baripada: Villagers of Nuagaon, Dabak, Bhulagadia and Bhupad under Khunta police station on Wednesday detained forest personnel of Udala range within Baripada territorial division of Mayurbhanj district protesting their lackadaisical attitude in rescuing a crocodile from the village pond. They also demanded compensation for the loss they have incurred because of the reptile.
The villagers claimed that they had put a fishing net in the village pond on Tuesday but to their shock, a 6-ft crocodile got into it on Wednesday morning. Though they informed forest officials of Udala range to rescue it, no one came to the spot. The villagers took up the rescue work upon themselves and carried the crocodile along with the net to the Nuagoan beat house. “Seeing the horde of villagers with the crocodile, the forest personnel came out and removed the net from its body and kept it in a vehicle to release it in a water body,” said one of the villagers.
The villagers claimed, one-and-half-year ago, they sighted a crocodile inside the pond and informed the forest department. But the officials refused to accept and reportedly said it was a ‘pani godhi’ that would not harm people. However, the villagers said since then the harvest of fish has reduced and ducks that were left in the pond did not return. As the pond started drying up due to severe heat, they put the net for fishing and the crocodile got stuck.
Alleging that the crocodile inside the pond has affected fishing and duck rearing for the past one and a half year, the villagers detained the officials and demanded that the loss be compensated by the department.
ASI of Kunta police station Samsita Behera, ACF Rabinarayan Mohanty along with forest officials reached the spot to pacify the villagers. Contacted, Udala Ranger Arun Kumar Behera said that villagers released the forest personnel after assurance that they will be compensated. Later, the crocodile was released in a water body of Jenabil in a core area of Similipal forest after being examined by the veterinary staff of STR.