Keonjhar: Once famous for its pleasant climate, this natural environment-rich district has now become a hot cauldron. The heat has not only affected people but also wild animals as they are suffering under the scorching sun. To compound their problems, most of the water bodies have dried with the mercury soaring to over 43 degrees Celsius in many parts of this district.
Sources informed that many of the animals have died due to the heat, but the Forest department is not reporting the incidents. DFO Keonjhar division Dhanraj HD however ruled out water scarcity in the jungles under Keonjhar division. “Forest department personnel are on alert to all possible situations. They will take steps when the need arises. Water bodies have been dug in various forest range areas to quench the thirst of wild animals,” Dhanraj said. Dhanraj may say that the animals are not facing water shortage. However, the fact is that major rivers like the Baitarani, Kanjhari, Karo, Sona, Kusei and Aradei have dried up due to the high temperatures. Sources said that a herd of 90 elephants including 29 calves in Keonjhar forest division are suffering due to an acute shortage of water. Other animals like monkeys, bears, jackals, deer, squirrel, snakes and hares are also facing similar problems. They are trying to stay as close as they can to the water bodies.
However, even then the quantity of water available is too little for them. “The animals are suffering due shortage of food and water. Most of the trees and plants have been affected due to the heat. The problem is acute for herbivorous animals. They are neither getting food nor water. They cannot even come out of the forest,” pointed out Duskar Barik, an environmentalist. Hundreds of monkeys near Anjara (Talakainsari panchayat) under Bhuyan and Juanga Pidha forest ranges are also suffering due to soaring temperatures and lack of water. Many bats and owls in Raisuan village under Sadar block and Balabhadrapur village under Ghatagaon block have died due to the heat, sources said. “I have never seen such high temperatures since my birth.
In our time 35 degrees Celsius was considered very high. Due to mining activities, massive deforestation and unnecessary felling of trees, the situation has changed drastically,” said 70- year-old writer, Karunakar Barik. According to environmentalists, trouble started after 1998 and became acute after 2002. Today many places in this district have turned into furnaces. It is due to heavy mining and industry operations, destruction of forest cover, and plying of heavy vehicles creating pollution that have led to temperatures rising, they said. To add to the woes, sparse rainfall has affected the district leading to acute water shortage, they added.
