As severe drought gripped Prakasam district for the fifth year in succession, forest officials have been working overtime to transport water to the saucer pits set up in the Nagarjunsagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve(NSTR), the largest in the country, spread over 1,200 sq. km., so that big cats and other wild animals do not find it difficult to survive.
The recent showers in western Prakasam have come as a big relief to the officials.
It is during summer months that the wild animals move closer to human habitations, and also nearer to the Krishna in search of water.
“All the percolation tanks are now brimming with water and the green cover has improved,” Dornala Deputy Forest Range Officer Mukka Prasad Reddy said after a study of the water availability in the range.
Forest fires
“Dry weather also means outbreak of forest fires, and now we can be rest assured that there is no such possibility,” the officer told The Hindu.
“'We used to fill the over 120 saucer pits in the Markapur division alone with water four times in a week. Now, we can give a break for at least a fortnight after the last week’s wet spell. The grasslands and fruit-bearing trees developed in the region have got the much-needed life-saving irrigation now,” he added.
Solar-powered borewells
As many as seven solar-powered borewells cater to the water needs of the wild animals by filling each of the saucer pits set up as part of the summer contingency plan.
The department plans to add five more solar-powered bore-wells to augment the water supply for the wild animals, which otherwise intrude into the fringe villages, the officer said while monitoring the drought mitigation activity.