Activity Update November 2019: IUCN Project in the Pench-Bor Tiger Corridor

Telkamthi - Members of women's SHGs who were trained in food processing

Chandikapur - Team looks for signs of tiger presence,
 to reduce human-animal conflict

Telkamthi - Women from Lohgad, Telgaon and Umari
attend food-processing training workshop

Telkamthi - Women learn food processing techniques during workshop

Umari - Members of Durga Mahila Bachat Gat cultivating oyster mushrooms

 Umari - Members of SHG Durga Mahila Bachat Gat
preparing pickles for sale

Umari - Oyster mushroom crop
at Durga Mahila Bachat Gat unit

Mandar Pingle – Conservation Officer

Highlights

• Assisted Forest Department staff in monitoring tiger movement and sensitising villagers to prevent human-animal conflict
• Organised 2-day food processing workshop for women from 3 villages; 37 women participated
• One farmer and a women’s Self-Help Group (SHG) from Umari successfully cultivated and marketed oyster mushrooms
• Assisted Durga Mahila Bachat Gat of Umari to start food processing micro-enterprise 

Activity

Satpuda Foundation assisted Forest Department staff from Katol Range of Nagpur district in regularly monitoring tiger movement near Chandikapur, Malegaon and Gondikhapa villages. On 28 October, a cow was killed by a tiger in Randhoda area of Isapur round, and villagers had encountered the tiger in their farms. In order to prevent any human-animal conflict, Satpuda Foundation and Forest Department staff regularly patrolled the area till 13 November. Pug marks were seen in a cotton farm in Malegaon village. The team also collected GPS locations of open wells in the region. Villagers were sensitised through meetings and one-on-one interactions. The villagers were instructed to avoid open defecation, grazing of cattle in forest areas, and to avoid disposal of dead cattle in the open in order to avoid human-animal conflict.

On 6 November, Satpuda Foundation organised a 2-day workshop to train members of women’s SHGs in food processing. 37 women of 7 SHGs from Umari, Telgaon and Lohgad villages participated in the program. Mrs Savita Dhongade, trainer for the workshop, is associated with Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal (MAVIM), Nagpur. During the program, the women were taught to make pickles, sauces, chutneys, jams and squashes. Packaging, marketing and setting up of cottage or micro-enterprises was also taught during the program. Officials from Gram Panchayats and Maharashtra Rural Livelihood Mission (MSRLM) visited the workshop and provided information regarding various schemes for SHGs being implemented by the Panchayat Samiti. During the program, the women were also sensitised about human-animal conflict and ways to prevent it.

On 22 November, Durga Mahila Bachat Gat of Umari village cultivated its first crop of oyster mushrooms. The group was trained in a program organised by us in October, and had set up a unit at Mrs Sangita Ghugal’s home. Mrs Ghugal is the president of the SHG. Satpuda Foundation assisted them in selling the mushrooms in Nagpur. We also provided them market linkage by introducing them to wholesale dealers in Kalamna market in Nagpur. The group is now cultivating and selling fresh mushrooms. They are also selling dried mushrooms. Dnyaneshwar Sarve, a farmer, also successfully cultivated and is now selling oyster mushrooms. 

In November, Durga Mahila Bachat Gat of Umari village was trained in food processing in a program organised by us. We assisted the group in starting a micro-enterprise for the manufacture of pickles, jams and squashes. Food registration and Udyog Adhar registration for the micro-enterprise has also been completed. Satpuda Foundation helped the group procure their first order for crushed lemon pickles, lemon sliced pickles, amla murabba and amla pickles. Kashinath Farms, an organic products store in Nagpur, will be marketing these products for the group.