Activity Update June 2016: Satpura Tiger Reserve

Highlights:

Almod - Ashfaq Aarbi speaks to villagers about conservation
on World Environment Day

Jhiriya - Saplings stocked at plantation site

Jhiriya - Site selected for plantation programme

Maili - Volunteers clean a water body in the jungle

Matkuli - Dr. Zanjad examines a patient at our free medical camp

Mehandikheda - Village students on nature trail

Mehandikheda - Volunteers clean a water body in the jungle

 Pisuwa - Villagers come for free treatment at our medical camp

Highlights

·      7 water conservation voluntary work projects during the month – 6 water bodies cleaned, 1 soak pit dug

·      18 awareness programmes on plantation

·       4 awareness programmes on rain water harvesting

·      Celebrated World Environment Day at Almod

·      Classroom visits to 13 schools as part of our environment education program – attended by 619 students

·      Medical camps in 5 villages – 78  patients treated

·      5 unemployed youths sent to Chhindwara to be trained as drivers

·      Assisted 22 villagers, trained by us earlier in making lantana products, in preparing loan applications to start their own units

·      Visit to check on status of  7 villages which have already been relocated

Conservation

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

On June 10, we organized a program to dig a soak pit at the Government Primary School (GPS), Pisuwa. 12 children joined hands with Hameed in digging the pit, which will take spillover water from a hand pump on the school premises. The pit will help to recharge the water table around the hand pump.

On June 13, we organized a programme to clean two water bodies in the jungle around 2 km from Mehandikheda village. The water bodies, which are located around 500 meters 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 15 children from Mehandikheda village, 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.     

On June 14, we organized a programme to clean two water bodies in the jungle around 3 km from Maili village. The water bodies, which are located around 300 meters 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 17 children from Maili village, 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.  

On June 24, we organised a similar programme to clean two more water bodies in the jungle around 4 km from Pisuwa.

        

During the month, our team organized 18 awareness programmes in villages to promote awareness about forests and the need to maintain and increase green cover. At these programmes, our team explained to villagers how the forests could be maintained and green cover could be added through plantation drives. Villagers were motivated to collect seeds of native species which could be used in plantation drives during the monsoon. We arranged sapling of bamboo, Behda and Karanj with the support of Social Forestry Wing and prepared pits for plantation of saplings next month.

During the month, our team, with the support of local government officials, organized 4 programmes in villages to promote awareness about rain water harvesting. The details are given in the table below.

World Environment Day

On June 5, we organized a function to celebrate the World Environment Day at Almod. This programme was attended by Shri Manohar Lal Wadiwa (Deputy Ranger, Almod) Shri Ramlakhan Sirothiya (Forest Guard) and villagers of Almod.

Education  

During the month, our team organized 13 lectures for students to educate them about nature and wildlife conservation.

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 managements of the respective Tiger Reserves, are run by the Mobile Health Service (MHS) of Satpuda Foundation. There were health camps in 5 villages in June.

Employment Cell

Ashfaq has been maintaining contact with officials at Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Chhindwara, to tap opportunities to assist villagers in our area of operations.  The supervisor of the training facility informed Ashfaq of a programme to train youths in driving four-wheelers and asked him to select candidate from our area of operations for the programme. Our team identified 5 people from the relocated village of Mongra and sent them for the programme. The cost is being borne by the Forest Department.

The training programme runs from June 7 to July 9, 2016.

Details of the trainees are as follows:

Earlier during the year, we had organised programmes to train villagers in making products from lantana. To help them set up their own units, our team helped prepare loan application for 22 of the villagers from Baridevi who had successfully completed the training.  Applications were made for loans under the Mukhyamantri Aarthik Kalyan Yojana. The applications were submitted to the Chief Executive Officer, Janpad Panchayat, Sohagpur.