Highlights:
 |
| Ghatpendari - Children promise to protect trees by symbolically tying rakhis to saplings |
 |
| Ghatpendari - Our field assistant Bandu Uikey leads youths in clearing a canal connecting a lake to a stream in the jungle |
 |
| Khapa - Our field assistant Dilip Lanjewar speaks to villagers about the benefits of solar power |
 |
| Khapa - Villagers dig soak pit next to hand pump |
Team: Mandar Pingle – Conservation Officer
Bandu Uikey, Dilip Lanjewar – Field
Assistants
Highlights
·
One soak pit prepared in Khapa with help of 11
villagers
·
One voluntary work project to clean sewage
waste in Ghatpendari – 8 participants
·
Celebrated Nag Panchami in Ghatpendari – 26
participants
·
Celebrated Eco-Rakhi festival in Ghatpendari
and Ghoti
·
Two nature trails held for students of Ghoti and Wagholi – 25 students participated
·
Bandu and Dilip joined Forest Department staff
on anti-poaching patrols 5 and 2 times respectively
·
Organized class room lectures in 13 schools - attended by 347 students
·
Organized 6 medical camps – 168 patients
treated free of cost
·
Assisted one youth from Ghatpendhari village
to get employment with Forest Department
Conservation
On August 8, Bandu organized a voluntary
work project programme at Ghatpendhari village to clean the waste blocking the flow
of water from a lake to a nallah. 8 villagers participated in the programme. There
was no way for the excess rainwater to enter the nallah. This nallah provides
irrigation to the farms nearby. By cleaning the waste, the farmers are now able
to use the excess water from the lake for agriculture.
On August 20, Dilip Lanjewar along
with 11 villagers of Khapa village prepared a soak pit near a hand pump in the
village. The excess water was being wasted causing unhygienic conditions near
the hand pump. The pool of waste water had become a breeding place for
mosquitoes. Thanks to the soak pit, the spillover water will now seep into the
ground and help improve the ground water level. The area near the hand pump is
also clean now and will thus prevent diseases.
Dilip joined village
eco-development committee (VEDC) members and Forest Department staff on patrols
on August 17 and 31 at Wagholi and Khapa villages respectively. The team patrolled
the jungle adjoining the villages, looking out for signs of illegal activities.
Bandu joined similar patrols on August 4, 10 and 14 in West Pench Range. No
illegal activity was detected on these patrols.
In August, Dilip took students on 2
nature trails during which he spoke to the students about birds, trees and forests.
The impact of degradation of natural resources was explained to the students.
The kids spotted a number of birds like drongo, tree pie, bush quail, white
eyed buzzard, etc…on the nature trails.
On August 7, field assistant Bandu Uikey celebrated the
festival of Nag Panchami along with 26 students of Ghatpendari school. In
India, snakes are considered by many people to be divine and Nag Panchami is
celebrated as a mark of respect to the reptile deities. However, people who
pray to the snakes will not hesitate to kill one in case of any confrontation.
In villages of the buffer area of Pench Tiger Reserve, one often comes across
many snakes during the monsoon season. Villagers kill these snakes out of fear
and ignorance. Bandu explained to the villagers that snakes are a very crucial
part of the ecosystem and we need to protect them. He told people about the
various venomous species and non-venomous species of snakes found in the
region.
Further, Bandu informed the villagers about snake-bite
management. He explained to the people the correct way to provide first-aid to
a snake-bite patient. The students and teachers appreciated the programme and
have promised to exercise more care while dealing with snakes in future.
Dilip Lanjewar organized a
similar program in Ghoti village.
On August 18, Dilip Lanjewar
celebrated Eco-Rakhi festival with 10 students of Ghoti School. Dilip informed
kids about the significance of Rakhi festival in which sisters tie threads on
the arms of their brothers and brothers promise to protect their sisters. He
asked the children to tie Rakhi to the trees and protect them. Saving trees
would, in turn, help safeguard the village’s ecological balance. A similar
program was organized by Bandu Uikey in Ghatpendari village in which 20
students participated.
Environmental Education
Employment Cell
IT Education Program
Satpuda Foundation
has donated desktops as well as laptops to the Zilla Parishad School in Sawara
village and has been conducting computer education programmes for the students
free of cost since 2013. Basic computer skills are taught to the students to
make them feel comfortable with the technology and improve their IT skills. Ms
Sita Uikey, a resident of Sawara village, works on an honorarium basis for
Satpuda Foundation to conduct this programme.
Mobile Health Unit (MHU)
There were six medical camps in
August.
No comments:
Post a Comment