Solar-powered pumps have come in handy to replenish the water holes at Bandipur and Nagarahole to help animals quench thirst and tide over difficult times in summer.
With the daily temperature crossing the mid-30 degrees Celsius, Bandipur forests whose vegetation type is dry deciduous, are bone dry and the existing water holes may last till the first or second week of March.
Bandipur, spread over 912 sq km, has 418 water holes and most of them are seasonal and tend to dry up with the onset of summer. The failure of the south west monsoon last year and severe drought has compounded the problem this season as a result March and April will be crucial for wildlife which will face the brunt of water crisis.
