Maharashtra’s Sangli sees two crocodile attacks in two weeks, raising safety fears

Kolhapur: A 62-year-old man in Sangli city was attacked by a crocodile on Monday morning while out for a swim in the Krishna, the second such incident along the river in nearly two weeks. On April 2, a 32-year-old man died after he was attacked near Ankalkhop village, about 20km upstream from where Monday's incident occurred.
Worried residents have now demanded that the forest department trap and move crocodiles from the Krishna river to the waters of Chandoli Dam, about 80km from Sangli city.
The man injured in Monday's attack, Sharad Jadhav, suffered injuries to his right leg. He was taken to Sangli Civil Hospital where doctors said he's stable. Jadhav told TOI: "For about eight days now, we've been seeing crocodiles in the water. Hundreds of people go swimming in the area. What if it was a child? The forest department must find a permanent solution to the problem." Jadhav is a member of a swimming group that comes to the river every day.
Satish Sakhalkar, another resident of Sangli and a member of the citizens' group, said the number of swimmers in the river is expected to increase as the summer progresses.
"A huge number of people swim in these waters. We even have children learning to swim here. For the common man there's no alternative to the Krishna river. Forest department has to move the crocodiles to the dam," Sakhalkar.
It's estimated that the nearly 100-km stretch of the Krishna that passes through Sangli district is home to at least a hundred crocodiles.
Experts urged people to stay away from the river, warning that April and May were part of crocodile breeding season. "This breeding period is ongoing," said Ajit Kumar Patil, honorary wildlife warden for Sangli district.
"Crocodiles have now laid their eggs in nests in the river basin of the Krishna and Warna. During this time, they can be aggressive and are known to swim around the nests to protect them. So, I would urge people to be cautious," Patil said.
He added that crocodiles don't usually attack humans. "But they are very likely to strike if people or animals get close to their nests or hatchlings," he said.