The forest department is in the process of setting up solar-powered pumps at the Bandipur and Nagarahole tiger reserves that will used to replenish water in the tanks across the woods.

Mysuru: As part of its efforts to ensure wild animals do not bear the brunt of water scarcity in the summer months, the forest department is in the process of setting up solar-powered pumps at the Bandipur and Nagarahole tiger reserves that will used to replenish water in the tanks across the woods. The solar-powered pumps will be set up by the Karnataka RenewableEnergy Development Ltd (KREDL), which is set to start work by the end of January.

These submersible pumps will be installed with motors that will be used to pump out water, which will eventually fill up the waterbodies. The pump was first installed by the forest department in the Antarasanthe forest range that falls under the ambit of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve two years ago. The device, a 5HP solar pumpset, lifts water from a borewell 300ft deep.

During summer, the pump lifted from 60,000 to 70,000 litres of water to a nearby tank, thereby drawing wild animals, including tigers in large numbers in the summer. Consequently, the tank also became the epicentre of activity for wildlife enthusiasts, who flocked to it to catch a sight of the animals in their natural habitat.

The many water sources spread across the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve – Lakshmana Tirtha and the backwaters of Kabini – notwithstanding, the woods face an acute water shortage in the summer. Many of the streams are filled up by the water lifted by the pump, besides additional tanks being created.

Conservator of forests and Nagarahole Tiger Reserve director S Manikandan said that a 1,800km-fireline had been created in the forest as part of the department’s efforts to prevent fire accidents. “We have already installed 18 solar-powered pumps to draw water, since the summer is fast approaching. We have now decided to install ten more pumps to meet the water requirements of the animals,” said Manikandan.

Meanwhile, director of Bandipur Tiger Reserve Ambady Madhav said that the forest already has 11 solar-powered pumps, and 20 more would be installed by the end of January. “Heavy rain last year has ensured that most of the tanks in Bandipur have enough water, and so that there are no problems during the summer,” he added.