Activity Update March 2017: Kanha

Highlights:

Batwar - Aaghan Uddey tends to his vegetable patch

Chapri - Amit Awasthi conducts awareness programme on forest fires

Chapri - Our volunteers clear area around hand pump
and dig soak pit to take spillover water

Chapri - The soak pit being dug by our volunteers 

Dhamangaon - Volunteers collect plastic litter in cleanliness programme 

Above, below:  Manegaon and Patpara- Conservation slogans
painted on walls in prominent places in the villages

 Mocha - Students watch film on nature and wildlife conservation

Samaiya - Volunteers clean well and area around it

Kutwahi - Compost pit dug in Bhasori Lal's backyard

THE FULL REPORT

Team: Amit Awasthi – Conservation Officer

            Sampathlal Dhurve – Field assistant

           

Highlight                                                                                                                       

·      Two voluntary works for community assistance – area next to well at Samaiya cleaned and area next to hand pump at Chapri cleaned and soak pit dug

·      Awareness programme on forest fires in 3 villages                                                                                                                                                                                               

·     2 compost pits prepared in 2 villages

·      2 programmes on how to celebrate Holi in eco-friendly manner

·      Painting of conservation slogans on walls in 3 villages  

·      2 anti-plastic programmes

·      Environment education programme conducted in 11 schools – attended by 394 students

·      7 film shows on nature and wildlife – attended by 363 students

·      2 unemployed youths get jobs with our help

 Conservation

In community assistance work, our team organised a programme on March 19 to clean the area next to a well at Samaiya, which had become overgrown with weeds and other wild growth. Seven youths and two male adults from the village joined Amit and Sampath in the programme. 

A similar programme was organised on March 22 at Chapri in which the team cleared the area next to a hand pump and dug a soak pit.

During the month, Amit organised 3 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 May. 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.

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 March, we helped 2 villagers dig compost pits – Bhasori Lal Kartikey of Kutwahi on March 28 and Nanvati Bai of Bhagpur on March 29.     

Holi is a major Hindu festival and is normally celebrated by people splashing water and colours on each other. Normally, a lot of water is wasted and chemicals in the colours contaminate the soil and water bodies. Further, bonfires are lit and branches and trees are cut for firewood. In our programmes, we explained the harm that is caused to the environment by such activities and encouraged people to celebrate the festival in a more eco-friendly manner. Instead of using firewood, villagers are advised to burn rubbish and waste materials or cow dung. We also teach the villagers how to make colours from flowers, without using chemicals. We organised 2 programmes on March 12 at Dhamangaon and Chapri.

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

On March 24, our team organised an anti-plastic programme at Dhamangaon. 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 Samaiya on March 27. 

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 7 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 March.