Rs 1 lakh compensation given to crocodile victim's family

The Pioneer , Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Correspondent : Rajesh Behera
Kendrapara

The Forest Department has provided compensation of Rs 1 lakh under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 to the family members of 33-year-old woman Chhaila Parida, wife of Sarbeswar Parida of Banabiharipur in the Bhitarkanika National Park, who died after a crocodile attack on July 27, 2005.

According to DFO of Rajnagar Mangrove and Wildlife Division AK Jena, Chhaila died when an estuarine crocodile attacked her while she was crossing the river to give food to her husband, who was repairing a boat on the other side of the creek.

After a couple of hours, the villagers fished out Chhaila's body from the creek.

Later, Sarbeswar lodged an FIR at Rajnagar police station and brought the matter before the DFO. Jena said the victim's family members later produced the relevant documents to the forest department to claim compensation for the victim.

After verifying the relevant documents, the department provided Rs 1 lakh as compensation to the victim's spouse. The woman was the mother of three teenaged children, including a girl.

According to the DFO, earlier the forest department had given Rs 10,000 to the victim's family.

But from 2004 the forest department increased the compensation amount to Rs one lakh for the death of a person by crocodile attack.

The forest department had provided Rs one lakh in 2005 to one Banailal Mandal of Silapokhari village under Gupti gram panchayat within the national park following the death of his 17-year-old daughters Snehalata by a salt water crocodile in 2004.

According to the forest officials, such accidents occur due to frequent human intrusions into the crocodile habitat for illegal fishing, poaching, collection of wood, honey, nalia grass etc from the rivers' and creeks' banks or while setting traps for deer, wild boars etc, very close to rivers or creek.

As per the DFO's report, at least nine persons have been killed and 19 injured critically by crocodiles since 1999. In most cases more than 16 feet male crocodiles were responsible for killing and attacking humans.

Similarly, a total of 32 live stock involving cows, buffaloes, bullocks, calves and goats have fallen prey to crocodiles in the last five and half years.

All attacks reported were made by male crocodiles above 18 feet in length. High tide is usually essential to bring the crocodiles waiting calmly in the water within striking distance of the animals grazing on the riverbank.

Most of the attacks occur during the monsoon when the riverbanks get flooded by high tide or floodwater and where the natural mangrove cover had been destroyed by the humans.

Earlier, 54 saltwater crocodile nesting sites were spotted at the creeks, nullahs and river system in the Bhitarkanika area by the forest officials, during the last nesting season.

At least 1,454 saltwater (estuarine) crocs were sighted by the Bhitarkanika personnel in the recent census, said the DFO.

According to him, of 1,454 saltwater crocodiles sighted in the census, 657 were hatchlings, 283 were yearlings, whereas the number of juvenile (3-yr old crocodile) were 196, 121 number of sub-adults salt water crocodiles and 197 numbers of adult salt water crocodiles were sighted during the 2006 annual census.

 
SOURCE : The Pioneer, Tuesday, December 5, 2006
 


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