Thursday, April 25, 2019

Activity Update March 2019: Pench Maharashtra

Highlights:

Kadbikheda - Environment education programme in the village school

Saleghat - Dr. Khode treats a patient at our free medical camp

Sawara - Our colleague Dilip leads students on an awareness rally
on World Water Day

Sawara - Village children learn computer skills
through our IT education initiative
Sawara - Waterhole built by villagers
Shiladevi - Our colleague Balkrishna conducts a nature education programme

Suwardhara - Awareness rally organised by us
jointly with the Forest Deptartment on World Wildlife Day

Usripar- Volunteers cleaning and de-silting a waterhole 


THE FULL REPORT

Team: Abhijit Dutta – Assistant Director (Conservation)
Bandu Uikey – Conservation Officer
            Dilip Lanjewar, Balkrishna Bagmare – Field assistants


Highlights
·      Three community foot patrols
·      One waterhole prepared at Sawara
·      One voluntary work project for cleaning of waterhole at Usripar
·      One anti-plastic campaign at Awaleghat
·      Four community meetings on prevention of forest fires during mahua collection season
·      One meeting on chain-link fencing for farmlands
·      Two community meetings on celebrating Green Holi
·      Three nature trails for students
·      Seven celebrations to mark important days in the ‘eco-calendar’
·      18 school education programs conducted - 490 students participated
·      IT education program at Sawara
·      Five young villagers assisted in getting admission at RSETI livelihood training center, Nagpur
·      Six free medical camps - 198 patients treated

Conservation Action and Awareness






















On March 3, we cleaned and de-silted a water hole near Usripar village with assistance from volunteers.

A new waterhole was constructed near Sawara village for birds and smaller wildlife on March 17. The waterholes are of great help to wildlife especially in the summer months due to water scarcity.

On March 19, Balkrishna led a team of four Village Eco-Development Committee (VEDC) members from Suwardhara village on a foot patrol in the forest near their village. The VEDC members looked out for signs of illegal tree felling or poaching during the patrol in compartment no. 622. Night foot patrols were carried out in Ambazari beat and Tuyepar on the eve of Holi.

On March 20, Balkrishna organised a plastic litter collection drive in Awaleghat village. During the voluntary work program, Balkrishna explained the hazards of plastic waste for both environment and human health. Balkrishna explained to the villagers that plastic and non-degradable waste was causing irreparable damage to the ecosystem and adversely affecting birds and other life forms. He also told them that the waste was equally harmful to people. He brought to the notice of the villagers the large amount of plastic waste along the road leading to the school and in the village.

Later, the villagers volunteered along with students and cleaned the plastic litter in the village and along the road.

On March 15, Dilip organised a meeting in Bandra with villagers to promote the celebration of Holi in an eco-friendly manner. He demonstrated methods of extracting and making colours from natural products like the palash flower.

A similar meeting was conducted by Dilip in Usripar.

On March 22, Balkrishna organised a meeting in Chargaon to make the villagers aware of the negative impacts of forest fires on local biodiversity, air quality, farmlands, and the implications for climate change. He told them to harvest mahua flowers sustainably.

Balkrishna motivated the villagers to inform the Forest Department about wildfires and also told them to send young villagers to such spots to assist the Forest Department.

Similar programs were carried out by Dilip in Kadbikheda, Khudsapar and Sawara.

On March 3, Balkrishna celebrated World Wildlife Day in Suwardhara by organising awareness rallies with students and villagers.

On March 22, World Water Day was celebrated by Dilip with school students and villagers of Sawara village. An awareness rally was organised, with participants going through the village chanting slogans about water conservation. Dilip explained the need to conserve forests and water to the villagers.

Environment Education

In March, a total of 18 school education programs were conducted by Dilip and Balkrishna in which students were given lectures on man-animal conflict, biodiversity conservation, climate change and other issues related to nature conservation. 
A total of 490 students attended these programs.

School Education Programs

















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 2013. Basic computer skills are taught to the students to make them feel comfortable with technology and improve their IT skills.

Sita Uikey, a resident of Sawara village works on an honorarium basis for Satpuda Foundation to teach the students. Four such classes were held in March.

Employment Cell

On March 28, Dilip took five young villagers to RSETI (Rural Self-Employment Training Institute) Nagpur where they were admitted to a training course on repairing mobile phones.

These five young villagers belonged to Ghoti, Kadbikheda and Sawara.


Young villagers taken for an interview to Nagpur for training in Bank of Maharashtra - RSETI Mobile Repairing training program:







Mobile Health Service (MHS)

Six free medical camps were held in March in which 198 patients were treated.



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