50 mugger crocodiles die in Kota in a month
11 Mar 2022 Some
50 mugger crocodiles have died in the last one month in a prominent
waterbody of Rajasthan’s Kota city as a result of it being filled up
for developmental activities, locals and wildlife activists have
alleged.
The Kala Talab (‘black pool’) is connected via a canal
to the Chambal river. It is rich in aquatic life including mugger
crocodiles.
“As long as I have known, there have been crocodiles
in the Kala Talab,” Tapeshwar Singh Bhati, a wildlife activist in the
city, told Down To Earth.
But of late, wildlife activists and
locals have observed that the pond itself, and the crocodile habitat is
in danger due to the development activities taking place in the city.
“The
Urban Improvement Trust (UIT) is coming up with a development project
worth Rs 20 crore in the area. They are filling up the water body with
fly ash and soil to build residential colonies and parks. This is not
just leading to the death of crocodiles, but is also killing other
aquatic animals,” Bhati claimed.
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