As the south-west monsoon has failed and the north-east monsoon is playing truant, the Forest Department is hard put to fulfil drinking water need of animals in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve.
The department has been managing to fill a few waterholes in and around Talamalai and Hasanur areas that are utilised regularly by elephants, Indian Gaurs and deers.
The dry conditions have caused depletion of water level.
Aquifer and borewells in the farms on the hills have gone dry, causing crisis to cultivators. Filling of waterholes under such a circumstance has turned challenging for the department.
The department had identified existing waterholes in the forest area for deepening during 2014, but has been able to sustain water supply only at a few points in containers under a project funded by WWF-India, local sources said.
Elephant deaths had, in the past years, occurred due to natural causes triggered by reduced water intake. The current priority of the department is to prevent the animals from straying into human habitations in search of water.
