Kendrapara: Man-crocodile conflict has become a frequent occurrence in Kendrapara as well as in adjoining Jajpur and Bhadrak districts due to a sharp rise in the population of the reptiles, sources said Sunday. The issue assumes significance with the death of a 10-year-old boy in a crocodile attack at Brahmani river ghat in Nimpur village under Pattamundai block in Kendrapara district, June 14. The attack happened at a place that is not a part of Bhitarkanika National Park (BNP). The death of the boy is not an isolated case.
Incidents of crocodile menace have been reported from Indupur town outskirts and in various places of the district at frequent intervals. Observers claimed that the croc menace has grown due to limited space in Bhitarkanika National Park. Hence more and more reptiles are straying into water bodies of Kendrapara, Jajpur, and Bhadrak districts and unleashing a reign of terror. Despite man-crocodile conflict occurring every month leading to deaths and injuries, the Forest department officials and the district administration have done very little to curb the rising cases of reptile attacks. The Forest officials except for putting up an information plaque near water bodies and in riparian villages have done nothing to allay the fear of the villagers, locals alleged.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had issued a letter way back in 1991 asking BNP officials to adopt measures to curb the rise in the crocodile population. Locals and environmentalists have been demanding the implementation of this order but to no effect. Environmentalist and secretary of Turtle Protection Committee Hemant Kumar Rout informed that currently, Bhitarkanika houses around 1,800 crocodiles as per the last census in January this year. BNP also has albino crocodiles. Close to 100 people have died due to crocodile attacks in the last 10 years sources informed.
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Similarly, over 25 crocodiles have died after getting caught in fishing nets and for other reasons. With the population rising, the crocs are straying into various rivers and canals inside Kendrapara district and also in neighbouring Jajpur and Bhadrak districts. This has sent shivers down the spine of the riparian residents. Former wildlife expert BC Choudhury of Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) said the growth of the crocodile population in Bhitarkanika within limited space is a matter of concern. He pointed out that the reptiles are facing food shortages and mating problems. As a result, fights are breaking out between the Crocs with the weaker ones straying into human habitats. The straying of crocodiles during floods and monsoons to adjoining areas of Bhitarkanika is a regular occurrence. This further aggravates the situation and increases man-crocodile conflicts. This should be checked and efforts should be made to increase the fish population in saline areas, Choudhury stated. Senior citizen Ganesh Chandra Samal said that the crocodile conservation programme was started in 1975 in Bhitarkanika as the number of reptiles was decreasing rapidly.
Now, however, steps should be taken to curb the numbers, he added. However, the collection of crocodile eggs and their conservation in hatcheries is still continuing. The growth of the crocodile population in a limited space has proved detrimental for the residents, Samal pointed out. When contacted, Kanika forest ranger Manas Dash said that the crocodile conservation programme is taking place as per departmental orders.
