Activity Update April 2018: Satpura Tiger Reserve

Highlights:

Field Assistant Hameed Khan helping to put out a fire near Matkuli

Fire-fighting at Maili Nallah

Discussing village relocation at Ghana

Water pot for birds, Matkuli

World Earth Day celebration

Conservation Officer Ashfaq makes a list of candidates
for gas connections under the Government scheme Ujwala Yojana

Vermicompost tank at Matkuli, prepared by us with support from
HDFC Bank

Water containers for birds, Matkuli

Volunteers building a check dam, Matkuli

The completed check dam, Matkuli

Dr Zanzal at our free health camp, Pisuwa

Dr Zanzal at our free health camp, Chandanpipariya

THE FULL REPORT

Team: Ashfaq Aarbi – Conservation Officer

            Hamid Khan – Field assistant

Highlights

•       8 water conservation voluntary work projects – 6 water bodies cleaned, 2 check dams built

•       10 vermi-compost tanks prepared at Matkuli; 4 awareness programmes on vermi-compost

•       Assisted in fighting fires in forest on 3 occasions

•       18 awareness programmes on forest fires

•       5 awareness programmes on need to provide water for birds and putting up of  120  water pots/containers

•       5 unemployed youths placed in jobs at Indore

•       Medical camps in 6 villages – 142  patients treated

•       8 village meetings for selection of candidates for Ujwalla Yojna.

•       Organised 6 meetings in villages scheduled for relocation to help villagers understand issues

•       Visit to check on status of  9 villages which have already been relocated

•       Celebration of Earth Day at Matkuli

Conservation

During April, we organised 8 programmes related to water conservation. 

On April 1, we organised a programme to clean a water body in the jungle near Pisuwa village. The water body, which is located in the buffer zone, was covered with leaves and organic litter and animals were finding it difficult to drink. Our team, consisting of field assistant Hameed Khan and 13 students of Government Primary School Pisuwa, cleared the litter and made the water body accessible to the animals again.

Spotted deer are regularly seen around this water body while there are occasional sightings of sloth bears and leopards.

During the month, we organised similar programmes to clean five more water bodies in the jungle at Chandanpipariya, Tekapar, Mehandikheda, Bindakheda and Khari on April 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

On April 11, we organised a programme to build a check dam on a stream around 2 km from Matkuli village. A team comprising 32 school children from Government Higher Secondary School, Matkuli and Hameed built the dam. The resultant water body will benefit wildlife at night. Spotted deer, monkeys and leopards are seen in the area.

A similar programme was organised at Pisuwa on April 12.

During the month, we organised 4 awareness programmes on vermicompost and 10 vermicompost tanks were prepared at Matkuli with the support of Agriculture Department. We also trained villagers in making vermicompost to reduce their dependence on chemical fertilisers.

With the onset of summer, forest fires are a major hazard in the dry, deciduous forests across the landscape. Wherever possible, our teams make it their top priority to assist in fighting fires. During April, Ashfaq and Hameed assisted Forest Department staff in fighting fires on 3 occasions – at Maili Nallah, Mehandikheda and Chakar on April 5, 7 and 9.

During the month, our team organised 18 awareness programmes on forest fires. Fires are a recurring hazard during summers – both deliberate and accidental. Sometimes, villagers start fires as they believe that tendu leaves sprout better after such fires. 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.

In 2 of the meetings, local staff of the Forest Department joined us in addressing the villagers.

The details are given in the table below.

Our teams work across the landscape to provide water to birds during the scorching summer. In Satpura Tiger Reserve, Hameed Khan motivated villagers in Matkuli, Duddi and Almod to put up small containers with water for birds to quench their thirst. 120 containers were placed at suitable places in trees, roofs of houses and buildings. We also organised awareness programme on this issue at Jhirpa and Aaritodiya.

Celebration of Earth Day

On April 21, we organised a programme to celebrate Earth Day at Matkuli. Water conservation was discussed at the meeting. Following the meeting, villagers voluntarily dug a trench to collect water leaking from an overhead tank. This make shift water tank now provides drinking water for domestic livestock, while, earlier, the water was being wasted. The programme was attended by Mr. Praveen Yadav (Principal, Government Higher Secondary School, Matkuli), Bubulal Dahiya, Smt. Laxmi Yadav (Sarpanch - Pisuwa and Mr. Kamal Kishor Pal (Sarpanch - Matkuli), and around 50 villagers from Matkuli.

Employment Cell - Placement

5 youths from relocated and buffer villages got jobs in April thanks to our assistance.

Details of the placements are as follows:

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 Tiger Reserve, are run by the Mobile Health Service (MHS) of Satpuda Foundation.

There were health camps in 6 villages in April.

Ujwalla Gas Yojna

During the month we organised 8 programmes to select candidates for Ujwalla Gas Yojna at Matkuli, Mehandikheda, Pisuwa, Bindakheda, Chandanpipariya, Maili, Tekapar and Chirrai. This programme was supported by Food Inspector, Pipariya.

Proposed relocation

Our team organised meetings of the residents of Duddi, Bandhan, Ghana, Chakar, Almod and Barud villages to discuss relocation-related issues. Ashfaq was asked to organise these meetings by Shri B.P Srivastav (Range Officer, Denwa buffer), M.L. Wadiwa (Deputy Ranger) and Forest Guard, Satpura Tiger Reserve.

Relocated villages

Ashfaq and Hameed Khan visited the relocated villages of Birjikhapa, Dhargaon, Nankot, Mongra, Parraspani, Anjandhana, Jamandhonga, Raikheda and Nayakheda during April to follow up on the status of the relocated villagers.

Satpura Tiger Reserve and Zilla Panchayat administration have asked Satpuda Foundation to focus on youths from relocated villages in our livelihood activities. STR management will approach the concerned government agencies to implement livelihood training programmes under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).