Ooty: Water management in the jungles during the dry weather is the most tough task as the foresters in Nilgiris have already commenced tanker water service in the jungles to quench the thirst of wild animals.
Mr. Deepak Srivastava, Field Director (in-charge) of MTR, said that the water level in some of the reservoirs in the MTR is satisfactory till date. However, arrangements have been made to fill the water holes and troughs with help of water tankers to ensure availability of water to the wild animals, he noted.
Meanwhile, Mr. A. Pushpakaran, deputy director at MTR (buffer zone), said that he has already written to the state power utility, Tangedco, to release more water from Sandinallah reservoir near Ooty to Segur jungles in MTR buffer zone.
“The water from Sandinallah reservoir that runs down the slopes along the jungle stream to Segur and nearby woods is more helpful to cater to the water needs of the free-ranging wild animals in MTR buffer zone limits. Since, festivals in the jungle temples located in the MTR buffer zone limits are on the cards for the next two months, the Forest department has already talked to the concerned villagers holding festivals in the jungle temples to co-operate with the forest department in its effort to prevent forest fires,” he added.
On how the wild animals, especially the herbivores, would manage fodder in the drying jungles, Mr. V. Selvan, Forest Range Officer at Segur reserve forest, said they are intelligent enough to adjust and adapt to the drying weather and to eat the dried grass and fodder in the jungles, to tide over the crisis. But, it is natural that the wild animals would try to move towards water sources which lead to straying of animals into human habitations. It is an odd situation to tackle, but, foresters need to manage the situation, he added.
