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Gaur trapped in Gosikhurd canal dies

Nagpur: A full-grown gaur (bison) dying after slipping into right bank canal (RBC) of Gosikhurd once again highlights the plight of wild animals getting killed due to lack of mitigation measures.

The carcass of the gaur was found in 25-feet-deep canal in Marar Mendha under North Brahmapuri range after water receded.

“We suspect that the animal must have died due to drowning after it slipped in,” said Kulraj Singh, deputy conservator of forests (DyCF), Brahmapuri.

Singh said the gaur must have died a few days ago but the carcass was found only after water receded. “We also could not conduct the post-mortem as the carcass was highly decomposed,” he added.

Forest officials said had there been an overpass on the canal, the gaur could have been saved. The canal connects nearby Saighata forest. “The under-construction canal is deep and once an animal like bison slips into it, it is difficult to come out due to hooves on each foot,” they said.

Constructing overpasses is one of the conditions to get forest clearance. At some locations, the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) has passed canal through reinforced cement concrete (RCC) conduit and then canal ground level is restored by backfilling the canal but it has still not constructed overpasses as promised.

VIDC executive director Avinash Surve said, “As per plan, we have to construct 40 overpasses. We have completed 5. These passes are on RBC and Ghodazari canal. Remaining passes will be completed in a year. The work could not be expedited as there was shortage of sand due to stay on sand ghat auction by high court.”

State PCCF (wildlife) Nitin H Kakodkar said, “We held two meetings with VIDC officials and have sought a report on mitigation measures. We are yet to receive the report.”

The Gosikhurd RBC canal mostly passes through dense forest areas. The said canal is an express canal being directly connected to the dam at Paoni. Last year, the dominant tiger of Umred-Karhandla-Paoni Wildlife Sanctuary Jaichand slipped in the main canal due to lack of mitigation steps.

Forest officials admit that there have been over 100 incidents in the last 4 years where chitals, sambars, bisons and wild boars have been rescued from the canal. The incidents are frequently occurring as few wildlife crossings have been constructed over canals despite a state-level committee recommending mitigation measures.

After tigress Kala got stuck in a Gosikhurd sub-canal in Bhiwapur on November 24, 2011, state wildlife board member Kishor Rithe had raised the issue of mitigation measures over canals in Bhandara and Chandrapur districts in the board meeting on June 7, 2012.

Taking note of it, state formed a committee on June 23, 2014. In its recommendations the panel suggested wild passes through 42 crossings. “There are 11 such irrigation projects in Vidarbha where such mitigation steps are needed but owing to lack of funds, the mitigation steps were not constructed. Last year, Rs17 crore were sanctioned for passes on Gosikhurd,” said Rithe.

“This is a serious issue but no agency is showing interest. Only 30-40% work on passes must have been completed on Gosikhurd and wild animals are crossing them. One can imagine the benefit when more such passes are constructed. The VIDC needs to expedite mitigation work,” Rithe added.

“Earlier, tigers have been injured and also died due to lack of overpasses on the RBC,” said Bandu Dhotre, honorary wildlife warden, Chandrapur and one of the members of the panel.

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