Echoes of Phase 2 Environmental projects

Phase 3 is now underway and the world of Phase 2, whilst only completed a week ago, seems a distant memory. The pace of life on Raleigh can make the sights, sounds, experiences and events of each project pass like the view from the window of a speeding train on its way to the next project.
Luckily, our Venturers have been fantastic at documenting their experience and memories of each project and allow us at Field Base to relay their stories to you via the blog. Mums, Dads, friends and partners do not worry, we know that during Phase 2 Echo 4 and Echo 5 were subjects of several Blog posts detailing relocations to new project sites and that the typical blog entries on these project groups were not posted. Both groups returned to us safe and well and both groups had a story to tell. So, John Campbell of Echo 4 has provided us with details of Echo 4’s day to day life from the start of Phase 2. His account really details the everyday activities on the campsite at Parsalnatham and gives us an insight into how the group ran themselves. Also, Geoff Wells of Echo 5 has lent us his thoughts on the project both groups undertook in the second half of phase 2, including some information on their mini-project to build a water storage tank/shower/secondary irrigation feed for the village.

Echo 4

Phase 2.

Day 1. We set off for Parsalnatham from Field Base at 9:30am, keen as mustard venturers and three top notch PMs sharing songs on the bus as we made along the bumpy road south. One flat tyre, 10 songs and a few gags later we arrived at a forest ranger’s station where we stayed for the night before finishing the journey the following morning.

Day 2. We reached the drop-off point at 10:00am, it was warm already and we needed to unload the bus, trek to the campsite and make temporary camp whilst the equipment and food was carried in...it was hard work but the team really came together to support those who tired in the heat and we made it through the day on top form.

Day 3. We finished setting up the camp. Bashas were built and given a thorough test by Sam (the ‘hump test’ as we named it), long drops and slops pits were dug and the camp really took shape. It was hot again which didn’t make working any easier. It was Tom’s birthday today and Rachael and Hattie made a delicious cake with fruit salad to celebrate...happy birthday Tom! We spent the evening chilling around the camp fire playing games before heading to our bashas for a well earned night’s sleep.

Day 4. Birthday boy Tom was Day Leader today. We started work early, de-silting the local dam so the locals could access good water for their crops. We had to walk 30 minutes to retrieve water for our camp from a local well, it reached 43 degrees so I know that this project is going to be hardcore!

Day 5. Duncan is our Day Leader today. He got us up at and out of camp by 6:30am to go and fetch water. When we got back there was a donkey raiding the food barrel. Sam took his best shot at moving it, but some asses are just too big and even Sam’s charm couldn’t remove the beast We carried on de-silting for the day, Christina and I made dhal and spicey fried egg for dinner which everyone loved!

Day 6. It was Rachael’s turn to be Day Leader (nominated by Duncan) and we set off to collect water at 6:30am again, these early starts are taking their toll! Clive, Merel and I were on camp duty today while the rest of the team went to work. Clive and I nipped off to find some rocks and returned to see Merel, running through a sandstorm screaming ‘there are monkey’s, there are monkey’s in our camp!’. A storm had been brewing for a while and when it finally came the camp was left in a state of semi-disaster. Four bashas collapsed, there was mud everywhere and worst of all, Duncan’s ‘magazines’ were ruined. Gutted.

Regardless, Merel and Hattie made a fantastic tuna, cheese and tomato pasta dinner and we all sat down to listen to Mere’s hilarious story of how the monkeys bullied her and chased her out of camp.

Day 7. We woke at 8:00am today and went straight to work to de-silt the dam. Later in the morning we trekked for two hours to the next village where we ate puri in the village Chief’s sons’ restaurant, delicious! We also walked to the birthplace of Shiva, it took ages to get there in the heat of the midday sun and we all felt wrecked when we got there. Ironic, I suppose, as Shiva is the God of destruction. We headed back to the village where we picked up one last cold drink before heading back to Parsalnatham to finish our work for the day.

