Highlights:
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| Digging a waterhole for wildlife in the buffer forest |
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| Awareness programme on fire prevention for Womens' Self Help Groups |
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| Bhagpur - Handpump site before our volunteers cleaned it |
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| Volunteers preparing a soak pit |
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| Bhagpur - the completed soak pit |
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| Dhamangaon - wildlife film screening |
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| Manegaon - plastic clean-up drive |
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| Manegaon - Jay Singh Saiyam working in his vegetable patch |
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| Patpara - members of the Womens' Self Help Group write conservation slogans in prominent areas of the village |
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| Patpara - Sampath our Field Assistant giving a classroom lecture at the |
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| Patpara - children provide water for birds in summer |
THE FULL REPORT:
Team: Amit Awasthi – Conservation Officer
Sampathlal Dhurve – Field assistant
Highlights
·
1
waterhole prepared at Kundajhodi Jhiriya
in Batwar
·
Two voluntary
work projects for community assistance – area next to hand pump cleaned at Bhagpur
and area next to well cleaned at Manegaon
·
3
compost pits prepared in 3 villages
·
5
awareness programmes on forest fires
·
Painting
of conservation slogans on walls in 4 villages
·
2 anti-plastic
programmes
·
Installed
water pots for birds in 2 villages
·
Environment
education programme conducted in 6 schools – attended by 156 students
·
8 film
shows on nature and wildlife – attended by 301 students
·
2
unemployed youths get jobs with our help
Conservation
During the month, our
team organised programmes to prepare a waterhole inside the jungle at
Kundajhodi Jhiriya in Batwar on April 21. Nine villagers joined us in the programme, as a result of
which wildlife will now get an additional source of water during the hot summer
months.
On April 21, Sampath led a team of 8 people
in a programme to clear wild growth around a hand pump and clean a soak pit at
Bhagpur. Wild growth had proliferated around the hand pump and access to the pump
was affected. Our team, which comprised 8 youths from the village, removed the
wild growth and cleaned the area and soak pit.
A similar programme was organised on April
26 to clear wild growth around a well at Manegaon.
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 April, we helped
3 villagers dig compost pits – Naino Bai Saiyam of Kutwahi on April 19, Kalo Bai Uikey
of Chapri on April 20, Sanokhi Bai Maravi of Patpara on April 24.
During the month, Amit organised 5
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 burning. Collection of tendu leaves takes place during
April. 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.
During the month, we arranged for slogans
to be painted on walls of houses with help of members of women’s self-help
groups (SHGs) in prominent places in 4 villages to promote awareness about
conservation.
On April 14, our team organised an
anti-plastic programme at Bhagpur. 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 Manegaon on April 28.
Education
During the month, our
team organised environment education programmes in 6 schools in the villages in
our area of operations.
Education van programme
There were 8 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation
in April.
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 April.
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