KENDRAPARA: In a bid to address the increasing human-crocodile conflict in Bhitarkanika National Park, the Forest department has launched an awareness campaign, employing boats to reach riverside villages along crocodile-infested river and create awareness. The initiative comes in response to a spate of crocodile-related fatalities, including the tragic death of a ten-year-old boy, with a total of six deaths recorded in the past three months.
Using loudspeakers and leaflets, forest officials are creating awareness among the villagers and educating them about the risks associated with using river water for bathing and other purposes. Additionally, the department is conducting workshops, street plays, and educational sessions in villages, panchayats, and schools to emphasise the importance of coexisting safely with crocodiles, informed the divisional forest officer (DFO), of Bhitarkanika National Park, Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav.
To further caution residents, signposts with the warning “Beware of Crocodiles” have been installed in riverside villages. The efforts to address the human-crocodile conflict come as the crocodile population in Bhitarkanika has steadily increased over the years, reaching an estimated 1793 according to the latest crocodile census report, he added.
“The crocodile menace has been growing in recent years in Bhitarkanika. Rivers are our lifelines. The stakes are high for the farmers and fishermen of the riverside villages as the crocodile attacks are on the rise, “ said sarpanch of Narasinghpur Gram Panchayat Diptimayee Parida.