Activity Update June 2017: Kanha

Highlights:

Pramod Maravi of Kutwahi, who got a job at a farmhouse

Sant Kumar Uikey got a job at a farmhouse

Candidates for the driving training learning basics and theory,
Chhindwara

Batwar - cleaning the area around a hand pump

Batwar - the site after cleaning

Desilting and cleaning the well in Bhagpur

Bhagpur - cleaning the well

Dhamangaon - wildlife film screening

Compost pit being dug in Nokhe Lal's property, Kutwahi

Kutwahi - our Field Assistant Sampatlal briefs young villagers about
driving training programme

Mocha - launch of sapling plantation programme at the Gram Panchayat
office

Patpara - Sampatlal shows villagers how to treat seeds
for better yield

Patpara - villagers attend an awareness programme about plantation

Patpara - plastic litter collected by our volunteers

THE FULL REPORT

Team: Amit Awasthi – Conservation Officer

            Sampathlal Dhurve – Field assistant

           

Highlights                                                                                                                                                  

·      2 voluntary work programmes for community assistance – area next to well cleaned at Bhagpur and area next to hand pump cleaned at Batwar

·      10 awareness programmes on plantation and improved farming techniques

·      Plantation programme – 2,400 saplings planted in 3 villages during the monsoon

·      6 compost tanks prepared in 5 villages

·      2 anti-plastic programmes

·      8 film shows on nature and wildlife – attended by 260 villagers

·      2 unemployed youths get jobs through our Employment Cell

·      12 youths sent to driver’s training programme at Chhindwara

Conservation

In community assistance work, our team organised one programme on June 10 to clean a well at Bhagpur. Organic litter had accumulated in the well along with other litter blown in by the wind.  3 women and 6 villagers joined Sampath and Amit in the programme in which they removed the litter and de-silted the well.

A similar programme was organised on June 14 to clear the area next to a hand pump at Batwar.

During the month, Amit organised 5 awareness programmes on improved farming techniques so that farmers can improve their yield. During the programmes, the farmers were also taught how to treat seeds before planting. Details of the programmes are given in the table above.

During the month, Amit and Sampathlal organised 5 awareness programmes on the importance of planting trees and increasing the green cover.

As part of our monsoon activities, our teams across the landscape motivate and organise villagers to collect seeds, prepare saplings and dig pits so that a plantation drive can be launched once the rains set it.

During June, our Kanha team helped plant a total of 2,400 saplings in 3 villages. The species planted included mango, kanji, jamun, amrud, awla, bamboo. The saplings were provided by the Gram Panchayat, Mocha. They were planted in Mocha, Chapri and 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 June, we helped 6 villagers dig compost pits –Radha Bai of Chapri on June 8, Gendlal of Batwar on June 10, Bipta Bai of Chapri on June 11, Sabe Singh of Bhagpur on June 18, Muliya Bai of Manegaon on June 21, and Nokhelal of Kutwahi on June 23.     

On June 11, our team organised an anti-plastic programme at Patpara. 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 Manegaon on June 13.

Education  

There were no classroom programmes as schools were shut for the annual summer holiday.

Education van programme

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

Employment Cell

We helped 2 youths get jobs during June.

Driver’s training programme

Ashok Leyland Limited has an institute at Chhindwara where it trains people to drive four-wheelers. The management of Kanha Tiger Reserve asked us to identify suitable candidates for this training programme from villages where we work. We identified 12 candidates and sent them to the Ashok Leyland Institute of Driver’s Training and Research. The month-long programme ran from June 1. The expenses of the trainees were borne by the Forest Department.