Thirsty beasts will now find water

Leopard threat to adivasi settlements has been reduced as the forest department has filled up 35 of the 44 artificial watering holes after MiD DAY's report

People staying at the various adivasi padas (tribal settlements) in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) can heave a sigh of relief as the thirsty leopards which were venturing into human settlements in search of water will not need to do so anymore. After MiD DAY reported on the threat to adivasis because of the artificial watering holes in the sanctuary not being filled ('Beasts search for water, find human beings', May 4), the forest department swung into action and filled them to capacity.


Water relife: After the MiD DAY report, an artificial dry water hole
inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park is filled up with water

What we saw
On May 4
When MiD DAY visited SGNP, we found that the small streams that flow during the monsoon season had dried up completely. We found some artificial watering holes that had no water and a few others which had just a few litres as opposed to their capacity of a few hundred. As we travelled towards the Kanheri Hill along the Shilonda Trail, we found that there was one artificial watering hole that had hardly four litres of water as opposed to its capacity of close to 300 litres.

On May 11
When we visited the artificial water hole along the Shilongda trail yesterday, it was more than 80 per cent full. Other watering holes had also been filled.u00a0Chief Forest Conservator Dr P N Munde was not available for comment yesterday but when we had spoken to him last week, he had said, "Now that you have told us about the problem, we will fill all the artificial water holes in the park as soon as possible to ensure that the animals don't go thirsty." Another official from the department said that Munde had asked them to ensure that this promise was fulfilled. "We have started filling up the artificial water holes in the park and all 44 will be filled up in a day or two. More than 35 have already been filled up," he said.

Two injured in Leopard attack u00a0
A leopard attacked two villagers in Uran yesterday. The villagers managed to escape with minor injuries.
A team of forest officers were unable to nab the beast at the time of going to press.