PANJIM: Goa Forest Department has taken initiative to create several waterholes in the State forests concerned over increasing human-animal conflict and the gradual fall in water table. The method in force since 1980 but was made more regular since 2019 to prevent wild animals strays into human habitation in search of water.
As summer peaks, wild animals increasingly step out of their natural habitat searching for drinking water, as the streams and other perennial sources fast dry up. Keen on studying the utilization of these waterholes, the authorities have fixed cameras to record the movement of the animals. “There are reports that animals are quenching their thirst in waterholes,” said Deputy Conservator of Forest, A Jabestin.
Last year, the department has tied-up with the Central Government campaign ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan’, a campaign for water conservation and water security.
Around one to two hectares of area in the wildlife sanctuaries has been developed into waterholes.
“We have created some natural waterholes along the perennial sources and some artificial, that is of concrete have been created. While those perennial ones get continuous water, the artificial ones need to be refilled every alternate day,” said Jabestine.
Jabestine said that the camera records indicating that large number of animals use these water holes to quench their thirst, has encouraged the department to create more and more such facilities. “Basic idea is to ensure that the animals don’t venture out of the wild in human habitation in search of water and food. This leads to human-animal conflict and we need to stop this,” he said.
Several villages in the interiors are facing nuisance of wild animals like wild monkey, wild boar, wild bison, who are destroying their fields and also harming human life.
