TIRUPPUR/ERODE: In order to prevent wildlife from leaving the forest for drinking water due to the drought prevailing inside the forest areas under Tiruppur and Erode forest divisions, the forest department is filling water at 58 locations.
Amidst the intense summer heat, a severe drought is prevailing in forest areas under Tiruppur and Erode districts. On Tuesday, in the Erode district, the temperature was 41°C, the second-highest temperature in the state., while Tiruppur recorded 38.5°C.
Due to persistent heat, most of the water bodies that quench the thirst of wildlife within the forest have dried up. Therefore, forest officials are hiring water tankers and filling concrete troughs.
"In Tiruppur district, water is being filled in troughs within forest areas at 40 locations for the benefit of wildlife. Of these, 20 locations have borewells with solar facilities," said a senior official of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (Tiruppur Forest Division).
"These water troughs have a capacity of about 15,000 litres to 30,000 litres. In this, water is filled daily into troughs with borewell facilities by forest staff on patrol duty. We fill other troughs with water through trucks once a week. This will prevent wildlife from leaving the forest in search of water and will also prevent human-wildlife conflicts," the official added.
"Even though we have two dams — Thirumoorthy and Amaravathi — severe drought prevails in the forest areas. Same time last year, it rained, and there was greenery," he added.
He further added that special teams have been formed on a range-wise basis which include residents of the hill villages, to monitor the situation.
Erode DFO KV Appala Naidu said, "Water is being filled in troughs at 18 locations within the Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, which includes Anyhiyur, Bargur, Thattakarai, and Chennampatti forest ranges, under Erode Forest Division. Six of these locations have solar-powered borewell facilities. Both tanks have pipeline facilities. We are filling four tanks with water using trucks."
He added that special teams have been constituted on a range-wise basis, and patrol operations are currently under way. The movements of wildlife along forest boundaries are being monitored using modern technologies. "To prevent forest fires during summer, 372.5 hectares of alien weeds have been cleared, and 235 km of fire lines have been created," the DFO said.
Yogesh Kumar Garg, Deputy Director of STR (Hasanur Forest Division) said, “In Hasanur division, there are 147 check-dams, 88 Percolation ponds, 56 well, 11 water troughs, five forest pond , four solar power Borewells and many natural water ponds. Most of the water holes are regularly filled with water. Palar, Moyar and Bhavani rivers and their tributaries, serve as important water sources for the wildlife for STR.”
