Conservation

 

During the month, our team was engaged in water conservation work in 2 villages – shramdhaan to do “bori bandhaan” at Raikheda and construction of a soak pit at Sakai.  The bori bandhaan, in which 8 people from 2 villages participated, took place on April 21 and 22 at Kumbajhari, near Raikheda. On April 8, our team led 13 villagers in building  a soak  pit at Sakai village.

 

Our team continued with their awareness programme about forest fires and the threats that fires pose to wildlife and forests. The Forest Department (Satpura Tiger Reserve) joined hands with us to jointly conduct a workshop on how to fight forest fires. He workshop, which was attended by 65 villagers, was held on April 22 at Suplai.

Awareness programme at Mongra

 

On April 19, a fire broke out at Raikheda village in which 6 houses were burnt to the ground and the inhabitants lost all their possessions. Satpuda Foundation provided clothes from its clothes bank to the inhabitants of these houses and will continue to support them where possible in their rehabilitation.

Helping villagers at Raikheda with clothes after they lost all their possessions in a fire

 

Education

Our team conducted education programmes in 10 villages, conducting classroom visits to explain to children the need to conserve nature and wildlife.

 

Education Activities

 

Date	School	Village	Number attending
Apr 6	Govt Primary School	Nayakheda	32
Apr 7	GPS	Anjandana	30
Apr 8	GPS	Dhargaon	21
Apr 9	GPS	Sonpur	29
Apr 10	GPS	Khamda	13
Apr 11	GPS	Mana	19
Apr 13	GPS	Sakai	20
Apr 14	GPS	Mongra	19
Apr 15	GPS	Birjikhapa	12
Apr 16	GPS	Nandkot	19
Total	10		214

 

Employment Cell

3 youths from Raikheda, Birjikhapa and Anjandana villages were placed in jobs as cooks and labourers with Hotel Amaltash at Pachmarhi at a starting salary of Rs 3,000/- per month. The placement took place on April 20.

 

Details of the placement are as follows:

S. no	Village	Name	Salary	Qualification	Date	Age	Employer
1	Raikheda	Kamran Singh	Rs 3,000/-	6th standard pass	Apr 20	29	Hotel Amaltash,Pachmarhi
2	Birjikhapa	Vinod Kumar	Rs 3,000/-	5th standard pass	Apr 20	26	-do-
3	Anjandana	Santu	Rs 3,000/-	4th standard pass	Apr 30	30	-do-

 

Mobile Health Unit (MHU)

Between April 18 to 21, our team assisted Nature Conservation Society, Amravati in holding medical camps in 9 villages in Satpura Pench Tiger Reserve in which free treatment and medicines were given to 285 villagers.                        

S.N.	Date	Village	No. of Patients
1	Apr 18	Raikheda	50
2	Apr 19	Kukra	25
3		Nandner	5
4		Sonpur	55
5	Apr 20	Anjandana	45
6		Nandkot	20
7		Dhargaon	25
8	Apr 21	Birjikhapa	30
9	Apr 21	Nayakheda	30
	Total		285

 

PRATIBIMB 2009

Satpuda Foundation participated in Pratibimb 2009, a school-to-school interface organized by Goonj in Delhi in which approximately 300 rural and urban children participated.

Satpuda Foundation’s stall at Pratibimb 2009

 

We selected 2 school children from villages in Satpura Tiger Reserve, 2 from Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra and 4 from Amravati. Conservation Officer Ashfaq Aarbi led the team and was supported by Manoj Mankar, a school teacher from  Sawara village in Pench Tiger Reserve.

Conservation Officer Ashfaq Aarbi with our patrticipants at Pratibimb 2009

 

The children participated in a range of cultural activities, sports events and role playing events. The team from Pench put on a cultural programme – a mute show about the environment – which won a trophy and certificate.

Shri Mankar, teacher from Sawara school, poses with our team after it won a prize at Pratibimb 2009

 

 

Giving gifts made in Pench Tiger Reserve village to city school kids at Pratibimb 2009

 

PENCH CLUSTER

 

Conservation

With the onset of summer, fires have become a major concern in forests. Our team has been active in fighting fires, both by assisting in fire-fighting efforts as well as by providing information of fires to the Forest Department.

