Wildlife-friendly escape ramps recommended for PAP contour canal

The 49.3-km-long contour canal of the Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) that channels water from Sarkarpathy power house to Thirumurthy reservoir is an engineering marvel.

But the open stretches of the canal, which cuts through biodiversity-rich regions of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in the Western Ghats, have also turned death traps for varied species of wild animals ranging from big cats to Nilgiri tahr to elephant since its commissioning in 1965.

Now ATR authorities are mooting measures to avoid deaths of wild animals that accidentally fall into the canal or being carried away by the current. Tasked by ATR Field Director D. Venkatesh and Deputy Director Devendra Kumar Meena, a team of the WWF-India carried out a study along the contour canal and submitted its report, recommending measures to reduce wildlife mortality.

As per the report, the existing ramps are mostly oriented towards the water flow, which is counterproductive for animal escape. These ramps can be reoriented to face the opposite direction of the flow to facilitate the escape of wild animals that accidentally fall into the canal.

According to the WWF-India report, this orientation, which is crucial just before the entry points of the seven tunnels of the canal, will allow animals to utilise the ramp better and climb out from water. The entry points of the seven tunnels are high-priority spots for ramp construction and modification. Installation of a checking mechanism, like railings or guiding poles that direct animals toward the escape ramp, is also recommended.

The WWF-India team, comprising of D. Boominathan, M.A. Predit, A. Vinod and Nikhilesh Narayanan also recommended construction of 17 more ramps that are opposite-to-the-water-flow orientation at regular intervals along the contour canal in addition to the high-priority ones before the tunnels. Camera traps near the ramps are recommended to monitor their usage by wildlife and to collect long-term data.

Their report also recommended periodical clearing of excessive vegetation along the sides of the canal, which could cause animals to accidentally fall into the canal. Chain-link fence is recommended for a section of the canal at Paruthiyur as it is bordered by a steep slope of over 40 feet depth, where animals moving along the slope are at high risk of accidentally falling into the canal. It has also recommended specialised animal rescue training for frontline staff of the Forest Department and the Public Works Department (PWD). They should have essential rescue gear such as ropes, nets, pulleys, and floating devices.

Mr. Venkatesh said the recommendations will be forwarded to the higher-ups for further action plan in coordination with the Public Works Department.