Forest dept takes measure to fill natural, artificial water sources in Gir.

Express news service : Ahmedabad, Mon Mar 25 2013, 13:42 hrs

As Saurashtra stares at a season of water scarcity, the forest department has begun desilting work on dried wells inside the Gir forest, dug new bores and employed tankers to fill natural and artificial water sources.
Deputy Conservator of Forests (Gir East) Anshuman Sharma said, "We have dug 16 new bores in this season to supplement the 150 artificial water points that exist and staff are doing a daily round to check if there are any deficiencies of water."
Desilting of wells is also being undertaken in the 23-odd hamlets inside the forest where pastoralists live, Sharma added. He also said some outward pastoral movements are being detected but not in "alarming proportions", and most are heading towards sugarcane fields for fodder, a traditional practice.
Deputy Conservator of Forests (Gir West) Dr K Ramesh said several dried up wells in the 27-odd areas have been desilted, and tankers do the rounds of the more than 300 water points across the forest.
"The pastoralists here have stocked up on fodder and that has not run out as yet. There is a bit of a problem with drinking water but it is manageable," he said.

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