Nizamabad: Wild animals are facing drinking water shortage in summer. To quench their thirst, they are straying into villages near forest areas under Basar zone, which consists of Nizamabad, Jagtial, Nirmal and Adilabad districts. For the last two years, no funds were allocated for drinking water facility in forest areas for wild animals.As a result, the setting up of saucer pits, water tankers and labouers who help fill the water pits dropped in forest areas. There is presence of wild bears, wild boars, Sambar, Nilgai, sloth bear, spotted deer, Indian Bison, Panther, leopards and tigers moving in the forest areas. Forest dogs, foxes are also moving in deep forest areas. To quench their thirst, animals are reaching village outskirts and attacking the cows, dogs and other animals. For instance, a leopard was spotted on busy Nizamabad-Jagdalpur National Highway 63 at Siddulagutta in Armoor. In the rocky hills, the animal might be hiding, locals suspect. After the ghat road was laid, hundreds of devotees are visiting Siddulagutta and the presence of leopard is worrying all. Usually, every district gets money during summer to make drinking water arrangements for wild animals. During the BRS government, the funds stopped for the summer season. As a result, the forest staff and local villagers ignored drinking water arrangements in deep forest areas. Interestingly, a few villagers are voluntarily filling the old saucer pits to quench the thirst of wild animals. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Basar zone chief conservator of forest L. Saravanan said that they urged local gram panchayats to sanction funds for wild animals drinking water needs in their respective areas. District collectors are also cooperating in this regard, he said. There is no specific fund release for summer drinking water needs in forest areas, he said. Saravanan said that scientifically, wild animals can easily find out their drinking water needs. No major incident was reported in recent times due to attacks by wild animals in summer, he said. “We are coordinating so that the situation does not lead to problems,” he explained.
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