Troughs periodically filled up to avoid animal intrusion into human habitats

“The troughs are filled with water supplied in tankers to ensure that wild animals do not suffer from a parched throat. Different teams have been deployed to monitor the level of water in troughs for due refill in Coimbatore,” said a Forest department official. There are also deep borewells to ensure replenishment of the troughs.

There are about 60 troughs placed in the Coimbatore forest division spread over different ranges, including Coimbatore, Mettupalayam, Karamadai, Boluvampatty, Perianaickenpalayam, Sirumugai and Madukkarai. This comes when most natural water sources in the jungles have begun to dry up even before summer.

The intrusion of wild animals into farms and villages usually escalates during summer when they come out in search of water and fodder. Such water troughs in forests hence help in restricting the animals from strayingout of their habitat.

In Mettupalayam forest range, there are about 16 water troughs, besides ‘kuttai’ (percolation ponds) in Nellithurai and Odanthurai for wild elephants to quench thirst.

“As we ensure the availability of water in the tanks and ponds anytime, large herds of elephants have started to come to consume water. After drinking, they don’t stray into the nearby villages and quietly retreat into the forest,” said S Selvaraj, Forest Range Officer, Mettupalayam Forest Range.

In a similar initiative, the Forest staff in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve are on their toes to fill up troughs and ponds in the reserve forest area for the benefit of wild animals.