Highlights:
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| Employment Cell: We got Bhagchand Dhurwe a job as a tractor driver, in Chhapri |
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| Shivnath Dhurwe (of Dhamangaon) at his new place of work, Royal Sylvan Resort Chapri. |
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| Devendra Masram (of Batwar) at his new place of work, Royal Sylvan Resort Chapri |
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| Batwar - village volunteers clear the area around a well |
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| Batwar - the well area after clearing |
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| Batwar - vegetable patch set up with our help at Aaghan Uddey's plot |
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| Bhagpur - Volunteers bring materials to build check dam |
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| Bhagpur - the completed check dam |
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| Kutwahi - Compost pit being dug in Fagu Lal's backyard |
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| Patpara - Village children pose with the plastic litter they cleaned up |
THE FULL REPORT
Team: Amit Awasthi – Conservation Officer
Sampathlal Dhurve – Field assistant
Highlights
1 voluntary work programme on water conservation – check dam built at Haldu jhodi nallah, Bhagpur
1 voluntary work for community assistance – area next to well cleaned at Batwar
3 awareness programmes on water conservation in 3 villages
4 compost pits prepared in 4 villages
2 anti-plastic programmes
Organised nature camp
Environment education programme conducted in 11 schools – attended by 378 students
3 unemployed youths placed in local jobs through our Employment Cell
Conservation
In water conservation work, we organised a programme to construct a check dam on February 19. The site of the dam was a stream adjoining the jungle around 0.5 km from Bhagpur village. Thirteen villagers, including members of Sharda women’s self-help group (SHG), unemployed youths and village elders comprised the team which built the dam. Wildlife and domestic livestock will both benefit from this water body. Nilgai and sambar are spotted regularly in the area.
On February 12, Amit and Sampath led a team of 8 people in a programme to clear wild growth around a well at Batwar. Growth of bushes and shrubs had proliferated around the well and access to the well was affected. Our team, which comprised 2 youths and 4 women from the village, removed the wild growth and cleaned the area.
We also held 3 programmes during February to promote awareness about water conservation in villages. Details are given in the above table.
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 February, we helped 4 villagers dig compost pits – Dhurv Singh of Batwar on February 5, Laxman Uikey of Kutwahi on February 23 and Jeevan Maravi of Patpara on February 25, Ujiyar Uikey of Sautiya on February 26.
On February 18, our team organised an anti-plastic programme at Bhagpur. Amit and Sampath spoke to the villagers 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. A similar anti-plastic programme was organised at Patpara on February 24.
Education
During the month, our team organised environment education programmes in 11 schools in the villages in our area of operations.
Education van programme
There were 2 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation in February.
Nature Camp
We conducted a nature camp for 32 students from 5 villages. The camp was held on February 9 and 10. During the camp, the children were taught about the biodiversity of the area and the need to conserve the same. The activities included a drawing contest, film shows on nature and wildlife, nature games and a nature trail in the adjoining jungle. Range Forest Officer (Khatiya) Suresh Khusre and Deputy Ranger (Khatiya) S C Thakre both attended the camp and spoke to the children. The presidents of village eco-development committees of Mocha and Chapri attended along with sarpanch of Mocha. The programme was also covered by two local TV news channels – Bansal and Swaraj.
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 ask for 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 3 youths get jobs during the month of February.
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