youths in getting vocational training 

Conservation

On June 5, Kamlesh Pawar organized a voluntary work project program to make a compost pit near the village anganwadi. 8 villagers volunteered for the voluntary work project program. After the harvest, the leftover biodegradable waste from the farms will be used to prepare compost, which will be later used in the farms as fertilizer. This will reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and help improve the soil quality.

Kamlesh also explained to the villagers that this compost will be used as organic fertilizer which is safer to use as compared to chemical fertilizers.

A similar program was arranged by Niranjan Hinge on June 24 in Satosha during which 10 villagers volunteered.

Kamlesh Pawar organized a voluntary work project to dig a soak pit on June 18 in Chirrewani village in which 10 students of Government Middle School participated. The soak pit will help to improve the water table in the region and promote water conservation. The soak pit will help to collect the excess water spilled from nearby hand pump and help prevent spread of waterborne diseases. Kamlesh explained these advantages to the students during the voluntary work project.

On June 20 Niranjan led 8 villagers of Durgapur in a programme to clean a water tank next to the village hand pump. The canal which brought water to the tank was clogged with garbage and other waste. Due to this blockage, water got accumulated in the surrounding area leading to a stagnant pool and breeding of mosquitoes. Our team cleared the area and also cleaned the tank. This made the water tank reusable for cattle and other domestic livestock.

On June 25, Kamlesh Pawar led 40 students of Kundai in an anti-plastic programme and conservation rally in which they collected plastic/polythene wrappers, bags and other litter lying around the village. In the rally, which had the message of bio-diversity conservation, participants went across all the main roads within the village, chanting slogans like ‘’Apna farz nibhayenge, Tiger ko bachayenge’’ etc.

A similar programme was organized by Niranjan in Satosha village on June 24 with 12 students participating.

On 21 June, International Yoga Day, Satpuda Foundation organized a lecture at Tuyepani on “Forest and Bio-diversity conservation”. Kamlesh led the programme in which 30 villagers and children took part.

On June 27, in Mohgaon, Kamlesh Pawar demonstrated use of chullahs (stoves/open fireplace) which use 40 per less firewood. 10 villagers from Mohgaon learnt to use the improved chullah which produces less smoke as compared to the conventional chullah and is thus less harmful to the user.

A similar programme was organized at Kundai village on June 28  in which 12 villagers participated. Niranjan also organized similar programmes on June 6 and 22 at Aamajhari and Turia in which 18 and15 villagers respectively participated.

In June, we organized a total of 6 nature trails for the children of Chirrewani, Mohgaon, Tuyepani, Turia, Ambadi and Awarghani 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 importance of birds in nature was also explained to the children.

On June 5, Satpuda Foundation celebrated International Environment Day 2016. On this occasion, Niranjan Hinge arranged a nature education lecture, conservation rally and nature trail. 18 children from Durgapur village participated in the celebration. Niranjan educated them about the unique and diverse species of plants, animals and birds found in this region.

Environment education

There were a total of 8 programmes in June.

Employment Cell

During the month, we arranged for 2 villagers to attend specialized training at the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) skill-development centre at Chhindwara. CII regularly conducts such training programmes and we have been invited to send candidates from villages in our area of operations. The expenses of the trainees will be borne by the Forest Department through the bio-diversity conservation rural livelihood improvement programme (BCRLIP ).

Mobile Health Service (MHS)

Our team organized 6 medical camps in June.