Activity Update September 2019: Tadoba

Agarzari - Young villagers attend a videography workshop
sponsored by TATA Trusts

garzari - Youths are briefed about videography workshop
sponsored by TATA Trusts

Agarzari- Villagers learn to operate camera equipment

Katwal - Men's self-help group members discuss
mushroom cultivation and poultry farming

Katwal - Students from Zilla Parishad school participate
in a plastic clean-up drive 

Katwal - Students pose for a picture after collecting
plastic litter on their school premises

Khutwanda - Children on a birdwatching trail

Kondegaon - Students learn about human and wildlife
coexistence through an interactive nature game

Kondegaon- Gram Panchayat and VEDC members
attend a meeting to discuss livestock management in the village
using Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Jan Van Yojana scheme

Kudesawli- Students and teachers of Zilla Parishad school
watch a documentary on human-animal conflict

Mudholi - Cattle owners and farmers attend meeting
on livestock management

Mudholi - The Women's SHG group is briefed on setting up
of a candle-making unit

Pachgaon - Students and villagers watch a documentary
on human-animal conflict

THE FULL REPORT 

Team: 

Conservation Officer:  Ajay Poddar

Field Assistant:  Kishor Dudhbarai

Highlights of the month: 

• 13 awareness programs on man-animal conflict attended by 452 villagers 
• 2 anti-plastic and cleanliness programs to prevent man- animal conflict - 87 villagers participated
• 6 meetings on livestock management to reduce grazing pressure on forests - 113 cattle owners and farmers participated
• 11 environment education programs - 529 students and 35 teachers attended
• 3 nature club activities - nature and bird watching trails, interactive nature games - 76 students participated
• 2 meetings to select eligible young villagers for videography workshop organised by TATA TRUSTS- 27 young villagers attended; 15 young villagers selected 
• 3 women’s SHG meetings were organised - 45 members attended
• 4 VEDC meetings were organised - 67 members attended

(See Table 1)

During September, we organised several meetings with villagers focusing on reducing human-animal conflict. In order to spread awareness, we spoke to the community members about potential threats and the danger of venturing into the forest areas for fuel wood, mahua, tendu collection etc. As the Tadoba area has a good tiger breeding population and other large carnivores, many encounters turn fatal, often leading to retaliatory killing of wildlife by villagers. Resolving issues like garbage dumps around village, cattle grazing, minor forest produce (MFP) collection and unemployment help in reducing human-animal confrontation.  

Wild herbivores like blue bulls, spotted deer, sambar deer and wild boar also pose a threat to villagers by raiding crops, damaging fields and sometimes attacking farmers. Farmers suffer hefty losses in these depredations. Farmers were told to maximise the use of solar-powered fencing. Our team is preparing a list of farmers who are willing to set up solar-powered fencing around their farms. 452 villagers attended these meetings. 

We organised garbage management meetings with villagers of Katwal and Kondegaon. Programs were organised to sanitise the area around villages, as garbage spillover and food leftovers lure wildlife into villages and cause man-animal conflict. We also collected over 5 kilograms of plastic litter through public participation (shramdhaan). 87 villagers including members of village eco-development committees (VEDCs) and children volunteered for these activities. 

We also organised 6 meetings with cattle owners and farmers on livestock management. Attendees were informed about stall feeding, cattle sheds and fodder unit through success stories from the villages in Nagpur and Wardha districts. Post monsoon, a fodder plantation drive will take place with the help of Forest Department near Mudholi village. Also, a cattle castration program will be organised in Khutwanda, Kondegaon and Katwal in October. 113 cattle owners and farmers including village Sarpanch attended the meetings.

Education (See Table 2)

During September, we organised environment education programs in Junona, Dewada, Udiyatola, Adegaon, Kanargaon, Gunpur, Kudesawli, Wamanpalli, Pachgaon, Khutwanda and Ashtha villages. We  organised these programs to make students and teachers aware of the importance of biodiversity and conservation. We taught them about nature and wildlife’s value through interactive sessions and various nature games. 605 students and 35 teachers participated in the programs. 

Students of Nature clubs 'Ashwal' from Khutwanda and 'Wagh' from Kondegaon village participated in interactive nature education games and learnt about rainwater harvesting and conservation.   

Employment Cell  (See Table 3 and Table 4)

We organised 4 Village Eco-Development Committee (VEDC) meetings and 3 Self-Help Group (SHG) meetings, focusing on alternative livelihoods which will reduce dependence on the forests that leads to human-animal conflict and degradation of forests. 112 villagers attended these meetings. 

We organised meetings with young villagers of Kudesawli, Kanargaon and Gunpur villages on a sensitisation visit in Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve to be organised by Satpuda Foundation and the Forest Department. 30 young villagers were selected for the visit planned for October.

In the SHG meetings, we discussed several livelihood related issues. We formed groups of interested members who are willing to be trained in making paper bags and in embroidery. Taking up such activities will improve their earnings and reduce their dependency on forests. 45 people attended these meetings.  

In the VEDC meetings, we discussed plantation to be done in the buffer area, collection and distribution of saplings from the Forest Department. We also focused on increasing usage of solar-powered fencing in farm lands to prevent conflict with wildlife and to reduce the incidence of wild animals being electrocuted by electrified fencing. We discussed and explained short- and long-term benefits of fodder plantation. We also discussed the increasing incidents of human-animal confrontation in and around Moharli and how to prevent this by adopting cattle sheds and stall feeding for cattle, which often fall prey to carnivores around the area. 67 villagers attended these meetings.

During September we also organised two meetings with young villagers of Moharli and nearby villages regarding a video/photography workshop to be organised by TATA Trusts in Agarzari. 15 young villagers were selected for the first batch. These young villagers will be trained in handling camera equipment and making documentaries. These documentaries will be featured in our environmental education program and the Tiger Reserve’s nature camping site.