BHUBANESWAR: Rising incidence of crocodile attacks that have claimed at least four lives in less than two months in Kendrapara district has necessitated survey of villages abutting Bhitarkanika National Park for water supply status to prevent escalation of tension in the conflict zone.
Inadequate numbers of borewells or piped water supply connections are seen as a major challenge which sends the local villagers to the crocodile-infested rivers, rivulets and creeks around the mangrove ecosystem.
Forest officials acknowledge that the matter has already been taken up at the district level coordination meeting on Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation. Sources said though the Rajnagar mangrove forest division (wildlife) has not written to the district administration in this regard, the matter has been discussed and conveyed.
“We need to work in this regard and will take it up in coordination with the district administration,” said divisional forest officer (DFO) Sudarshan Gopinath Jadhav. Panchayat funds could be utilised to improve the water supply system across the villages, he said.
Crocodile conservation has emerged as a fresh challenge in and around Bhitarkanika due to presence of a large number of human settlements within and around the mangrove ecosystem.Apart from the natural dependence of people on the river as part of socio-cultural behaviour, inadequate number of borewells and piped water connections for the households is escalating the conflict in the region.
The increasing dependence of people on Bramhani and Kharasrota rivers as well as local nullahs and water bodies in the surroundings of Bhitarkanika National Park has claimed four lives since June. Besides, close to a dozen lives has been lost in the conflict zones within a year.
The DFO said the situation remains critical mostly during monsoon because of the rising water level of rivers which helps the reptiles to move to land. Besides, people preferring to use water bodies despite presence of tubewells in their villages has made matters even more critical.
“Awareness drives have been intensified accordingly in all the crocodile bearing ranges to bring behavioural changes among the villagers. Steps have also been taken up to fence more bathing ghats in the affected areas,” he said.