Bhubaneswar: Odisha Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Ganeshram Singkhuntia, Tuesday appealed to people to make the conservation of crocodiles a mass movement.
The state Tuesday celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Crocodile Conservation Project in Odisha here.
In a video message, which was played at the event organised on the occasion of International Crocodile Day, the minister said that Odisha is an important habitat for crocodiles as all three crocodile species — saltwater crocodile (Baula), Mugger and Gharials — are found in the state.
“For the past 50 years, our state has been setting an example for the whole world in the conservation of crocodiles,” he said.
He further said that crocodile conservation is not just about saving a single creature, it is a symbol of preserving the rivers, water bodies and the entire ecosystem.
Being an integral part of the food chain, crocodiles play a vital role in maintaining natural biodiversity by removing dead organisms from rivers, lakes and other water bodies, creating a healthy environment, Singkhuntia said.
Stating that the state is committed to the protection of water, forests and wildlife, he stated, “We must take a pledge to take forward the great work started by our ancestors towards nature and environment protection and turn it into a mass movement.”
The challenge of today is to make the crocodile conservation project in the state as successful as possible by maintaining the ecological balance of the wetlands, he added.
Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Satyabrat Sahu, said, “Today, we are not just celebrating an ordinary event, but we are celebrating 50 years of a unique and glorious journey of Odisha in the field of nature (crocodile) conservation.”
About fifty years ago, the three species of crocodiles living in the rivers, lakes and reservoirs of Odisha were on the verge of extinction. Their number was limited to a handful, he said, while narrating the history behind the crocodile conservation project.
In that critical situation, in 1975, the ambitious project was launched in Odisha with the joint support of the Government of India and the United Nations, the ACS said, adding, Odisha’s role in the success of this project has become an example for the whole world today.
From 96 Baula crocodiles in Bhitarkanika mangrove then, their number has increased to 1,880.
Similarly, due to natural reproduction of the Gharial crocodile at Satkosia Gorge in Tikarpada of the Mahanadi, its number has increased to 16.
Due to successful breeding efforts, the state now has more than 200 Mugger crocodiles, he added.
