Activity Update January 2018: Satpura Tiger Reserve

Highlights:

Our free health camp at Almod

Bagra Tawa: our Assistant Director Abhijit briefs the Forest Department
on how to conduct socio-economic surveys

Nature camp for students at Daheliya

Volunteers building a check dam at Matkuli

The check dam at Matk

Field Assistant Hameed briefs students of Jhirpa before taking them
on a nature trail

Meeting of Womens' SHGs and government officials at Matkuli

Villagers discussing development issues, Matkuli

Discussing livelihood options with villagers

New Fiferi: New gas connections for villagers selected by us

New Fiferi: showing villagers how to use their new gas stoves

Briefing Self Help Groups about documentation and book-keeping, Sonpur

Tekapar: Field Assistant Hameed Khan conducting an environment
education class

THE FULL REPORT

Team: Ashfaq Aarbi – Conservation Officer

            Hameed Khan – Field assistant

Highlights

·      6 water conservation voluntary work projects during the month – built 3 check dams and cleaned 3 water bodies

·      Classroom visits to 15 schools as part of our environment education program – attended by 976 students

·      4 nature trails - attended by 206 students

·      Assisted Forest Department in arranging Nature camp Anubhuti programme 2018

·      Medical camps in 6 villages -    224 patients treated

·      Assisted in LPG distribution in relocated villages

·      Organised workshop on socio-economic surveys for staff of Forest Department

·      Visit to check on status of 8 villages which have already been relocated

Conservation

During January, we organised 7 programmes related to water conservation.

On January 23, we organised a programme to build a check dam on a stream around 2 km from Matkuli village. A team comprising of 11 students from Government Middle School Matkuli and our field assistant Hameed built the dam.

The resultant water body will benefit wildlife. Spotted deer, monkeys and leopards are spotted in the area.

Two similar programmes were organised on January 23 and 24 – one at a different spot at Matkuli and one at Tekapar.

In addition, we helped repair one check dam at Tekapar.

On January 28, we organised a programme to clean a water body in the jungle near Mehandikheda village. The water body was covered with leaves and organic litter and animals were finding it difficult to drink. Our team, consisting of Hameed Khan and 12 children from Government Primary School, Mehandikheda removed the litter and made the water bodies accessible to the animals again.

Spotted deer are regularly spotted in the area while there are occasional sightings of sloth bears, wild dogs, gaur and leopards.

Two similar programmes were organised at a different spot near Mehandikheda on January 28 and Aaditoriya on January 29.

Education 

During the month, our team organised 15 lectures to educate students about nature and wildlife conservation.

Nature Trail Programme

During January, our team organised a total of 4 nature trails for school children to promote awareness about nature and wildlife conservation.

Employment Cell- Training Programme

We identified 23 youths from Matkuli, Chirrai and Tekapar villages to get training in computer operations. The programme was organised by Samadhan Samaj Seva Sangathan, Pipariya under Deendayal Upadhayay Rural Skill Yojna. The training programme runs from January 10 to February 9. Details of the trainees are as follows:

Awareness programme on self-employment

Satpuda Foundation organised awareness programmes on self-employment at Matkuli and Sonpur on January 14 and 27.

Shri A.K. Mishra, Joint Director, STR has asked Satpuda Foundation to focus on youths from buffer and relocated villages in our livelihood activities.

In January, we finalised a list of livelihood activities that SHGs can take up in our area of operations. This list was submitted to Zilla Panchayat, Hoshangabad.

Self-Help Group Sammelan

We organised a self-help group (SHG) sammelan programme at Matkuli on January 25 to focus on SHGs review, grading and loan distribution activity. This programme was attended by Block Coordinator, National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), bank officers and members from SHGs of 11 villages.

Nature camp- Anubhuti Programme

On January 3-4, we supported the Forest Department’s Anubhuti nature camp at Daheliya camp for school children from villages in the Denwa range. The camp focussed on wild life, nature and environment conservation and included a visit to the relocated village of Parraspani. This programme was attended by Mr. Lokesh Nirapure (Asst. Director) Mr. B.P. Srivastav (Range Officer, Denwa),  Mr. Sharif Khan (Deputy Ranger) and all Forest Guards of Denwa Range and  225 school children.

Community Participation Programme

We organised a community participation programme at Matkuli on January 18. This programme aimed to bring the villagers and Forest department together to discuss forest fire management, construction of check dams and soak pits, forest patrolling and other conservation work. This programme was attended by Forest Range Officer East Pachmarhi, Mr. Manohar Lal Banker (Member of Zilla Panchayat Hoshangabad), Mr. Kamal Kishore Pal (Sarpanch- Matkuli), Smt. Uma Bai Mehra (Sarpanch- Tekapar), Smt. Laxmi Bai Yadav (Sarpanch- Pisuwa), villagers and local staff of the Forest Department staff.

Mobile Health Service (MHS)

Satpuda Foundation organises medical camps at which villagers get free treatment and medicines. These camps, whose schedule is set in conjunction with the management of the Satpuda Tiger Reserve, are run by the Mobile Health Service (MHS) of Satpuda Foundation.

There were health camps in 6 villages in January.

LPG Gas distribution

After a socio-economic survey and survey of fuel wood collection, we identified suitable candidates for getting cooking gas connections. Indane Gas Agency distributed the connections in the relocated villages of Manakachar and New Fiferi.

Socio and Economic survey Training

During January, Satpuda Foundation also organised a training programme for local staff of the Forest Department on conducting socio-economic surveys. Forest Department staff of Pipariya, Matkuli and Bagra Tawa Range attended the programme. Shri L. Krishnamurthy, Field Director, STR has asked Satpuda Foundation to focus on livestock management, fodder development, firewood collection, timber usage and cooking gas availability. Socio-economic surveys are of great help in this work.