Trenches threaten Wayanad ecosystem

KOZHIKODE: Indiscriminate digging of trenches in Wayanad, meant to keep rampaging elephants from damaging cultivation, has led to depletion of critical water resources in the forested hill district, which is already witnessing decreased rainfall.

A six-month long study conducted by the state department of Soil Survey and Soil Conservation has found that 70% of the springs at the source points of Kabini river and one third of its contributing streams have dried up, with elephant proof trenches (EPTs) being one of the main reasons.

The district soil conservation officer said this has affected the lateral movement of water vital for the longevity of springs and water flow in the contributing streams of the basin.
Elephant trenches drain rivulets, choke rivers

In an unintended fallout, the nearly 400km long elephant proof trenches (EPTs) dug up around the Wayanad forests to keep marauding jumbos at bay are turning 'river killers' and affecting the water security of the hill district.

The role of EPTs in the depletion of streams and springs has emerged in the six-month-long study conducted by the state department of soil survey and soil conservation. The study had found that 70% of the springs in the source points of the Kabani river and one third of its contributing streams have dried up and the EPT's had a role in that, apart from other environmental factors. "The elaborate network of EPTs has disrupted the natural water flow in the drainage basins.

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