Elephants come out in search of water

R. VIMAL KUMAR
With many of the water troughs inside the Anamalai Tiger Reserve getting dried in the summer, elephant moving out of the forests in search of water in Amaravathi Dam area, has become a regular sight.

The herds are providing a visual treat to tourists visiting the place.

An official of the Forest Department said that the elephants need water to quench thirst and for bathing so as to maintain the body heat at requisite levels.

They frequently cross the Udumalpet-Munnar road stretch in search of water. It causes anxious moments both to passersby and Forest Department officials.

The department has strengthened the patrolling in the area to ensure that no motorist provokes the animals or take photographs by getting closer to them.

District Forest Officer M. Dhanaraju told The Hindu that the department was taking steps to fill the five water troughs inside the areas of Anamalai Tiger Reserve.

This would keep the elephants inside the forests itself, he said.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/elephants-come-out-in-search-of-water/article4572002.ece

Kovai Coutrallam to remain closed from today

The Forest Department has announced that Kovai Coutrallam waterfalls will remain out of bounds for tourists for a week or 10 days from March 6, in view of the road-laying works.

According to the forest department sources, the Engineering Wing of the Forest Department is laying road from the tribal hamlet after the check post till the parking lot, a little ahead of the waterfalls. In order to facilitate easy and smooth completion of the works, tourists will not be permitted for a week or 10 days.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/kovai-coutrallam-to-remain-closed-from-today/article4480562.ece

Severe drought raises red alert on forest fires

KRISHNADAS RAJAGOPAL

Forest streams and water sources are quickly drying up

• District has a forest area of 305.6251 square km
• DFO responds to questions raised in Assembly

The Kozhikode Divisional Forest Office (DFO) has raised a red alert on the probability of forest fires owing to severe drought-like conditions here.

The district has a total forest area of 305.6251 square km spread across Kuttiadi, Thamarassery and Peruvannamazhi located in Vadakara, Kozhikode and Koyilandy taluks, respectively.

In a letter to the Chief Forest Conservator, North Kerala, Kannur, the office said forest streams and other water sources were quickly drying up due to the severe drought conditions this year.

Bamboo forests

Due to this, parched bushes, bamboo forests and grass lands here were sitting ducks for forest fires this summer.

The letter, dated February 4, 2013, was in response to a series of questions posed in the Legislative Assembly on whether drought conditions this year would trigger forest fires, and what steps the forest department had taken taken to prevent and control such occurrences.

They had also asked about the amount spent on special programmes in connection with forest fires during this financial year.

To the poser about the preventive measures, the DFO’s response was clichéd at best, containing the usual steps such as building a protective fire line after identifying high-risk forest areas, employing fire protection mazdoors on daily wages, and using Vana Samrakshana Samithis on the field.

Awareness classes

The DFO’s response also mentioned the ongoing awareness classes for people living in forest borders, school students and other. Besides this, it said notices on forest fire preventive and safety measures had been distributed along with frequent “mike announcements”.

“Over and above the use of traditional fire-fighting mechanisms, modern fire-fighting equipments has been accessed from 2011-12. Besides this, steps have been taken for daily monitoring of forest fire prevention at the range and division levels,” the DFO said.

To the Assembly’s question about the amount used up for forest fire protection work, the reply simply said that work was being done in a “time-bound and vigilant manner”.

Fund not enough

But sources in the DFO said that fund allocation for fighting forest fire was not enough. Only Rs.2.75 lakh was allocated under the head “fire protection” in 2012-13 for Kozhikode division during this financial year.

This was followed by another Rs.1 lakh allocated under the head ‘Regeneration of degraded forests’; Rs.3 lakh under the head ‘Participatory Forest Management’; and Rs.5 lakh allowed as per the recommendations of the 13{+t}{+h}Finance Commission to strengthen fire fighting.

Besides this, Rs.50,000 was allotted for “mobile fire gangs”, while Rs.20,000 was set aside for conducting the awareness classes for people living near forest areas.

Fire line

But DFO sources said Rs.1.5 lakh was allocated for creating the protective fire line. Protection mazdoors had been hired for a daily wages of Rs.290 a day as “watchers”.

They said forest fire prevention mechanism was kick-started on January 15 itself.

Fine and imprisonment

Causing forest fires would attract imprisonment from one to five years and a fine ranging from Rs.1,000 to Rs.5,000 under the Kerala Forest Act .

The penalty under the Wildlife Protection Act would be three years’ imprisonment and a fine up to Rs.25,000.

About 50 hectares of forest land was destroyed by fire in the Kozhikode division in 2011.

In 2012, three instances of fire had claimed 1.25 hectares of forest land.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/severe-drought-raises-red-alert-on-forest-fires/article4384628.ece

Drought to push wild animals out of forest

K.S. SUDHI

More human-animal conflicts likely

• Ensure enough water, Forest Department told
• Crop raids might go up in Thattekad

Soaring mercury levels may trigger more incidents of human-animal conflicts, it is feared.

Forest fires and the reduced availability of fodder and drinking water may force wild animals out of their territories. They may venture into human habitations in search of water and food, according to wildlife authorities.

E.A. Jayson, head of the Wildlife Division of the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Thrissur, said that conflicts in each area would be influenced by a host of local factors such as availability of food and water and proximity to forest area.

A recent meeting of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority had cautioned the State Forest Department against the possibility of human-animal conflicts increasing significantly during drought months. The Forest Department was asked to ensure sufficient water for animals in sanctuaries, said a member of the authority.

Animals may come in search of drinking water into human habitations from forest areas where there are no reservoirs. Wayanad was one such district, said Dr. Jayson.

Monitoring needed

Conflicts are unlikely in Parambikulam, Vazhachal, Idukki, and Peppara areas where there are reservoirs. Herds of elephants would move to the reservoirs during the dry spell. However, the Forest Department needed to monitor the vulnerable areas and take adequate measures to address the issue. Priority should be given to the drinking water needs of animals, he said.

R. Sugathan, a wildlife expert, said that crop raids by elephants and wild boar might increase in the Thattekad area of Malayattur Forest division in Ernakulam district. Animals raid farmlands in search of food when grasslands and shrubs dry up. Water is available here in the lake near the sanctuary, Mr. Sugathan said.

Animals invade the farmlands where banana, pineapple, and tubers are cultivated. It is estimated that there are around 40 elephants in the sanctuary area. Besides elephants, sambars too come out searching for food, said Mr. Sugathan, who is associated with the sanctuary.

V. Gopinath, Chief Wildlife Warden, Kerala, said that check-dams were being constructed in the interiors of forest to provide drinking water to animals.

They may reach the water sources when forest dries up. Though one can generally state that there is the possibility of human-animal conflicts shooting up during summer months, there is nothing alarming in Kerala forests, he said.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/drought-to-push-wild-animals-out-of-forest/article4278902.ece

How many check dams built by forest department has water during summer?
- Mac Mohan