Banke, April 30 : The dearth of water resources in Banke National Park has badly suffered the wild animals here. BNP which is one of the major habitants of tiger was expanded a decade back.     
    
For lack of river, marshland, stream and ponds in it, it has been difficult to manage even the drinking water to the animals.    
    
Although the rainwater is collected naturally, it is impossible in dry season resulting in dearth of drinking water. Even the plants and trees are dried and faded. There is not adequate grass for the stag and doe which the tigers prey on.    
    
Chief conservation officer at BNP, Pramod Bhattarai, informed that water scarcity has deprived wild animals of both drinking and swimming. For lack of water, the wild animals move away from the park posing threat to human life and to their own as well.    
    
In addition to tiger, the BNP is the home to elephant, warthog, leopard, and bear.    
    
The animals which do not swim need a lot of water to drink. In the sanctuary covering 550 km, there are 70 artificial ponds. Among these, nearly 40 are empty. In view of such acute problem, efforts were underway to manage water in the BNP. Study is on to work with Sikta Irrigation Project for ensuring water in the BNP, officer Bhattarai added.    
    
Even the deep boring has been brought into operation at different places but too inadequate to satiate the parched animals.    
    
A canal for the under-construction Sikta Project is set up near the BNP, but the bucks drown in it while drinking water, according to Bhattarai.    
    
The BNP has its 60 percent of area in Tarai and Chure region. Most of the animals have their habitat in Tarai.    
    
The employees at BNP shared that one of the reasons behind death of animals there was the scarcity of drinking water for them.