The acute drinking water crisis in various parts of the state is affecting not only people, but is also spelling doom for animals. With water sources in the forests drying up, the normally shy animals are making increasing forays into human habitations only to fall prey to poachers, who are cashing in on the crisis.
According to Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO), hundreds of sambhar, deer, barking deer and wild boars have been killed after the water situation turned critical in the forest areas. Consequently, wild animals' meat is being sold in small towns like Baramba, Narsinghpur, Angul, Rairakhol, Athmalik, Keonjhar, Phulbani, Boudh, Bhanjanagar, Daspalla and Deogarh, situated close to the forests.
In fact, the failure of the Monsoon last year in 12 districts of Orissa had already triggered a water crisis in several forest areas. Now, the situation has only worsened with hill streams and other bodies in the jungles running dry. While the water level in major rivers like Mahanadi, Kathjodi, Rushikulya, Brahmani, Baitarani is receding, watering holes in Satkosia gorge, too, have as good as disappeared.
Rampant mining activity in many forest areas has also taken its toll on drinking water sources. WSO secretary Biswajit Mohanty alleged that hundreds of illegal iron ore mines were operating inside rich wildlife habitats in Keonjhar, Sambalpur, Deogarh and Sundargarh. He said according to reports received by the society, wild animals from Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary were entering adjoining villages to slake their thirst. The situation was more or less the same in Keonjhar, Koraput, Nowrangpur, Dhenkanal, Athamalik, Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Rairakhol, Kalahandi, Daspalla, Kandhmal, Khariar and Ghumsur forests areas.
The society had also demanded deployment of anti-poaching squads in the reserve forests during the summer. Besides, it has urged the forest department to prepare a water regime map for long term water management.
