Nagarahole first in the State to implement the project on experimental basis
PCCF B.J. Hosmath to inaugurate the project tomorrow
Mysuru :
With water bodies drying up due to lack of rains in almost all forests in the State and also because of scorching heat, the Forest Department has now turned towards solar energy to pump water to water bodies on an experimental basis at Nagarahole Reserve Forest, the first in the State to do so.
The project of pumping water to water bodies by utilising solar power will be inaugurated on Sunday (May 8) by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) B.J. Hosmath.
The Tiger Tank at Antharasanthe Zone in Nagarahole Reserve Forest, which used to cater to the needs of the wild animals, got dried up about three months ago and the animals were forced to go in search of water.
RFO Mahesh, who observed the animals moving in search of water, began to fill the water bodies using tankers, but it was not enough to cater to their needs. Hence, a borewell was sunk about 100 mts away from the Tiger Tank and a submersible pump was installed to pump water to the tank. Now, to supply power to the water pump, solar panels with 5100 watts capacity have been installed about 20 ft. above the ground and solar energy is being tapped to supply power to the pump.
A pipe is placed to pump water from the borewell to the tank, which is about 100 mts. away, and three litres of water is being pumped per second into the tank. The water pump will pump water for 6 to 8 hours a day with a total of 60,000 to 80,000 litres being pumped into the tank every day.
The solar panel is installed at a cost of Rs. 9 lakh and the cost was borne by wildlife enthusiast Tiger Ramesh, who had earlier donated CCTV Cameras to Bandipur and Nagarahole.
The Tiger Tank was drying up fast and we used to fill water to the tank using water tankers since three months. For the first time in the State, solar energy is being utilised in the forest to pump water to fulfill the water needs of wild animals. If this experiment succeeds, the same will be implemented in other places where there is scarcity of water.
— RFO Mahesh, Antharasanthe Zone
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / by M.T.Yogesh Kumar / May 07th, 2016
