Nagpur: In yet another livelihood initiative to garner local villagers’ support to save tigers, Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR), Maharashtra, has started a cooperative dairy project in the Nagalwadi forest range in the buffer zone.

The project has been started in Awaleghat village in Parseoni. Pench deputy director Prabhu Nath Shukla informed that the project has received funding support of ₹25 lakh from FDCM under CSR.

As part of the project, 40 high milk-yielding cattle have been distributed in Awaleghat, Makardhokda, and Chargaon villages. A milk collection centre has been established in Awaleghat.

Shukla said that villagers have formed a cooperative society — Shiv Swarajya Sahakari Santhan. They have signed an agreement with a society in Nagpur that will procure milk from the cooperative. PTR will give veterinary support to the people.

Before starting the project, the members of the cooperative studied similar successful initiatives in Chhattisgarh, Nagpur district, and other places. As part of the expansion plan, the cooperative will start paneer and ice cream making units.

The cooperative society has also decided to increase the membership base by starting more collection centres. Shukla said that the forest department is in the process to garner fund support from other sources to boost the number of beneficiaries.

“To coordinate the activity, a tripartite MoU between the eco-development committee (EDC), cooperative society, and collection centres is being inked. To ensure that forest doesn’t become a victim of the project by way of cattle grazing, only stall feeding is being allowed, and cows have been given to those who have started fodder farming,” said Shukla.

“We hope the unique project will not only create a positive impact by improving the livelihood of locals but will also help curb man-animal conflict,” said Pench officials.

ACF Kiran Patil, RFO Praveen Lele, forest guards Rohidas Chavan and EDC office-bearers Shishupal Bedare and Abhishek Maind played key roles in launching the project.