Day 8. Water duty as normal in the morning, then we had to collect 64 buckets of small stones to be used on the elephant proof fencing we were building. Me, Sam and Rachael won the prize for ‘most stones collected’ so we each got an extra flapjack at dinner. Later that evening, after our comms check with Field Base, we were told that we were to be relocated from Parsalnatham to a new project site. We didn’t have all of the details but we were told that one of the Field Base staff would come to see us and explain all. Some of the team are happy, some are sad.

Day 9. We rose at 4:30am to start de-camping; taking down bashas, filling in long drops and slops pits and packing everything away to be moved to the pick up point for the bus. We trekked out of the camp for 6km, but it wasn’t easy and the sun took it’s toll again. We made it to the pick up point and some of us went for a swim in the river while we waited for Mark and the bus to meet us.

1:30pm, the bus and Mark arrived and we headed back to the forest ranger HQ where Mark explained why we had to relocate. We set up a temporary camp, had dinner and went to bed, ready for a six hour drive the next day. I couldn’t wait to meet up with Echo 5 and catch up with everyone again!

Day 10. We join Echo 5 and make way en convoy to the headquarters of the Centre for Tribals and Rural Development Trust in the Nilgiri Mountains in Tamil Nadu. Mr Ranganathen, CTRD Director, welcomed us and described to us what kind of work we would be doing in the next week on the new project.

John

(Details of the project our Echo groups were presented with are available in the blog post ‘Changes for our Echo groups’ posted on 10/04/2010.)

Geoff Wells of Echo 5 takes the stage now and gives us a brief overview of the new project to build elephant proof solar power fencing in the rural mountain village of Kottakkadavu. Here’s a sample of a letter Geoff sent us from the project site:

‘Hi Ho! Just a quick update from all the newly relocated Echo 5, hope all is well at Field Base, looking forward to a good rendezvous in a few days time.

So, since relocating, we have made our new home in the tribal village, where our campsite is far superior to our neighbours’ Echo 4. Despite the rivalry, the two groups have been bonding well with chai and cake afternoons planned, there might also be a fashion show in the pipeline!

What have we been doing? Working hard to clear the ground and dig holes around the village for the much needed elephant fence. Last night, elephants came to around 50m of our camp and damaged the water supply pipes to some of the homes, proving just how vital the work Echo 5 (and Echo 4...sometimes) has been.

Also, some of the best members of the group (Ruth and me...but mostly me) have been working on a mini-project to develop a water storage tank which will also double up as a shower/drinking water supply and source for irrigation water when required (I’ve attached Ruth’s notes on the project for bedtime reading).

Skit plans going nicely!

Geoff

p.s Can’t wait for the fête.’

Gravity water feed – pressurised water system

Planned and developed by Ruth de Sainte Croix and Geoff Wells, assisted by Catriona Rizzutto and Kevin Walker.

Problem: Low pressure, sporadic water supply affecting availability of water to village for drinking and washing.

Solution: Improve water pressure by installing a storage tank downstream of water source to build hydrostatic pressure so water can be more effectively stored and distributed around village under pressure derived from storage tank. Install a shower attachment so future expedition groups don’t impact on villagers’ bathing sites and villagers have an alternative washing site closer to their houses but away from drinking water.

Method: After meeting with the villagers and assessing the challenges on the efficiency of the water supply, we focussed on not compromising the current supply and minimising the visual and environmental impact of the installation.

• Dug ledge into hillside to support 1000L storage tank. Floor of platform layered with bricks to distribute the weight of the tank.

• Fitted release valve into the tank and sealed the connection with plumbing tape.

• Cleared area 5m downhill of the tank for the shower cubicle.

• Set up a pipe network and on/off valve. Used a T-junction to connect drinking water pipe and pipe for shower.

• Paved shower floor and dug a drainage system to allow excess water to run off to crop fields.

• Erected shower cubicle bamboo and tarpaulin sourced from local village. Reinforced pipe connections and supports.

• Guided the villagers through the system and discussed maintenance process e.g refilling tank,de-silting, fixing leaks etc.