 

On April 5, our team along with the MHU team assisted in putting out a fire at Bakhari in East Pench (M.S.). The team also treated 2 forest staff who suffered from sunstroke after fighting the fire through the day. Our team included 2 doctors, SF volunteer Adwait Kewle, NCSA member Prashant Holey, MHU driver Guddu, SF staff Anoop Awasthi and Dilip Lanjewar. There were also around 20 forest department staff who were fighting the fire since morning. Our team had reached the Sillari guest house for dinner after conducting a camp at Sawara and Kadbikheda. At the guest house, they noticed the fire in the distance and voluntarily proceeded to the spot to assist. They were engaged in fire fighting from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Separately, SF staff Bandu Uikey joined the Forest Department staff in fighting the fire.

 

On April 11, SF staff Niranjan Hinge, Anoop Awasthi and Dilip Lanjewar, while returning from a field trip to Sawara village, noticed a fire near Pauni. As the fire was too big to be handled by them, they informed the RFO at Pauni.

 

On April 18, Dilip Lanjewar was returning from a field trip to Zinzeriya. He noticed a fire near Salai village and reported it to the Round Officer  Kharane by phone.

 

Water conservation work

Around one km away from Tuiyapar village, there is a small well within the Territorial Forest. Here is a small tank next to the well which is used by livestock as well as wildlife.

 

This well was earlier used by villagers. Since the tank got damaged, the villagers had stopped using it. Our team organized a shramdhaan with around 20-22 villagers participating and cleaned up the tank and the surroundings. The tank will be repaired this month and will provide a waterhole for wildlife.

Filling up tank at Tuiyapar

 

We also used the occasion to explain the ill effects of poisoning and told the villagers that there is no point repairing the tank if is allowed to be used for poisoning wildlife. The villagers have assured us that they will monitor the tank, ensure that it is filled up regularly and that it is not used for poisoning wildlife.

 

Field assistant Bandu Uikey also noticed that an artificial waterhole near Narhar has gone dry. He filled it up and brought to the notice of the forest department staff the fact that it needs to be filled up regularly.

 

A total of 21 pots have been strung up in 4 villages for birds to quench their thirst – Ghatpendari, Satosha, Khamma, Khamrith.

Helping birds quench their thirst

Water pots for birds

 

Our team also regularly conducts awareness programmes about the harmful effects of forest fires and poisoning of water holes at all the villages in our area of operations.

 

Employment Cell

A total of 5 youths were placed in jobs during the month – all of them locally.

Details of the placement are as follows:

S. no	Village	Name	Salary	Educational Qualification	Date	Age	Employer
1	Turia	Ashish Deherwal	Rs 1, 650/ + board and lodging	12th standard pass	Apr 21	19	Tuli Tiger Resort
2	Turia	Mukesh Deherwal	-do-	10th standard pass	Apr 21	18	-do-
3	Aamajhari	Umesh Kharate	Rs 1,800/- + board and lodging	12th standard pass	Apr 17	18	Mrignayanee Green resort
4	Aamajhari	Ganesh Arwat	-do-	12th standard fail	Apr 17	18	-do-
5	Ghatpendari	Ruksham Uikey	Rs 2,100/-	12th standard pass	Apr 1	24	Boat Camp at Salama

Conservation officer Anoop Awasthi takes unemployed youths to Mrignayanee Green Resort at Turia for jobs

 

Our team also held a workshop at Sawara on April 11, attended by 35 people, in which they gave details about our Employment Cell’s activities and the different schemes.

Awareness workshop at Sawara

 

Meeting with unemployed people at Khamma village on lantana training

 

Handicraft made from lantana by Khamma villagers

 

Mobile Health Unit (MHU)

Between April 4 and April 6, our team assisted Nature Conservation Society, Amravati in holding medical camps in 7 villages in Pench Tiger reserve in Maharashtra at free treatment and medicines were given to 221 villagers.

