by Avijit Biswas
Bhagalpur: A crocodile (magar) accidentally got trapped in a fishing net in the river Ganga today. The incident occurred near Gangalday village in Kahalgaon subdivision, on the stretch of river between Kahalgaon and Bateswarsthan. The crocodile was accidentally trapped after it came near the fishing net erected close to bank of river for fishing.
The trapped crocodile was first spotted by workers of a brick kiln located near the bank. The sub divisional authorities were subsequently intimated by people who saw the trapped reptile. As per locals, the trapped crocodile tore the net and released itself even before the operation could start to rescue the trapped reptile.
Of late, crocodiles are frequently being spotted in the stretch of river near Kahalgaon and Sultanganj. It may be mentioned here that approximately 50 kilometer stretch of Ganga between Sultanganj and Kahalgaon forms the area of the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary.
As per people residing in villages adjoining Ganga, crocodiles have been spotted in the river since it was flooded in the monsoon. In the recent past, crocodiles were also spotted near Sultanganj on several occasions.
Crocodiles have been spotted in the Ganga in the past, according to Dr Sunil Choudhury, a river dolphin expert at T. M. Bhagalpur University. Dr Choudhry said that frequent sighting of dolphin does not establish that there is resident population of crocodiles in river. He informed resident population means breeding population of crocodiles. There is no evidence of breeding population he added.
He went on to say that crocodiles could have entered the Ganga during floods from tributaries like Gandak, which have a large crocodile population.
In past Ganga had sizeable indigenous population of Ghariyals, a species of crocodile family, Dr Choudhury said. He added the indigenous population of Ghariyals in river Ganga however has sharply dwindled with passage of time.
