194 crocodiles relocated from lake near Statue of Unity

Ahmedabad: Authorities have moved 194 crocodiles from a lake near the 182-meter tall Sardar Patel memorial in the last two years for the safety of tourists visiting the Statue of Unity in Gujarat’s Narmada region.

Panchmuli Lake has become a famous tourist attraction due to its proximity to the world’s biggest monument. Hundreds of mugger crocodiles live in the lake, posing a hazard to visitors. As a result, the authorities decided to move them to another location.

‘In 2019-20 (October-March), we relocated 143 crocodiles from the pond to a different place. In 2020-21, another 51 crocodiles were shifted to two rescue centres in Gandhinagar and Godhra,’ said Vikramsinh Gabhania, Kevadia Range Forest Officer.

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73 rescued crocodiles were released in the Sardar Sarovar reservoir in 2019-20, according to the official, who also added that reptiles saved after this period were relocated to rescue centres in Gandhinagar and Panchmahal.

The officer said nearly 60 cages have been placed up around the lake to trap the deadly reptiles, adding, the area of the waterbody where seaplanes land is completely safe.

As per the Gujarat Tourism Department, the Gujarat State Forest Development Corporation Limited began boat rides on the Panchmuli lake, also known as Dyke-3, in 2019. The boat trip, according to a spokeswoman for the Sardar Patel memorial’s authorities, has become a prominent tourist attraction in the neighbourhood. During weekends, it sees a large number of visitors.

The Statue of Unity, dedicated to freedom fighter Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who subsequently became our country’s first deputy prime minister, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31, 2018. It is the world’s tallest statue, standing more than twice as tall as America’s Statue of Liberty.