Activity Update December 2017: Navegaon-Nagzira

Highlights:

Farmers learning about vermi-compost

Night patrol between Mangezari and Kodebarra

Our volunteers join Forest Department staff on a patrol in Compartment 109

Our horticulture training programme for villagers

Cleaning around a hand pump

Cleaning a waterhole in Compartment 114

Plastic trash clean-up drive in Bagadband

Dr Zanzal at our free health camp at Chorkamara

Kabaddi tournament at Govindtola, to spread awareness about conservation 

At the kabaddi competition organised by our team

Mukund Dhurve speaks to students at Kuradi about conservation

THE FULL REPORT

Team:

Mukund Dhurve         - Asst.  Conservation Officer

Jivraj Salam                 - Field assistant

Salimkumar Dhurve    - Field assistant

Highlights

·      Joined Forest Department staff on 7 patrols

·      6 community assistance voluntary work – programs to clean area next to hand pumps at Jindatola, Chorkhamara, Kodebarra, Bagadband, Pitezari and Mangezari

·      5 anti-plastic programmes at Jindatola, Chorkhamara, Bagadband, Pitezari and Mangezari

·      3 waterholes cleaned in Compartments no. 109, 110 and 114

·      Organised 2 classroom programmes for 390 students

·      Organised 2-day nature camp at Jindatola for 40 students

·      Organised 6 medical camps in which 203 patients got free treatment

·      Organised Kabaddi tournament to promote awareness about conservation

·      Organised visit for 40 farmers from 9 villages to expose them to organic farming and improved agricultural technologies

Conservation 

Our team organised 6 community assistance programmes in December to clear areas around hand pumps in different villages. 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 in Compartment no. 109, Compartment no. 110, and on the roads linking Mangezari to Kodebarra, Mangezari to Jindatola, Mangezari to Govindtola and Mangezari to Bagadband. 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 December 01, 03, 12, 18 and 29 at Jindatola, Chorkhamara, Bagadband, Pitezari 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 2 awareness programmes during December in 2 villages – Sodlagondi and Thadezari.

On December 15, we organised a kabaddi competition at Govindtola in which 12 teams from 4 villages participated. We use sports events, festivals and days of national importance (such as Republic Day and Independence Day) to promote awareness about conservation. The competition was well attended with villagers from Mangezari, Jindatola, Kodebarra and Govindtola were present, along with staff from the Forest Department, staff and students from Mangezari School. We are organizing the 12 teams as youth green brigades which will take and up conservation and support us in our work.

On December 28, we organised an exposure visit for 40 farmers from nine villages in our area of operations. The farmers were taken to a model farm where they were introduced to organic farming and improved agricultural technology. The benefits of stall feeding, fodder and livestock management were also explained to the farmers. 

The farmers were from Mangezari, Kodebarra, Jindatola, Govindtola, Asalpani, Bagadband, Balapur and Bolunda.

Education

There were 2 education programmes in December which were attended by 390 students.

Education van

We organised a 2-day residential nature camp for 40 students from 5 schools.

  During the camp, which ran on December 21 and 22, the students took part in nature games with a conservation message, went on nature trails and jungle safaris and were given presentations on conservation. The 40 students were accompanied by 5 teachers. 5 volunteers assisted in running the camp. Besides, Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Shri Uttam Sawant, Range Forest Officer Shri Kadam, Forest Guard Shri Patle and guides from Jindatola were present.

Mobile Health Service

There were 6 health camps in December2017.

A success story from our medical camps:

Tekchand Tima Varkhade, aged 57, of Kodebarra, had been suffering from stomach pain for a long time. Our doctor diagnosed him, gave him immediate relief and referred him to Gondia Government Hospital for further treatment. He had an ulcer in his small intestine. Following the treatment, he has recovered and has responded to our assistance by joining us as a volunteer in our patrols in the jungle.