PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Haldwani
Keeping in mind the spike in human-wildlife conflict in the peak of summer when the water sources in the forest areas get dry, Haldwani Forest Division has taken an initiative to provide drinking water to the wild animals well within their natural habitats to stop them from straying out into the human settlements to slake thirst. The initiative taken under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) scheme, 2024-25, is expected to boost biodiversity conversation while protecting the humans living near the forests from wildlife attacks, claimed the forest division officials.
As part of the move, a permanent pond with a water holding capacity of about 90,000 litters has been dug up in Ratighat forest block (compartment number 1A) under Chhakata Range of Haldwani forest division. This pond has been designed to store the flowing water of the Ratighat rivulet to ensure that water is available here even during summers. The forest officials said that this permanent pond has not just become a permanent source of drinking water for wildlife during the scorching summer but also significantly boosts water conservation efforts. “This structure ensures water availability in summers by the maximum use of rainwater while preventing the wastage of the flowing water of the rivulet,” commented a Haldwani division forest officer.
According to the foresters, this initiative is an excellent example of how small but targeted efforts made according to local conditions can bring positive results on the ground.
