Raising concern over the increasing number of man-reptile conflicts, especially in the Brahmani river in Kendrapada district, former Minister and senior Congress leader Ganeswar Behera, on Friday, wrote to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take steps to save people from the reptiles.
Behera alleged that man- crocodile conflicts have assumed an alarming proportions in Kendrapara as within a span of 75 days, as many as six persons have died in crocodile attacks in the Brahmani river. Consequently, the riverside villages are panic-struck.
Though the wildlife officials have visited and handed over ex-gratia to the next of kin (NoK) of the crocodile victims and promised construction of a barricade and protection wall at the bathing ghats, things remain unchanged. In the bathing ghats of the river, the protection wall has not been erected till date, said Behera.
As the CM once said every life is precious for him, hence it is the primary duty of the State Government to save the precious lives from the dreaded jaws of the reptiles, Behera opined and requested him to form a special task force for driving away the crocodiles who are attacking human beings from the Brahmani river within a fortnight.