Ranchi, May 4: The forest department officials are working overtime to feed the natural sources of water in Betla National Park, part of the Palamau Tiger Reserve, as the mercury is on the rise in the area.

Forest range officer L.P. Gupta said that the natural holes have been dug deep to retain the water.

“Besides, we have hired tankers to fill them up with water, brought from a natural well,” he said, adding that no animal had died due to heat wave this year.

“All the deep borings failed. Fortunately, we have found a natural well in the forest from where we could fill up 1,200 litres of water in an hour,” he said.

Around 226sqkm of the 1,042sqkm of the Palamau Tiger Reserve forms part of the Betla National Park where animals roam about freely. Tourists mostly visit only 26sqkm of the Betla National Park.

Gupta said that “kamaldah”, a water body said to be the glory of the Betla National Park, is full of lotuses. Even the elephants this year have not migrated to have drinking water there. The bigger waterholes like Madhu Chuan, Khairahi, Barahi have been dug deep, the range officer added.