KOPPAL: Officials of the Forest Department are volunteering to chip in to quench the thirst of wild animals in three forest ranges of Koppal district.
For instance, Gangavati forest range in the district is spread over 15,016 hectares in Karatagi, Kanakagiri and Basapattana.
The forest range is replete with hilly areas where animals such as leopard, bear, rabbit, peacock and civet are present. As water sources in the region depleted owing to harsh summer, these animals are affected, official sources told TNSE.
Though there is a provision for digging up pits for soil conservation, funds are unavailable for ensuring water supply to wildlife and hence, department officials are bearing water supply expenditure. Pits have been dug and cement containers have been placed in them at strategic places in three forest ranges to store water through tankers, Deputy Conservator of Forests Yashpal Ksheerasagar told Express on Saturday. As many as 16 such cement containers have been placed at Benakal, Basapattanna, Kuntoji, Mustoor and Bankapura villages in the range. Water is being facilitated to these containers from Karadigudda lake.
Similar arrangements have been made in other two forest ranges of Koppal and Kushtagi in the district.
Following help to quench their thirst, instances of wild animals such as leopard and bear intruding into human habitats have come down in the surrounding villages, said Bettappa, a resident of Benakal village.
Koppal and Gangavati range forest officers A H Mulla and Govindraj claimed that water is being supplied to cement containers every day through tankers.