Activity Update February 2018: Pench Maharashtra

Highlights:

Chargaon: Our Community Officer Balkrishna encouraged
local women to learn lantana wood carpentry for additional income

Lantana wood hairpins made by Chargaon women after training

Chargaon: Nature education class 

Nature trail in Ghoti: children learn about local plants

Wildlife film screening at Ghoti school

Volunteers build a check dam near Khapa

The completed check dam

Students from Sawara village learn about the importance of wetlands
on World Wetland Day

Kirangisarra: Our team explaining the government rules
on relocation of villages out of tiger habitat

Free health camp at Makardhokda: Dr Zanzal with patients

Community Officer Dilip Lanjewar conducts
a nature education class at Pipariya

THE FULL REPORT

Team: Abhijit Dutta – Assistant Director (Conservation)

Bandu Uikey – Conservation Officer

            Dilip Lanjewar, Balkrishna Bagmare – Community Officers

Highlights

·      One check dam built at Khapa

·      New Resettlement GR read out and explained to villagers at Kirangisarra

·      World Wetland Day celebrated on Feb 2 at Sawara & Siladevi

·      Community patrols at Wagholi, Khapa & Saleghat

·      Nature trails at Wagholi & Ghoti

·      Anti-plastic campaign at Chargaon

·      Sixteen school Nature Education Programs, 365 participants

·      Six film shows, 284 participants

·      Five youths placed in jobs; two meetings on alternative livelihoods

·      Six free medical camps, 213 patients treated

Conservation 

On February 23, a check dam was built in Khapa with the help of villagers and the village eco-development committee (VEDC) president, Kashinath Maraskole. The check dam will help the villagers in the dry season when water availability will be less. This method of soil and water conservation has proved to be very efficient previously.

On February 21, a meeting was held in Kirangisarra and the new Government Resolution (GR), which was put out in public domain on January 10, 2018, was read out and discussed with the villagers. The benefits of this GR were explained to the villagers by Bandu and Dilip.

Community patrols were carried out in Wagholi, Khapa and Saleghat. Such patrols help detect any illegal activity and assist in monitoring wildlife movement.

World Wetland Day was celebrated on February 2 at Sawara and Siladevi. Dilip and Balkrishna explained the importance of wetlands to school children and the need to conserve local wetlands.

An anti-plastic campaign was carried out on February 16 at Chargaon and two nature trails were arranged for school students of Wagholi and Ghoti on February 11 and February 25 respectively where details about local flora and fauna was provided to the students.

Environmental Education

School Education Programs

In the month of February, a total of 16 school education programs were held by Dilip and Balkrishna where students were given lectures on man-animal conflict, biodiversity conservation, climate change and other issues related to nature conservation.  A total of 365 students were reached through this program.

Education Van Program

The education van conducted six wildlife movie screenings in February.

IT Education Program

Satpuda Foundation has donated desktops as well as laptops to the Zilla Parishad School in Sawara village and has been conducting IT education program for the students free of cost since the year 2013. Basic computer skills are taught to the students to make them feel comfortable with the technology and improve their IT skills. Ms. Sita, a resident of Sawara village works on an honorarium basis for Satpuda Foundation, wherein she is able to earn a livelihood as well. Four such classes were held in the month of February 2018.

 

Employment Cell

Bandu took feedback from the young villagers sent to work to as laborers at Krishnadevrai Breakers earlier in Vapi, Gujarat. As the review was good, Bandu encouraged four villagers from Ghatpendari to join as daily wage laborers at the same factory.

 

Balkrishna helped Ravi Idpachi from Chargaon to join as a driver for SP Roadways, a transport firm in Mansar. Balkrishna learnt about vacancies at SP Roadways and informed interested youths in Chargaon. Ravi applied for the job and was hired.

Two livelihood meetings were held in February.

On February 17, Balkrishna took 12 young villagers from Siladevi, Chargaon and Suwardhara to a livelihood mela organised by a private firm in Parseoni.

On February 19, Balkrishna met women from Chargaon and encouraged them to take up lantana craft making as an alternative source of livelihood.

Livelihoods Meetings:

Mobile Health Service (MHS) 

There were 6 medical camps in February in which 213 patients were treated.