Karnataka: Urgent Call for Wildlife Safety in Irrigation Canals

Mangaluru:Environmentalists are urging the forest department to implement crucial safety measures for wildlife while allowing the construction of irrigation canals in forest limits. Their demands include the creation of Animal Crossing Corridors and the installation of steps every 100 meters to help animals exit the canals safely.

These longstanding demands have gained renewed urgency after a recent incident in Udupi district, where two small deer were found struggling to escape from an irrigation canal. Activists managed to rescue one deer, but the other was swept away.

The National Environment Care Federation (NECF) has long advocated for the inclusion of Animal Crossing Corridors and escape steps at regular intervals in canal projects. It has decided again to approach the officials and forest department.

“We have repeatedly urged the government to implement precautionary measures to prevent wildlife from perishing in these canals,” NECF state secretary Shashidhar Shetty told Deccan Chronicle.

He emphasized the urgency of writing again to the state's Forest Minister and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF).

Shetty highlighted the frequent incidents of animals falling into irrigation canals, often while trying to go to the other side, while drinking, or during territorial disputes. “If they can’t escape, they drown,” he said, stressing the need for immediate action.

The NECF proposes that the forest department condition canal construction permits on the inclusion of Animal Crossing Corridors at regular intervals, facilitating safe passage for wildlife to cross from one side to another. Additionally, steps should be built every 100 meters to enable trapped animals to climb out.

"These measures should also be implemented for existing canals also," Shetty emphasized.

He suggested using 30 percent of canal water to fill adjacent ponds, providing accessible drinking water for forest animals.