MYSURU: In the summer of 2018, water woes of the Bandipur national park may not be as serious as previous years. In a bid to ensure that wild animals will not die due to the water crisis in each summer, state energy department has decided to install 20 solar pumpsets in the national park. These pumpsets will connect the water holes of the national park and ensure drinking water to the wild animals. As per the government decision the Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited KREDL ) has been given the responsibility of implementing this scheme.Speaking to Times of India, G V Balaram, Managing Director (MD), KREDL informed that under the new initiative, solar pumpsets will be installed inside the national park and they are connected to water holes which are the life line for the wild animals in the summer season. "Every year we hear about death of wild animals in the Bandipur national park due to the water crisis. So we have decided to install the solar pumpsets which don't need any electrical connection from feeders. Each solar pumpset will be installed at an estimated cost of Rs. 1 lakh. They will ensure uninterrupted water supply to the water holes," he said."One of the benefits of these solar pumpsets is that there is no need to cut any trees or branches to provide electricity connection from any feeder. Beside providing drinking water, these pumpsets will also ensure protection of forest," he said.According to the notification issued by the state energy department, state Forest, Ecology & Environment Department will bear the expenses of these solar pumpsets."These pumpsets will be installed where we get good ground water," he said.But many environmentalists feel that the idea of installing solar pumpsets in the name of saving the wild animals from water crisis is not ideal one. Speaking to this newspaper, an environmentalist who wished to be anonymous said that death of wild animals due to the water crisis in summer is a natural process. "Bandipur national park has several migratory animals including elephants. In every summer they migrate to those areas where water is plenty. They return once monsoon hit the park area. It is not good to intervene in the few natural processes," he said."Park already have around 11 solar pumpsets. More solar pumpsets mean more depletion of groundwater which is precious. These kind of initiatives actually harm the ecological balance of the park instead of benefiting the wild animals," he concluded.

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