Crocodiles stray into Terai agricultural fields
HALDWANI:THE abundance of crocodiles has become a reason for worry for farmers in the Terai region. The forest department, which has a quick response team for dealing with attacks and sighting of crocodiles, has captured and pushed back a number of the reptiles from the fields in Khatima, Banbasa, Nanakmatta and Sitraganj.
Parag Madhukar Dhakate, conservator of the western division, said that there are around 100 crocodiles in the Terai region. “They are a robust species, which live in the natural environs of the Nanakmatta dam and the water bodies such as the rivers Sitarganj, Banbasa as well as the perennial nullahs, which are a good place for hiding. Till now, there have been no instances of poaching of crocodiles, but the department keeps a close watch on the suspicious elements near the forests,” said Dhakate.
The conservator pointed out that the main reason that for the crocodiles to come to the fields or into human habitation is in search of food. “The Terai region is a natural habitat of crocodiles, as it is abundant in fish. The water level rises during the monsoon led to a rise in the water level of rivers and flooding, which has forced the crocodiles to move toward land and colonies,” said Dhakate.
Ramesh Adhikari, a farmer from Nanakmatta, said that unlike wild boars, crocodiles do not damage crops, but their presence is scary.
“Crocodiles can kill. They have devoured or killed around three people in Nanakmatta in the past three years due to which we exercise caution in the fields as they lie among the crops,” said Adhikari.