A comprehensive enumeration conducted by the Forest Department has revealed that there are over 2,000 open wells on private farmlands in the vicinity of the reserve forests in Manapparai and Thuvarankurichi forest ranges in Tiruchi district.

The detailed exercise was carried out by field-level department staff in both forest ranges in the wake of instances of wild animals, such as the Indian Gaur and the spotted deer, having fallen into open wells, warranting operations to rescue them or retrieve the carcass. 

As part of the enumeration, the forest staff conducted physical checks in their respective ranges to determine the number of open wells on farmlands outside various reserve forests and their owners. The total number of open wells situated adjoining the reserve forests in the Manapparai range was 1,194, while it was 1,150 in the Thuvarankurichi range.

The exercise was done to ascertain the number of open wells situated in a one-kilometre to five-kilometre radius of the reserve forests, said District Forest Officer, Tiruchi S. Krithiga. The Thuvarankurichi range has under its limits 11 reserve forests and the number of reserve forests in Manapparai range is 26, said the department officials.

The enumeration was done for over a month during which the number of open wells were recorded and their photographs taken. Details regarding the owners of the open wells; the water level; those found to be dry were also noted, said the officials. The depth of these open wells ranges from 40 feet to 70 feet.

Absence of a parapet wall or fencing around the open wells has resulted in animals falling into them in different locations, the officials said. 

In one such instance reported in the Manapparai range in late April, four Gaurs, including two calves, fell into an open well at Karuppur village. While two of them were found dead, the calves were rescued by a joint team of Forest and Fire and Rescue Services personnel in a day-long operation.

The Thuvarankurichi and Manapparai forest ranges have a substantial presence of Gaurs, which keep moving. The Gaurs were found to be entering into the Thuvarankurichi and Manapparai ranges from neighbouring Dindigul district, said an official, adding the animals had also crossed over to the neighbouring Pudukottai district. 

Movement of Gaurs has been reported more in Karumalai, Thachamalai, Velamalai, Kannuthu and Periamalai reserve forests, said an official, adding that incidents of animals falling into open wells were reported mostly during the night.  Rescuing a live and a fully grown Gaur weighing over a tonne from an open well takes a very long time, the official said, adding that it could take a whole day.

The department staff have been repeatedly sensitising the villagers to the dangers of open wells and the need to put up some temporary fence or construct parapet wall around them as a safety measure to prevent animals and humans falling into them, said officials.  The Forest department has taken up the issue of open wells with the district administration authorities to look into ways and means means of addressing the issue.