Activity Update October 2013: Kanha

Team: Amit Awasthi – Conservation Officer

            Sampathlal Dhurve – Field assistant

           

Highlights

·      Celebrated wildlife week programme in villages

·      2 bio-gas plants repaired in 2 villages  

·      2 voluntary work project programmes for community assistance – one to clear area next to hand pump and one to clear area next to well

·      Socio-economic surveys updated in 2 villages

·      2 nature trail programmes in 2 village

·      Environment education programme conducted in 10 schools - attended by 224 students

·      7 nature and wildlife film shows attended by 546 students    

·      3 unemployed youths placed in resorts

·      Distributed vegetable seeds to 13 villagers in 5 villages         

·      3 awareness programmes on vegetable farming

                                                                                            

   

 Conservation work

In order to reduce the dependence of villagers on forests for firewood, we encourage them to use alternative sources of energy. As part of this programme we assist villagers in repairing bio-gas units which have fallen into disrepair. In October, we helped two villagers restart their bio-gas units. The details are given in the table above. 

Below: Tulsiram uses his biogas stove after we repaired it. In Manegaon.

During October, we organized two voluntary work projects (voluntary community work). On October 20, Amit and Sampath led a team of 14 people in a programme to clear wild growth around a well at SchoolTola in Batwar. Due to heavy rains, wild growth had proliferated around the well and water was stagnating. Access to the well was also difficult. Our team removed the wild growth. The participants included 10 women belonging to Maa and Durga self-help groups (SHGs) and 4 unemployed youths from the village. Photos below.

Above: The well area after clean-up

On October 27, Amit and Sampath led a team of 15 unemployed youths in a programme to clean the area around a hand pump at ChowkiTola in Chapri well. Due to heavy rains, wild growth had proliferated around the pump and water was stagnating. Our team removed the wild growth, cleared the area and also cleaned and repaired a soak pit next to the hand pump. Photos below.

The hand pump and surrounding area after clean-up

Education

During the month our team organized environment education programmes in 10 schools in the villages in our area of operations.

Amit and Sampath led children of Mocha and Batwar on nature trails on October 13 and October 30 respectively. On the trails, they helped children identify various species of plants and animals and explained the importance of preserving our environment.

Nature trail - Sampath with children of Mocha Middle School

Above, below: some winners of contests held at Mocha Middle School
during Wildlife Week

Kutwahi SHG members get mementos for participating in Wildlife Week
activities

See our posts on Wildlife Week celebrations in the blog

Employment Cell

We helped three youths get jobs during the month of October.

Anil Uikey of Chapri, who got a job at Kousalya Resort with our help

Livelihood programmes

As part of our programme to help villagers find alternative livelihood options which will reduce their dependence on forests, we have been encouraging villagers, in our area of operations around Kanha, to take up vegetable farming. Due to the presence of several resorts around Mocha and a steady flow of tourists, there is good demand for fresh vegetables. Over the past year, we have assisted around 15 villagers in taking up vegetable farming and they are earning around 500-1,000 rupees a week in additional income. The vegetable patches are typically of small size and located in the backyards of the residences. Some villagers have now got enough confidence to expand and are planning to use part of their farmland for this activity. To encourage more villagers to take up this activity, we conducted three awareness programmes in October at Dhamangaon, Batwar and Khisi.

Khisi - Amit and Anoop Awasthi conduct an awareness programme
 on vegetable farming

We also distributed seeds to some villagers to help them get started in this activity. Details are given in the table below.

Vegetable seeds distribution

Patpara - Amit distributes seeds to villagers to promote commercial
organic vegetable farming

Patpara - vegetable patch in Dinesh Maraskole's back yard

Education van programme

There were 7 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation in October.

Activity Updates September 2013: Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve

Team:

Ashfaq Aarbi   -   Conservation officer

Bandu Kumare – Field assistant

Highlights

·      Sapling plantation at Adegaon, Sitarampeth

·      Awareness programme for plantation in all 10 villages in our cluster

·      Classroom visits to 10 schools as part of our environment education program – attended by 325 students

·      Collected relevant information about key people in each village

·      Meeting with District Manager, NABARD on unemployed youths’ training programmes

·      Meeting with Director, Self Employment Training Institute (Bank of India), Chandrapur on unemployed youths’ training programme

·      Medical camps in 6 villages  - 228 patients treated

·      Film shows on nature and wildlife conservation in 10 schools – attended by 433 people

·      Visit to Bhagwanpur to follow up on status of relocated villagers

Conservation

With the monsoon setting in across the landscape, our teams have been working to motivate villagers to plant saplings. In September, our Tadoba team organized sapling distribution and planting in 2 villages – Adegaon and Sitarampeth. Moharli. The saplings were provided free of cost by the Forest Department (Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve buffer wing). Species distributed included neem, anjan, karanj, kavat, shesam and jamun. We also conducted awareness programmes on plantation at Chorgaon, Junona, Bhamdeli, Kutwanda, Kondegaon. 

Below: Photos of planting at Adegaon

Education

During the month, our team made classroom visits to 10 schools to educate children about nature and wildlife conservation.

Employment Cell

During the month, Ashfaq made contact with and developed a working relationship with the officials in charge of NABARD and the Self-Employment Training Institute (run by Bank of India) at Chandrapur. Both organizations have programmes for training youths in livelihood options.

Education Van

During the month, our team organized film shows on wildlife and nature conservation in 10 village schools.

Adegaon - film show in progress

Chorgaon - students of Middle School at a film screening

MHU

There were health camps in 6 villages in September.

Dewada - villagers registering for treatment

Jamni - the camp was held at the Forest Guard's quarters.
Patients collecting their medicines from the ambulance.