Avi Foundation's Solar Pump Project Supports Forest Wildlife in Pench
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The Avi Foundation, a Nagpur-based NGO, has started a project to provide drinking water for wild animals deep in the forest, to stop them from moving into human areas. Since 2018, the foundation has been helping the forest department by donating solar water pumps for remote forest areas. They have donated 12 pumps so far, and they take care of the installation and maintenance, while the forest department helps protect them from theft.
Last month, the Avi Foundation donated and installed seven solar water pumps in the Pench Tiger Reserve. The foundation plans to donate 50 more pumps this year.
The intense summer heat makes it very hard for both humans and animals to find water, especially for wild animals in the dry forests of Central India. This often causes animals to move into human areas, leading to conflicts. "Our solar pumps provide much-needed water for wild animals deep in the forest. We are also getting great support from the forest department," said Dr. Jerryl Avinash Banait, Chairman of Avi Foundation.
The foundation has worked with the forest department to train forest guards to make fibreglass water tanks on-site. These tanks are easy to move, have no scrap value, and can be made quickly.
Avi Foundation runs several projects focused on wildlife and environmental conservation. One of their initiatives is AVICENNA, a health mission that supports villages near forests and helps forest guards and rangers, explained Dr Banait during a press conference.
