The Forest department has completed rejuvenation of around 1,500 waterbodies in forest areas as part of efforts to minimise wildlife incursions into human habitations.
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Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran reviewed the progress of projects that were finalised at a recent high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts in the State.
The State has 1,434 ponds (waterholes) and 574 ‘vayals’ (swamps) spread over 2,741.584 ha in forest areas. The department has rejuvenated over 75% of such water sources and ensured sufficient water.
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The activity has been taken up in anticipation of a severe drought scenario in the next few months. A project with an estimate of ₹45 lakh, sourced through corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds, has been prepared for the project. An amount of ₹3 lakh has been sourced from the CSR funds for the Aralam wildlife sanctuary.
The department has also undertaken various other activities, including cleaning of check-dams, establishment of Brushwood check-dams, and desilting operations across forest areas.
The meeting also assessed other steps adopted to prevent wildlife incursions. As part of such efforts, a list of experts has been prepared to enlist their services for the unfolding crisis.