BENGALURU: After staging protests to save the Turahalli reserve and minor forests, residents of the area are standing united once again — this time to supply water to keep the forest patches green in the sweltering heat and ensure that wild animals do not stray into human habitats to quench their thirst.
The residents have been rejuvenating watering holes through water tankers on a daily basis from Saturday, and so far, they have already sent six tankers to forest areas.
Their aim is to prevent the watering holes from drying up this summer and ensure that animals are not left thirsty. This initiative will also prevent forest patches from drying up and reduce the risks of forest fires.
Rashmi Mavinkurve of ShareHabitat, a self-funded initiative, said that the forest department is also backing this initiative as it is for the revival of the eco-system.
Their aim is to supply at least 30-40 tankers of water this summer to protect wildlife, Mavinkurve said. A resident added that normally people are encouraged to keep a bowl of water for birds and animals, but they decided to take it a step ahead.
“Since the forest patch was in the news for all the wrong reasons in the recent past, the residents realised that it is the responsibility of every one in the vicinity to ensure that there are no more such incidents. Due to regular movement of people, a watch will also be maintained and miscreants will have little scope to set the forest ablaze. Also if the groundwater table is high and soil is moist, then chances of forest fires will be less,” the resident said.