National
Five ponds built for parched animals in Shuklaphanta
Five artificial ponds have been constructed inside the Shuklaphanta National Park to provide water to the animals during dry season.Bhawani Bhatta
Five artificial ponds have been constructed inside the Shuklaphanta National Park to provide water to the animals during dry season.
The ponds were built at the initiative of the park authorities and the Tarai Arc Landscape Programme in Majhgaun, Malmela and Palea areas.
Gopal Ghimire, the park’s assistant conservation officer, said that the animals were facing difficulty finding water during dry season, which led them to set up the artificial ponds to address the situation.
The park authorities are planning to fill water in the ponds within a few days.
Ghimire said they will have to fill up the ponds regularly if there is not enough rainfall in the region this monsoon, which starts in June.
The park area has been witnessing water scarcity in the recent years. Its natural ponds and wetlands are not getting enough water even during monsoon.
If there is not enough rainfall in the region this rainy season, Ghimire said, there will be an acute shortage of water and the animals could die out of thirst.
The only source of water inside the park that has not witnessed a complete dry-out is the Rani lake, but that is not to say its water level is not depleting.
The park authorities will have to come up with a long-term solution to resolve the water scarcity problem in order to save the animals.