Rs. 117.3 lakh sanctioned for drought management in tiger reserves, forests

The GO 209 in this connection dated November 29, 2016, was signed by the Principal Secretary to the Government Atulya Misra. Senior forest department officials stated that this was the first time the government has extended such focused support for providing water to wildlife. 

“We are confident that it will help avoid human-animal conflicts,” a senior department official said. The sanction titled ‘Maintenance of water holding structures and water supply through carriers to wild animals in the Tiger Reserved and Elephant Dominated areas in Tamil Nadu – in the pinch period’ was based on a letter from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and chief wildlife warden on April 22, 2016. 

In the letter the PCCF had pointed out that forests in the State go dry from December to May every year. This forces animals to enter nearby human habitations. In the recent past, there have been incidents of tiger, leopard, elephants, gaur and deer straying out of the forest in search of water and food. 

This has resulted in loss of lives, livestock, damage to crop and property. It has also claimed the lives of a good number of jumbos and wild cats in the form of electrocution, injury and deaths in road accidents and other fatalities. 

Such conflicts are predominant in the Western Region with more incidents in The Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Erode, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts. With the intention of preventing such incidents and conserving wildlife better within the forest, the PCCF suggested periodical maintenance of the existing waterholes and artificial water holding structures in a phased manner.

Considering these factors the GO has sanctioned Rs. 117.3 lakh for maintaining water holding structures and to supply water to wild animals in the tiger reserves and elephant dominated areas through water carriers in the extremely dry period this year (2016-17). 

The western districts have got the lion’s share of Rs. 113.3 lakh due to the dense population of tigers, jumbo movement and man-animal conflicts.