Four crocodiles, about six to seven feet long, have been found dead in the Chandraloi river in Kota in the last six days, which animal rights activists say has led to the death of 50 crocodiles in 2022 due to polluted water from industrial effluents.
Crocodiles are endangered animals listed under Schedule 1-C of the Wildlife Protection Act, giving them the highest level of legal protection.
In the first of the four deaths, a 60-year-old crocodile was found dead on November 30, and three more were found dead on December 1, 2 and 4. The last three were nine, four and 15 years old. 10 km from the starting site.
Activists are now calling for immediate action in the form of tougher measures to protect wildlife to avoid a similar situation in 2022.
Environmental advocate Tapeshwar Singh said industrial pollution has been a long-standing problem in the region due to years of government inaction and uncontrolled pollution. He claims that despite repeated complaints, the situation is getting worse over time.
Kota Chief Conservator of Forest Ramkarna Khairwa said that an investigation is underway to find out the cause of death of four people. “It is possible that industrial waste is the culprit. We have sent samples for testing and are awaiting the results,” Khairwa said.
Dr. Akhilesh Kumar Pandey, who conducted the postmortem of the first and fourth crocodiles, said that the first one died due to multiple organ failure and the fourth one died due to kidney failure. He said that the laboratory results will reveal the exact cause.
Experts are now calling for collaboration between local authorities, environmental agencies and industry to implement effective pollution control measures.