Maintain water pits in forest properly: Anaikatti residents

Coimbatore: Residents of villages in and around Anaikatti have appealed to the forest department to maintain the water tanks inside the forest properly.

As the tanks, especially one opposite Ganga Chamber, were poorly maintained, elephants cross the main road to drink water from a pit inside the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, they said.

“The forest department had built a concrete water tank opposite Ganga Chamber inside the forest for wild animals to drink water. The water for the tank was supplied through a pipeline from a nearby private farm. However, due to neglect, the pipeline has been blocked and with no water in the pit, wild animals started crossing the main road to drink water in a pit at SACON,” Joshua G P N, a social activist from the area, said.

As a result, wild animals are at risk of hitting by vehicles, injuring themselves and commuters, residents said. “We appeal to the department to clear the blocked pipeline of the pit and maintain other water pits to ensure animals have enough water inside the forest,” Joshua said.