As summer tightens its grip across India, the nation’s forests and their inhabitants brace for an unforgiving season.
The rising temperatures don’t just threaten human settlements, they disrupt the delicate balance of wildlife ecosystems, pushing animals to the edge of survival. In response, forests across the country are deploying summer friendly strategies...from water holes to agro-nets, to ensure that animals stay hydrated and human-wildlife conflicts remain in check.
Kerala’s "10-pronged strategy"
In Kerala, where human-animal conflicts have escalated, the forest department has announced a 10-pronged summer management plan to prevent animals from straying into villages in search of water and food.
“We have created 2,000-3,000 water holes inside forests and revived large tracts of grasslands and marshy lands to keep wildlife within their natural habitats,” said Pramod G. Krishnan, Kerala’s chief wildlife warden.
The department has also repaired 800 kilometers of solar fencing in fringe areas, using both tribal knowledge and modern technology to minimise conflicts.
One of the biggest threats, however, is the spread of forest fires...a concern also echoed in Bengal’s forests.
What is Bengal doing?
Bengal’s forests, stretching from the Sundarbans in the south to the Dooars in the north, face a double-edged sword: water scarcity and the looming risk of forest fires.
According to Paromit Chatterjee, a conservation biologist and WWF consultant, summer brings a host of challenges.
“In Bankura, Jhargram, and Purulia, forest fires have a long history. Awareness among forest fringe villages is crucial because these fires don’t just harm wildlife, they endanger locals too,” Chatterjee told The Telegraph Online.
A Bengal Tiger checks out the conditions before getting into the canal at Sundarban Tiger Reserve, West Bengal. Soumyajit Nandy/Wikipedia
In the Sundarbans, where straying incidents have been a persistent issue, the forest department has taken steps.
“They have started digging ponds for wildlife, such as the one at Dhanchi Island in collaboration with WWF-India’s Sundarbans Program,” Chatterjee explained.
For Bengal, addressing human-elephant interactions is especially critical during summers.
The solution? Habitat restoration and elephant-friendly fodder plantations.
“We need better corridors within the state and coordination with neighboring states,” Chatterjee added.
Jharkhand forests
Jharkhand’s forests present a unique challenge.
While water holes exist in every state, local traditions and regional factors shape wildlife management strategies.
Satwik Vyas, an Indian Forest Service officer from Dumka territorial region, pointed to a traditional tribal ritual called “Purao” practiced by the Baharia tribes.
Villagers venture to the forests to collect Mahua. (Wildlife SOS/ Lennu Kannan)
“They burn forests and sow seeds, but if a wildfire breaks out, the consequences can be fatal. In summers, animals already struggle to cope with the heat—wildfires make survival even harder,” Vyas explained over a telephonic conversation with The Telegraph Online.
To curb accidental wildfires, the department has launched a Mahua net initiative.
“Mahua flowers, a key source of income for tribal communities, often fall to the ground, prompting villagers to burn dry leaves for easier collection. This inadvertently leads to wildfires. Under our initiative, we spread agro-nets aka “Mahua-nets” under trees so the flowers can be collected without burning the forest floor,” Vyas said.
This small yet effective intervention prevents hundreds of accidental wildfires, saving both forests and wildlife.
The results are promising. Reports have indicated a drop in human-wildlife conflicts in certain areas, and this intervention is helping wildlife cope with extreme heat stress, Vyas added.
Odisha gearing up
Elephants near Simlipal National Park. (Dibyaranjan Giri/Wikipedia)
In Odisha, almost every forest division constructs waterbodies in elephant movement zones to keep them from wandering into human settlements,” said Digvijaya Pattnaik, a wildlife biologist at Bonai Forest Division, Sundargarh.
Beyond water conservation, Odisha is also focusing on sustainable food sources for elephants and other herbivores..
“To ensure elephants don’t stray into villages looking for food, the forest department is planting fodder trees like jackfruit and mangoes inside forested areas. This provides a long-term, natural food source and helps prevent human-wildlife conflicts,” Pattnaik explained to The Telegraph Online.
However, as temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, these efforts must expand beyond isolated interventions.