Blackbuck sanctuary in Karnataka battles water scarcity as temperatures continue rising

KEY STORY

• The blackbuck sanctuary in Ranebennur, Karnataka is struggling with a water crisis as the temperatures continue to rise. The blackbucks and the birds inhabiting the sanctuary have been facing a crisis for the last one month. As a result, some of the blackbucks also stray into nearby villages to quench their thirst.

• The forest department failed to make proper arrangements to tackle the crisis efficiently. As per sources, the sanctuary is home to 6,000 blackbucks that are spread over 119 square kilometres.

  Sanctuary home to wild boar, peacock, fox, black drongo and other animals

   

• Apart from blackbucks, wolves, fox, jackal, mongoose, pangolin and wild boar also inhabit the sanctuary. Not only this, but birds like peacock, large grey babbler, bay-backed shrike, black drongo and others also live in the sanctuary.

• Ganesh Shettar, range forest officer, wildlife wing, said that 48 ponds were constructed in the sanctuary by the forest department and out of these, only 32 were functioning. For the last two years, the remaining ponds have not been working, The Times of India reported.

  18 ponds located in sanctuary remain damaged

   

• He added, “Currently, we have started to fill 32 ponds through tankers for the animals, but we are not supplying water to the 18 damaged ponds. ” He said that all ponds were being monitored to refill them before they get empty. He said that the blackbucks should not be restricted to the sanctuary and should be allowed to enter the villages.

• Shettar also stated that some of the natural water sources dried up due to a rise in mercury, increasing the dependency on artificial ponds. He said, “I will direct to the RFO concerned to fill ponds regularly through tankers across the sanctuary initiate repairs of damaged ponds as early as possible. “