Warangal: The Telangana forest department conducted a two-day water hole census at the Eturnagaram wildlife sanctuary in Mulugu district on Saturday and Sunday to identify the number of existing water bodies inside the sanctuary.
A total of 42 members from the Friends of Snakes Society, Deccan Birders, HyTiCoS, WWF, forests department, Wildlife Protection Society, and individual volunteers took part in the census.
Chief Conservator of Forests, Warangal Circle, Mr M.J. Akbar said that the intention of the water hole census was to identify the number of existing water bodies in the sanctuary, mark the areas where artificial solar percolation pits can be set up, and define the number of percolation pits to be set up in accordance with the animal population within a particular area.
District forest officer S.V. Pradeep Kumar Shetty informed that they had formed seven small groups of these volunteers each and assigned them areas to carry out the census.
He added that the activists had been proactively facilitating eco-tourism related activities in the district.
A report of the findings of the census will soon be submitted to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.
Warangal Urban forest officer G. Ramalingam, Eturnagaram and Venakatapur forest divisional officer Khadir Mohiuddin, Tadvai range officer Shoukath Hussain, Pasara range officer Shirisha, Lingala range officer Srinivas, Medaram range officer Goutham, Eturnagaram range officer Asif Ali, section officers, beat officers, and other forest staff were present.
