BHUBANESWAR: 'Kumbhira’ Bandhus (Friends of Crocodiles) will now help the Forest department in protecting the gharials in Mahanadi river system. After scripting success in the first phase of ‘Gharial Species Recovery’ programme in Mahanadi, wildlife wing of the Forest department and Nandankanan Zoological Park are all set to roll out its second phase this year with introduction of Kumbhira Bandhus. To be engaged in the line with Gajabandhus (who look into elephant conservation), Kumbhira Bandhus will be the village level community leaders responsible for gharial conservation.
They will create awareness on gharial conservation among the local communities, prevent human-crocodile conflict and ensure safe rescue of the fish eating crocodile from nets. They will be engaged by the state government at villages within the forest divisions along the banks of Mahanadi river.
“Gharial conservation in Mahanadi is purely a community-driven project where participation and support of the local villagers, primarily the fishermen community, is extremely important. And through Kumbhira Bandhus our efforts will be to involve as many community members as possible in the conservation drive,”said RCCF Bhubaneswar Sanjeet Kumar.
In the first phase of the gharial species recovery programme, around 20 gharials were reintroduced to the fresh waters of the river near Tikarpada. When breeding of gharials had stopped and their number fell alarmingly in Mahanadi, officials of Satkosia wildlife division and Nandankanan zoo worked on a blueprint in 2019 to revive their population and launched the recovery programme.
Around 28 hatchlings were found in a nest in Baladamara area of the river within Satkosia gorge sanctuary in May 2021 after a gap of nearly four decades. Another 30 baby crocodiles took birth at the same site in 2022 and 35 in 2023. With the wildlife wing planning to release at least four sub-adult gharials initially in the second phase, Kumar said the Kumbhira Bandhus will be mobilised to sensitise fishermen community about the safe rescue of the gharials trapped in fishing nets.
Mahanadi is the last and southern most habitat of gharials in the country which makes their conservation important in the river system. Besides, it adds to maintaining the pride for the state of having all three Indian crocodile species. The fish eating crocodiles are also indicators of the riverine health of Mahanadi.
“To improve conservation, the wildlife wing is also planning to send researchers and biologists involved in the project to Chambal and Katerniaghat sanctuaries for knowledge sharing and site study of the gharial habitats,” said a senior forest official.