Water being lifted from Kuno river to help cheetahs beat the heat

Water is being lifted from the Kuno river running adjacent to the Palpur range and is being pumped into the Soft Release Bomas through a network of pipelines

Published on: May 28, 2024, 21:55:00 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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BHOPAL: The forest department has made special arrangements to keep 25 cheetahs including 14 cubs safe in the soft-release enclosures at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur district amid a heat wave in the state, people familiar with the matter said.

Officials said water was being sprinkled in the enclosure twice during the day to provide relief from the intense heat

“We have made special arrangements for cheetahs in enclosures and two cheetahs -one male and one female -- are in the wild and adapting to the habitat well,” Uttam Kumar Sharma, field director, KNP, said.

Water is being lifted from the Kuno river running adjacent to the Palpur range and is being pumped into the Soft Release Bomas through a network of pipelines running into 13km. Sharma added.

Officials said water was being sprinkled in the enclosure twice during the day to provide relief to the cheetahs and their cubs. On Monday, the Kuno National Park (KNP) recorded about 48 degrees Celsius.

“Water is lifted and distributed as far as 5 km away by two solar pumps. In addition to supplying this water to ‘water saucers and water guzzlers’ constructed in each enclosure, dry drains are also being filled with this water which not only creates an additional water source but also cools down the place. This protects the cheetahs, especially mothers with cubs from the scorching heat,” said the forest official.

Seven cheetahs died after the reintroduction of 20 cheetahs to India in September 2023 and February 2024. This year, the forest department has decided not to release more than two cheetahs in the wild during the summers and the early rainy season, the official added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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