While also posing problems for the public, the rising heat in the atmosphere is showing its effect on the natural and man-made pools for elephants and other wildlife in the Haridwar area. Due to erratic power supply in various parts of the State, the scarcity of water looms large and water tankers used for areas where water pipelines go dry are insufficient to meet the rising demand for water in the holy city. The forest department has also started feeling the heat with no water tankers available to replenish the water holes made for wild animals.
Elephant is considered to be a choosy, sensitive and clean animal which drinks only fresh water and splashes water with its trunk on its body to beat the heat. Elephants work akin to detectives for foresters indicating the low level of water in the vast stretch of forest land. They dig holes wherever they smell water near to the surface. Water holes are made at same indicated places by forest department officials. The rising temperatures have left many cemented water holes shallow, with very less water present in them for elephants to beat the heat. The pachyderms might turn to residential areas for the want of water, fear the forest guards.
The animals of the Rajaji Park splash in the pools made for them in the forest ranges. These water holes provide water to the elephants, tigers, spotted deer and sambars which abound in the Rajaji national park. The water holes are especially popular among the elephants as they bathe, splash around and quench their thirst from the fresh water in such pools.
The tourists too get a chance to spot the wild animals when they come for drinking water at such pools. It is a challenge for the national park officials to maintain the cemented water holes. Speaking to The Pioneer, the Rajaji wildlife warden Komal Singh said, “For Chilla range we hire the water tanker but these days even water tankers are not available due to frequent power cuts. The demand is not being fulfilled because all water tankers are engaged in different residential colonies.”
Forty five waterholes including 24 temporary water holes have been built for the elephants and other wildlife by the national park authorities in different forest ranges of the park which is spread across more than 1000 square kilometre land area.