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.
