With Bhitarkanika flooded, crocodiles enter nearby villages
People wade through the Budhabalanga in Balasore district
KENDRAPADA: Flooding in the riverside villages under Dasarathpur and Binjharpur blocks of Jajpur district and Aul, Pattamundai and Rajkanika blocks of Kendrapada district near Bhitarkanika national park has brought uninvited guests out in the open. With water flooding the park, many crocodiles were spotted in the swollen waterways, making their way to villages marooned by floodwater.
On Thursday, flood-affected people of Duttapur under Dasarathapur block found a 16-feet-long saltwater crocodile on their village road after the river Kani, a tributary of Baitarani, flooded the village.
A video of the crocodile emerging from knee-deep floodwater has since gone viral. “When I saw it, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was big enough to swallow a man,” said Nalini Das of Duttapur.
The villagers were surprised how a giant crocodile managed to reach their place, some 50 kilometres from Bhitarkanika. “We suspect the crocodile may have been carried away by floodwater and entered river Kani,” said Ajit Behera of Duttapur. Flood-hit villagers of Machagaon, under Balikuda block of Jagatsinghpur, were in for a surprise to find an estuarine crocodile in Devi river. Many residents also reported seeing more saltwater crocodiles than usual as the reptiles strayed into the rivers from the water bodies in Bhitarkanika, home to more than 1700 saltwater crocodiles.
Saltwater crocodiles have been spotted in the marooned villages of Pradhanpada, Barahadomunda, Kanapur, Balisahi, Gahamapala, Arupada, Rahapur, Ostia, Bandhapatana, Naladia, Srirampur and others as the reptiles strayed into the rivers of Bramahani, Kharosotra and Kani from Bhitarkanika.
“Wading through flooded areas can be dangerous as it may contain crocodiles. We advised residents in flooded areas to be on the lookout for saltwater crocodiles as they may move into residential areas due to flooding. Crocodiles could be easily mistaken for floating debris. The forest department has been keeping an eye on the crocodiles in the flood-hit areas. So far, there has been no reports of crocodiles injuring people. After the floodwater recedes, the crocodiles will return to Bhitarkanika,” said Bikash Ranjan Dash, the divisional forest officer of the national park.
Last year forest department officials barricaded around 35 ghats in the riverside villages near Bhitarkanika national park to prevent crocodiles from entering the bathing areas. But floodwater washed away many of the barricades. “After the floodwater recedes, we will rebuild the barricades,” Dash added.
“Villagers should keep an eye out for saltwater crocodiles. The reptiles come closer to land in search of food as their traditional feeding grounds get submerged due to flooding,” said Hemant Rout, secretary of Gahiramatha Marine Turtles and Mangrove Conservation Society.