MID DAY (Mumbai, India) 29 August 10 Powai crocodiles have nowhere to go (Alisha Coelho)
Only three years ago, Elsie Gabriel remembers standing on a crocodile island in the middle of Powai Lake. "We were researching crocodiles and I remember visiting the place where the reptiles laid their eggs," said Gabriel, a member of the MMRDA-Powai Citizens Committee. Those islands don't exist anymore. "Where does a crocodile go now?" she asks.
Gabriel's concerns are reiterated by other Powai residents, who are rattled by the reptile attack on Vijay Bhure, a crane operator, on Thursday. Bhure was taking a walk around the IIT guesthouse when he was dragged into the lake by a crocodile. Residents are now seeking security measures, like fencing.
But that the reptiles will seek refuge on lands where humans shared space with them is only normal, say environmentalists. "A crocodile is a lazy, docile creature that's only dangerous when provoked. If it has nowhere to go to nest, how do you stop it from coming on land? Illegal fishing in the area has to stop," says Gabriel.
A detailed survey of the crocodile population in the lake is needed. Pallavi Latkar, environmental planner, says there are no current records of crocodiles. She stresses on the need to find the reason for them moving out.
"When there were several leopard attacks in the area, we noticed that garbage piles and stray dogs around the area were attracting the leopards since the dogs made for easy prey. This area is conducive to their growth and survival, so why make them move when we can instead work on improving the area?" she asks.
Previous croc attacks
June 2010 -- A fisherman sailing on a makeshift tyre in the lake was attacked but managed to wrench his left leg free and paddled to safety.
June 2010 -- An eight foot-long crocodile carcass was found on the banks of the lake.
March 2009 -- A vendor fishing at Powai Lake was bitten on the arm. He escaped.
October 2004 -- A crocodile wandered into the IIT campus and killed a duck. It was captured three days later.
http://www.mid-day.com/news/2010/aug/290810-elsie-gabriel-powai-lake-crocodiles.htm

HINDUSTAN TIMES (New Delhi, India) 28 August 10 Powai beautification blamed for croc attack (Bhavika Jain)
Mumbai: Environmentalists have blamed the Rs 40-crore shore beautification project for Thursday’s fatal crocodile attack on Vijay Bhure (32) at Powai lake. The civic project has been on since 2007 and there have been five attacks since then. Environmentalists said the lake’s sloping shores were where the reptiles basked and bred, but the slopes were destroyed for the project. “There was a spot near Powai police station where crocodiles laid their eggs, but that site was destroyed too due to the dumping of debris,” said Sunish Subramanian, founder, Plant and Animal Welfare Society, Mumbai.
“The lake has also shrunk over the years, so it’s natural that the crocodiles venture out of their territory. The water is contaminated, which means there are few fish left for the crocodiles. This forces them to prey on humans and livestock,” said Krishna Tiwari, head, City Forest Project, Bombay Natural History Society.
In 1980, the Forest Department counted 18 crocodiles in the area, but locals felt the number would have risen significantly since then.
Environmentalists have now launched the ‘Mission Save Powai Lake’ campaign on Facebook and Orkut against some parts of the beautification plan.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Powai-beautification-blamed-for-croc-attack/Article1-592869.aspx

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]