 

Medical camp in progress at Khudsapar

 

Between April 25 and April 27, medical camps were held in 8 villages in Priyadarshini Pench Tiger Reserve in which free treatment and medicines were given to 380 villagers.

 

Pench Tiger Reserve Maharastra

S.N.	Date	Village	No. of Patients
1	Apr 04	Khudsapar	15
2		Jinjeriya	36
3		Khaapa	21
4	Apr 05	Sawara	09
5		Kadwikheda	05
6	Apr 06	Tuiyapar	100
7		Ghoti	35
7			221

 

Pench Tiger Reserve Madhya Pradesh

S.N.	Date	Village	No. of Patients
1	Apr 25	Karmajhari	00
2		Khumbhpani	45
3		Jamtara	14
4	Apr 26	Kokiwada	65
5		Gumtara	55
6		Pathari	145
7	Apr 27	Pulpuldoh	16
8		Thuyepani	40
8			380

 

Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve

 

 

Conservation

Our team conducted anti-plastic campaign in Sitarampeth and a campaign about sanitation/public hygiene in Khutwanda.

We motivated children to pick up plastic waste lying around in the villages and buried the waste in pits. We also led the children in Khutwanda in sweeping the streets as part of our campaign to promote sanitation and public hygiene.

 

Anti-plastic campaign at Sitarampeth

 

S.N.	Date	Name of Village	Activity	No. of Participants
1	April 17   April 10	Sitarampeth	Anti-plastic campaign. Cleaning of surroundings around well	11   1
2	April 12         April 18	Kutwanda	Cleaning of surroundings around well and building of a small waterhole next to well. Sanitation/public hygiene campaign	1         30
3	April 17     April 26	Adegaon	Cleaning of surroundings around borewell Diversion of waste water from his bathroom to gutter	1     1
4	April 23	Katwal	Cleaning of school ground and follow-up to plantation of saplings made earlier	25
5	April 24 & April 25	Moharli range	Fire-fighting	5
6	April 26	Kondegaon	Public hygiene/sanitation campaign	28

Cleaning up surroundings around handpump at Adegaon

 

Our team also assisted in fire-fighting at Moharli range on 2 occasions – April 25 & April 26. One fire was on the main approach road to Moharli from Chandrapur and the other on the road between Sitarampeth and Kondegaon. 

Field assistant Mubarak Sheikh fights fire in Moharli range

 

On both occasions, our staff Bandu Kumare and Mubarak Sheikh fought the fires with the assistance of passersby.

 

Field assistant Bandu Kumare fights forest fire with help of passersby

 

Education

Our team conducted education programmes in 7 villages, conducting classroom visits to explain to children the need to conserve nature and wildlife.

 

Education Activities

 

S.No	Date	School	Village	Number attending
1	Apr 8	Govt Primary School	Chorgaon	104
2	Apr 18	GPS	Bamdeli	12
3	Apr 20	GPS	Kutwanda	58
4	Apr 21	GPS	Adegaon	10
5	Apr 22	GPS	Moharli	35
6	Apr 22	GPS	Kondegaon	34
7	Apr 24	GPS	Moharli	30
8	Apr 30	GPS	Sitarampet	13
		Total		296

 

Employment Cell

No placements or training programmes/workshops took place during the month.

 

Education van

The Employment Cell also undertook programmes focusing on educating villagers about nature and wildlife and the need for conservation. Between April 8 and April 9 our team visited 1 school and held programmes in 2 villages. Children were shown movies about wildlife while adult villagers were shown movies on water conservation, nature and wildlife.

Education van programme at Moharli – school kids enjoy film show about forests and wildlife

 

S. No	Date	Place	Movie	Participants
1	Apr 8	Sitarampet	Jalyodha, Bhimashankar, Melghat	63
2	Apr 9	GPS Moharli	Melghat	130
3		Village Junona	Jalyodha, Bhimashankar	32
		Total		225

 

Bhagwanpur

Our team visited Bhagwanpur on April 28-29 to follow up on the status of the relocated villagers.There is nothing fresh to add to the previous months’ reports.