Chambal water pumped to mountains using solar energy in Mukundra Tiger Reserve

An innovative and effective model has been implemented in the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve located in Kota, Rajasthan, to ensure water availability for wildlife. According to a report by Aaj Tak, despite the Chambal River flowing through this area, it was extremely difficult for tigers, leopards and other wildlife living in the forest to get water. The main reason for this problem is the geographical structure of the forest. Although the Chambal River is close to the forest, it flows about 200 to 250 feet below the mountains. With high mountains, steep rocky cliffs and deep gorges along the riverbank, it was a very arduous task for wildlife to reach the river and climb back up.

Understanding this grave problem, the forest department decided to bring water to their habitats instead of making wildlife take the trouble to go to the water. Under this project, state-of-the-art solar pumps have been installed on the banks of the Chambal River. These pumps operate entirely on solar energy, due to which there is no need for electricity of any kind. With the help of sunlight, river water is pumped up to large tanks built on the mountains. This entire arrangement is environment-friendly and makes maximum use of natural resources.

As part of this project, a network of pipelines about 40 to 50 kilometres long has been laid in the forest area. Fiber tanks with a capacity of 1-1 lakh liters each have been constructed at four main locations for water storage. These tanks have been installed in Kolipura, Borabas and Jawahar Sagar areas. After water is collected in the tanks, it is supplied to various water holes in the forest through pipelines. Water holes are places in the forest where animals can drink water peacefully. Due to this arrangement, animals like tigers and leopards no longer need to descend into the deep gorges of the river to drink water.

In areas like Garadia Mahadev where the terrain is very rugged, this new arrangement has proved to be a boon for wildlife. According to the forest department, this system has been operational for the last seven months and positive changes have been seen in the behavior of wildlife due to it. The main objective of this project is to supply water even to those areas where reaching natural water sources was impossible for animals. This initiative has achieved major success in wildlife conservation.

Recently, the Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) team of the Wildlife Institute of India visited the Mukundra Tiger Reserve. About 35 different parameters related to wildlife conservation and management in the reserve were evaluated by this team. These include important issues such as tiger monitoring, development of grasslands, availability of prey animals, water arrangement and vulture conservation. The team witnessed this unique method of pumping water from the Chambal River to the mountains and considered it an ideal model for other tiger reserves in the country as well.

Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve is an important protected area spread across Kota, Bundi, Chittorgarh and Jhalawar districts of Rajasthan. This reserve is known for its biodiversity and geographical diversity. In the past, various efforts were made for the population and conservation of wildlife in this area. This reserve has been continuously working for the breeding of tigers and protecting their natural habitat. Providing water facilities to wildlife in the hilly and rocky areas here was a challenge for the forest department, which has now been resolved through this solar energy-based project.