Farmers worried as crocodiles venture out of Manjeera

Since Manjeera Dam, constructed across river Manjeera near Sangareddy, was declared as a breeding centre for mugger crocodiles in 1978, the population has swelled to over 170 according to a survey carried out by the Forest department in 2017.

Sangareddy: Despite the Singur and Manjeera reservoirs having enough water, several incidents of crocodiles venturing out of the river Manjeera are being reported in the district.

The incidents are triggering panic among farmers and cattle-herders, who regularly move close to the water bodies in their daily life.

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These incidents have become a cause of concern for both citizens and Forest department officials. In the last two one week, two such incidents were reported in Sangareddy district.

While a massive crocodile was found dead near Jogipet town on June 9, another crocodile was found alive in the agriculture field of farmer Bhargava Reddy at Guntha Marpally village in Jharasangam mandal. It was rescued and released into river Manjeera by Forest officials on June 11.

Since Manjeera Dam, constructed across river Manjeera near Sangareddy, was declared as a breeding centre for mugger crocodiles in 1978, the population has swelled to over 170 according to a survey carried out by the Forest department in 2017.

However, the survey was restricted to only in the Manjeera dam. Interestingly, there are a number of crocodiles in Singur dam, located upstream of Manjeera dam on the river and also in river Manjeera downstream the dam.

But there was no mechanism in place for the Forest department to monitor their breeding, population and movement. The crocodiles have been moving out of the river Manjeera when the river gets heavy inflows or when it goes dry.

When the water is released into minor irrigation tanks through canals, the mugger crocodiles were swimming into these tiny water bodies. However, when these water bodies go dry during summer, the crocodiles are left with no habitation.

When the farmer Bhargava Reddy found a crocodile hidden under a heap of firewood on his field, it left him and neighbouring farmers shocked since they had never seen it before in their fields.

The killing of a farmer by a crocodile in 2021 is still fresh in the memory of farmers in Sangareddy.

A 55-year old cattle herder Golla Mallaiah was killed by a crocodile on the banks of river Manjeera near Isojipeta in Pulkal mandal.

Several incidents of crocodile attack on cattle herders and fishermen happened in river Manjeera but the farmers would never report to forest officials or police fearing that they would prohibit them from moving on the river banks.