Rourkela: Keeping in mind the exigencies arising out of summer season when traditional watering holes dry up, creating severe scarcity, the Bonai Forest Division (BFD) in Sundargarh district has undertaken extensive measures to ensure that wild animals do not suffer from dehydration.
The forest department has created and renovated several water bodies deep inside the forest to provide adequate drinking water for wildlife. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Bonai, Lalit Patra said to counter the water scarcity issues, the Forest department has strategically developed 143 water bodies across forests in the region. Those have been located strategically based on the movement patterns of animals to ensure easy accessibility.
“We have studied the movement of wildlife, which helped us identify suitable locations for creating water sources. These have been developed in both reserved and proposed reserved forests,” Patra said.
Larger water bodies have been specifically dug in dense forest areas to minimise evaporation and allow for natural replenishment. Additionally, meticulous attention has been given to renovating existing water sources.
“We have also constructed approach paths to ensure that animals, especially elephants, can reach the water without difficulty. In the past, incidents have occurred where baby elephants or even larger ones got trapped in muddy areas due to inconvenient access routes,” Patra explained.
The Forest department move was necessitated in view of the fact that BFD is one of the largest and most densely forested areas, and home to a variety of wild animals, including large elephant herds.
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Moreover, a number of herds from neighbouring Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh also regularly visit the forests. With the rising temperatures and prolonged dry spells, a significant portion of the division experiences acute water shortage. Although several natural streams exist, their water levels often dwindle during peak summer months.
Sources said as summer intensifies, the Forest department initiatives are expected to play a crucial role in safeguarding wildlife from the harsh effects of water scarcity, reinforcing the department’s commitment to conservation and ecological balance.
PNN
