One of every four wells in Kotagiri poses risk to wildlife, says NGO

NGO Keystone Foundation, in a survey, found that of 362 wells around Kotagiri, 88 were open, posing a hazard to wild animals; measures are being taken now to close the wells with iron meshing

Nearly one of every four wells in Kotagiri taluk is open, posing a hazard to wildlife, a survey conducted by the NGO, Keystone Foundation has found.

The NGO, as part of its project, ‘Pre-empting human-wildlife conflict in Kotagiri’, is supported by conservation organisations, IUCN – Save Our Species (SOS) and Segre Foundation. The project aims at ensuring multiple interventions to minimise negative human-animal interactions around Kotagiri town.

The survey conducted by the NGO found that there were a total of 362 wells around Kotagiri, out of which 88 are open. Of the 88, 66 wells are on private lands while 22 are government wells constructed to meet drinking water requirements for local residents.

Pratim Roy, founder-director of Keystone Foundation and a State Wildlife Board Member, said that as a start, four of the government open wells, which posed a risk to wildlife, were closed with iron meshing by the Keystone Foundation. “In collaboration with the Forest Department, we have also taken measures to spread awareness about the hazards of open wells through posters and pamphlets around the town. Keystone Foundation has been working in Indira Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, Krishnapudur and Kannika Devi Colony, as well as other areas to create more inclusive infrastructure where our interventions can help foster better co-existence between people and wildlife,” said Mr. Roy.

Key hotspots where the movement of wild animals such as Indian gaur, leopards and sloth bears is frequent, were recorded by researchers from Keystone Foundation. Following this, factors for the animal’s presence, as well as measures that could be implemented to mitigate interactions with local communities were formulated. “For instance, in Indira Nagar, sloth bears were noticed around the temple, possibly drawn to the area due to the presence of food. To minimise negative interactions with people, lighting around the area was improved,” Mr Roy said.

Other factors that draw wildlife into areas, such as the presence of garbage dumps, water bodies and even invasive species were studied, and steps taken to address these problems. Conservation and nature education programmes, including street plays, have also been conducted to get communities to better understand the risks that structures such as open wells pose to wildlife.