Activity Update April 2019: Pench Maharashtra

Highlights:

Ambazari Beat - Volunteers clean and de-silt a waterhole 

Ghatkukda- Balkrishna conducts survey on awareness about snakes

Khapa - Check dam built by volunteers 

Khapa - Volunteers building the check dam 

Narhar - Volunteer fills a container with water for birds

Ghatpendri- Interaction with farmers and imparting awareness
about conservation issues related to agriculture

Shiladevi Beat- Volunteers on patrol in the jungle 

THE FULL REPORT

Team: Abhijit Dutta – Assistant Director (Conservation)

Kaustubh Marpalliwar, Bandu Uikey – Conservation Officers

        Dilip Lanjewar, Balkrishna Bagmare – Field assistants

Highlights

• Three community foot patrols

• One check dam constructed at Khapa

• One voluntary work project for waterhole cleaning and de-silting

• One voluntary work project for digging pits for sapling plantation 

• Three awareness programs on snakes; questionnaire survey on human-snake interaction

• 19 meetings to survey farmers’ awareness level and knowledge of conservation issues

• Five school education programs conducted - 92 students participated

• Six education van programs conducted - 246 villagers participated

• IT education program at Sawara

• Two livelihood meetings with SHG members 

Conservation work  (Table 1)

On April 24, a check dam was constructed near Khapa by Dilip and volunteers from the village so that water is available for nearby agricultural fields and livestock throughout the year. The check dam will also be a water source for wildlife in the region at night.

On April 13, a water hole was cleaned and de-silted in compartment No. 622 in Ambazari beat. The program included our team and forest fire watchers. The waterholes are critical to wildlife especially in the summer months. Regular cleaning is required to ensure that the water is safe for wildlife.

On April 24, Dilip led a team of four Village Eco-development Committee (VEDC) members from Khapa village on a foot patrol in the forest area near their village. The VEDC members looked out for signs of illegal tree felling or poaching during the patrol.

Balkrishna joined Forest Department staff on a foot patrol in Ambazari and Shiladevi beats on April 6 and April 7 respectively. These community-based patrols are supplemental to the regular patrols being done by the Forest Department.

During April, villagers were motivated to collect seeds of native species which can be used in plantation drives during the monsoon. We will arrange for supply of saplings of native plant species from the nearby nurseries. Our volunteers prepared fifty pits for plantation in Ghoti village.

With the onset of summer, water has become scarce and birds are struggling to get water to drink. We encourage villagers to provide water for birds by placing old bottles, pots and cans in suitable locations for birds.

During April, we conducted a program in Narhar to promote awareness about the importance of birds in the ecosystem and the need to ensure their survival by helping them with water.

On April 11, Balkrishna organised an awareness program on snakes in Ghatpendari village, where there was a fatality due to snakebite recently.

He explained the importance of cleanliness and keeping rodents out of the house to keep snakes out. He also explained how to differentiate between venomous and non-venomous snakes and what must be done in case of a snakebite.

Later, he carried out a survey on human-snake interaction. Similar exercises were carried out by Balkrishna in three other buffer zone villages in April.

We are currently carrying out a study to understand the awareness level of farmers in the buffer region of Pench on basic issues including agriculture, knowledge about the impact of fertilisers and pesticides on the environment, as well as crop depredation by wildlife raiding and the significance of insects and birds in agriculture.

The aim is to study the awareness level among farmers and to identify areas that could be improved through training. The study was completed in the East Pench cluster during April and is underway in the West Pench cluster.

Environment Education (Table 2)

In April, 5 school education programs were conducted by Balkrishna in which students were given lectures on man-animal conflict, biodiversity conservation, climate change and other issues related to nature conservation. 92 students attended these programs.

Education Van Program (Table 3) 

The education van conducted six wildlife movie screenings in April. Four village night-show programs were conducted and two village shows were conducted during the daytime, in which movies like 'The Truth about Tigers' and 'Girl Gang of Telia' were screened.

246 villagers attended these 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 an 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 the 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 April.

Employment Cell (Table 4)

On April 26, Dilip and Abhijit visited Ghoti village to inspect a paper making unit run by a women’s Self-Help Group (SHG) which has been non-operational from a couple of months. The women requested Dilip for help in operating the unit as the unit expenses were running high.

On April 27, Dilip and Abhijit visited Kolitmara village to inspect a sewing/tailoring centre which has been non-operational for a couple of months. They interacted with the SHG members.

They requested Dilip to conduct a program to train them in making bags and also asked us for assistance in market linkages.

Dilip took both the issues to officials from the Forest department who have promised a visit to the units soon. They may help by linking these units to the VEDC or the Pench Tiger Conservation Foundation.

Research

A study to understand the awareness level of farmers in the buffer zone was undertaken by us. A questionnaire was prepared which included basic information regarighding agriculture, knowledge about impact of fertilizers and pesticides on environment as well as crop depredation by wildlife and significance of insects and birds in agriculture.

The project is intended to study the awareness level among farmers and to identify areas which could be improved through training. The study was launched in East Pench cluster in April.

A field survey on recording snakes, incidence of sighting them and incidence of snake bites in buffer zone villages has been completed.

It has helped in noting the snake species that are more prone to come into contact with humans. A draft report has been made that will be submitted to concerned officials.