Activity Update June 2018: Navegaon-Nagzira

Highlights:

Cleaning a waterhole in the park with help from village volunteers

Forest patrol with villagers

Compost pit being dug at Bagadband

Meeting with Womens' SHG at Jindatola to discuss livelihood options

Kodebarra - meeting to discuss fisheries as a livelihood 

Kurhadi - students display seeds they have collected for plantation

Mangezari - villagers and government officials discuss livelihood options

Dr Zanzal examines a patient at our Pitezari medical camp

THE FULL REPORT

Team:

Mukund Dhurve         - Asst.  Conservation Officer

Jivraj Salam                 - Field assistant

Surajlal Tekam            - Field assistant                                                                            

Highlights

·      5 community assistance programmes to clean area next to hand pumps/wells

·      5 anti-plastic programmes

·      3 waterholes cleaned

·      Organised 6 medical camps in which 232 patients got free treatment

·      Organised 2 VEDC meetings

·      Organised 2 classroom environment education programmes - 217 students present

·      Organised 7 film shows for 436 students

·      Celebrated World Environment  Day with 37 VEDC members and villagers

·       Organised workshop on fisheries for the villagers of Mangezari, Kodebarra, Jindatola, and Govindtola

·      Built 9 compost pits

Conservation 

Our team organised 5 community assistance programmes in June 3, 8, 11, 12 and 14, to clear areas around hand pumps/wells at Bodalkasa, Bhajepar, Chorkhamara, Asalpani and Sodlagondi. Unemployed young villagers from Mangezari participated in all programmes, which were led by Mukund and Jivraj. 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. 112, 109 and 94 and on the road linking Mangezari to Jindatola. 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.   

Our team joined the Forest Department in day and night patrols in Compartment no. 112, 109 and 94 and on the road linking Mangezari to Jindatola. 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 June 3, 8, 11, 12 and 14 at Bodalkasa, Bhajepar, Chorkhamara, Asalpani and Sodlagondi villages respectively.

Mukund 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 June in Balapur and Thadezari.

On June 5, we celebrated World Environment Day at Mangezari in a programme which involved local staff of the Forest Department and 26 villagers. During the programme, we spoke to the villagers about the environment, impact to humans from environmental degradation and the need for conservation.

On June 23, we organised a workshop at Kodebarra on fisheries in which Government officials gave information about various state schemes to promote fisheries in villages. Mr. Shahare, from the Fisheries Department, attended the programme in which 13 villagers of Mangezari, Jindatola, Kodebarra and Govindtola were present.

During the month, we assisted villagers in building 9 compost pits at Bagadband and Asalpani as part of our ongoing programme to promote organic farming and reduce the use of chemical-based fertilizers in areas adjoining forests.

Environment Education

There were 2 classroom programmes on environment education in June.

Education van

There were 6 film shows in June.

On June 28, on a request from Divisional Forest Officer (Territorial) Mr Yuvraj, we organised an awareness programme on snakes, snake-bite prevention and treatment on the occasion of Vriksh Dindi programme organised by Maharashtra Forest Department and Green Earth Organisation at Chichgarh. Mukund Dhurve and Mandar Pingle spoke to around 350 villagers from nearby villagers. A film show was also organised.

Employment Cell activities

We helped one villager get a job and one villager to set up a small business in June.  

Employment Cell Training activities

We also identified the following candidates for training in different trades under Bank of India’s Star Swayam Rojgar Yojna. They will be sent for training in the coming months.

Mobile Health Service (MHS)

There were 6 health camps in June.