Crocodile terror grips villages near Ghodahada dam in Odisha’s Ganjam, watch

Digapahandi: Crocodile terror has gripped the villages near Ghodahada dam in Ganjam district of Odisha. While crocodile attack cases in this area is on rise, so far many lives have been lost and many others have sustained critical injuries after being attacked by this deadly reptiles.

According to the 2023 census, there were 64 crocodiles in the Ghodahada water reservoir while 17 more were present in the nearby ponds and rivers. Reportedly, all these reptiles are mugger crocodiles which are seen only in this area of the State.

The Forest Department conducts the annual census of the crocodiles every year in these water bodies. However, presence of these deadly reptiles in the nearby ponds and rivers have become a grave danger for the locals. So far a number of cases of crocodile attacks have been reported.

Here are a few incidents of crocodile attack in this area.

Tukuna Behera of Dauni village, who had gone to the Khamari village to work as a mason, had gone to take a dip in the Sagara pond near Ghodahada Dam on July 20 when he was attacked by a crocodile. Reportedly, the giant reptile launched a sudden attack and bit his leg. Fortunately, Tukuna managed to escape from the jaws of the crocodile. Now he is undergoing treatment.

Similarly, on June 26, Sevaka, the son of Bhikari Gauda of Tikarpada village, went to take bath in a nearby river. When he was taking bath, a large crocodile attacked him and dragged him into the deep water. After getting information about this, people ventured into the river to rescue the boy. However, his body was found at a distance of about 500 meters. After losing the boy, his family has been living under fear and grief since then.

Similarly, a few months back, a crocodile was rescued from under the stairs in the house of Bipra Nayak in a nearby village.

In another instance, a crocodile was rescued from the farm house of Simanchal Kar.

In another case, Nini Gauda, a woman from Khamari village had gone to the Sagara pond to wash clothes on March 22. There she was attacked by a crocodile, but somehow managed to get out of its trap. Since then she has been under treatment.  Though nearly Rs 25 thousand have been spent, she has not received any government help.

In another incident that took place on June 25, 2014 Radhakrishna Behera of Balighai village though managed to rescue his son from the jaws of the crocodile the boy sustained critical injury in this bone-chilling attack. About Rs 5 Lakh was spent towards his treatment but still he became disabled. In this case also, the victim did not receive any government assistance.

After such many incidents of crocodile attacks, crocodile terror has gripped the area.

As per reports, crocodiles have been living in the Ghodahada water body since it was built. These crocodiles move on both water and land. Hence, the forest department monitors their movement and counts their number every year.

In this water bodies, there are crocodiles ranging from three feet to 10 feet long. The people of the coastal villages are now in a state of fear due to the presence of crocodiles in the rivers and ponds. They have put their demand with the Government to make the ponds and rivers free from the deadly crocodiles.

After repeated incidents of crocodile attack, a team from the Water Resources Department visited the affected area here. Some measures have been taken but there is much more to be done. Warning boards have been installed on the edges of the pond to alert people. Besides, the locals have submitted a memorandum to the Ganjam District Collector urging to take necessary steps to make the water-bodies free from crocodiles.