Activity Update March 2017: Navegaon-Nagzira

Highlights:

Our Conservation Officer Mukund Dhurve with children
on a nature trail

Our free health camp at Pitezari: Dr Zanzal examines a patient

Our free medical camp at Boatola - Dr Zanzal
examines forest department staff

Forest fire in Compartment 108, doused by volunteers

Students on a nature trail learn how to fight a forest fire

 Volunteer team organised by Satpuda Foundation
assists in fighting a forest fire in comp. no. 108

Ashram School, Masjidpur: Our team briefs students before screening
a wildlife film

Our staff and volunteers on patrol in Mangezari-Bagadhband road

Our volunteers on patrol with the Forest Department staff
in Compartment No. 109

Students of Mangalam Mukh Badir school, Gondia set off on nature trail.
The students are hearing-impaired.

Students of Mangalam Mukh Badir school, Gondia on a nature trail

 Villagers learn to make bangles from lac 

 Volunteers clean a waterhole in comp. no. 57

THE FULL REPORT

Team:

Mukund Dhurve         - Conservation Officer

Jivraj Salam                 - Field assistant

Salimkumar Dhurve    - Field assistant

Highlights

·      Joined Forest Department staff on 6 patrols

·      4 programmes to clean water holes in Compartments no. 109, 57, 58, 56

·      5 community assistance voluntary work programs to clean area next to hand pumps at Kodelohara, Kodebarra, Thadezari, Sodlagondi and Mangezari

·      5 anti-plastic programmes at Kodelohara, Kodebarra, Thadezari, Sodlagondi and Mangezari

·      Organised 5 education programmes in schools - 210 students attended

·      Conducted medical camps in 6 villages at which 195 patients got free treatment and medicines

·      Celebrated Sparrow Day on 20^th March

·      Celebrated World Forestry Day on 21^st March

·      Celebrated World Water Day on 22^nd March

·      Sent 30 women from villages in our area of operations for training in making lac bangles – programme conducted by Bank of India’s STAR Swayam Rozgar Yojana 

Conservation 

Our team organised 4 programs in March to clean water holes in Compartments 109, 56, 57 and 58.

Our team also organised 5 community assistance programs in March to clear areas around hand pumps at Kodelohara, Kodebarra, Thadezari, Sodlagondi and Mangezari. Unemployed youths from Mangezari participated in all programmes which were led by Mukund and Salimkumar. Details of the programmes are given in the table above.

Water had spilled over while people drew from the hand pumps and had stagnated, leading to proliferation of mosquitoes and insects. Our teams cleared the area, removing scum and organic growth and dug canals to drain away the water.

Our team joined the Forest Department in day and night patrols on the roads from Mangezari to Kodebarra, Mangezari to Jindatola, Mangezari to Govindtola, Mangezari to Bagadband and in Compartment no. 108, on March 8, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 18.

Besides our staff, volunteers from a youth club at Mangezari also joined in the patrols. The youth club was set up with our assistance and is mentored by our Conservation Officer Mukund Dhurve.  

During the month, our team organised 5 anti-plastic programmes to clean polythene/plastic litter from villages. The programmes were organised on March 2, 3, 18, 19 and 30 at Kodelohara, Kodebarra, Thadezari, Sodlagondi and Mangezari villages respectively. Mukund, Salimkumar and Jivraj organised the programmes which were attended by villagers and village eco-development committee (VEDC) members. The plastic litter has been kept in our Mangezari office and will be sent to Tiroda for recycling.

The Government of Maharashtra has issued the buffer zone notification for the Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve. Following this, doubts have sprung up in the minds of villagers as to how they will be affected by the notification. Due to the doubts, some villagers are opposing the notification. To clear these doubts and misgivings, we organised a total of 3 awareness programmes during March in 3 villages – Boatola, Sodlagondi and Thadezari.

Education

There were 5 education programmes during March 2017.

Education van

There were 7 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation in March.

     
Employment Cell activities

In March, we organised a livelihood skill-development programme for members of 12 women’s self-help groups operating in Mangezari, Jindatola, Kodebarra and Govindtola.

Training in making bangles from lac was given by trainers from Star Swayam Rozgar Kendra, a livelihood training institute run by Bank of India. The programme ran from March 19 to 29.

MHS (Mobile Health Service)

There were 6 health camps in March 2017.