With streams and natural water sources fast drying up in the wild as blistering heat wave conditions building up in the early summer, the Forest Department has focussed its attention on making drinking water available for the wild animals in the forest.
The timely initiative is also intended to prevent incidents of straying of wild animals into human habitations in search of water thereby avoiding human-animal conflict.
A contingency plan to meet the drinking water needs of the wild animals has already been initiated in the erstwhile undivided Khammam district region encompassing large tracts of forest area.
The department has created waterholes at 400 places in strategic locations across the forest area spread over 10 lakh hectares in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district. Arrangements have been made to fill the artificial water storage points on a regular basis through water tankers.
In addition to the existing three solar-powered borewells in Kinnerasani wildlife sanctuary, three more solar-powered borewells have been installed one each at Markodu, Gattumalla and Regalla forest beats under the wildlife sanctuary limits.
Work on digging percolation tanks to enhance water storage capacity and recharge of groundwater resources is underway in Kothagudem and Palvancha divisions. In Khammam, the water body at Chintapalli the famous nesting spot for the migratory birds has been replenished by filling the tank with water drawn from an irrigation canal, sources said.
The Forest Department has appointed a watcher to oversee the efforts to promote awareness on the winged visitors and ensure their safety at the water bodies around the village.
Speaking to The Hindu , Bhadradri-Kothagudem District Forest Officer S. Rambabu said continuous efforts were underway to replenish the artificial waterholes created for the purpose of quenching the thirst of wild animals in the current summer season. As many as 32 camera traps are in place at vantage points in the Kinnerasani wildlife sanctuary to monitor the movement of wild animals and ensure their safety at the drinking water points in the wild, he said. A proposal has been forwarded to the government for sanction of additional camera traps to step up surveillance in the entire sanctuary limits, he said.
Khammam DFO Sunil Hiremath said mobile teams have been deployed in areas earlier identified as prone to incidents of poaching of protected wildlife.
