In contrast to a press note issued by the Andaman Tourism Department about the postponement of a conference to be held on 21 September to define areas for crocodiles, a meeting was held on Friday, 20 September, under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, Chetan Sanghi, to form a human-crocodile conflict task force.
Earlier, on 19 September, a note was issued to tourism stakeholders to attend a conference on 21 September for defining crocodile areas, which was cancelled by another note a day before the proposed conference citing ‘administrative reasons’. The closed door meeting was meant to come up with some quick decisions without involving the majority of the stakeholders from the tourism industry. A reliable source from the Andaman administration said that the Chief Secretary arbitrarily wanted to impose his views upon other members.
The Chief Secretary reportedly held the show completely, imposing his views upon others and overlooking or ignoring any views contrary to his own, and said that there are no human-crocodile co-existence areas, even if human settlements border the protected areas, or vice versa. He further added that there should only be crocodile-free zones, and crocodile conservation zones. No other suggestions were welcome and he allegedly refused to listen to any other views.
No one definitely wants to swim with a crocodile, but how do we tell crocodiles to stay on their side of any border we designate for them? Can there be any borders for fish, birds, bees and crocodiles?
The Chief Secretary reportedly asked the Forest Department to remove the term 'co-existence' and finalise crocodile-free zones and crocodile conservation zones. According to the source, he said that crocodile-free zones are all revenue and tourism areas mostly, and so, any animal sighted will be removed. He also reportedly said that a holding facility for captive animals will be created.
When officials attending the meeting from the Forest Department suggested Yerrata area in Rangat in Middle Andaman, the Chief Secretary is said to have outright objected to having it anywhere near revenue areas. Can such a holding facility be used to promote crocodile tourism? His response supposedly was to take the reptiles to an outlying Island and keep them there, feeding on fish waste and stray dogs.
This is similar to the infamous case of Adv. Shyamali Ganguli asking the honourable court to collect all Jarawas from their jungles and transport them to a far off outlying Island and to feed them rice and dal. Out of sight, out of mind...but, does that make sense in the real world?
Crocodiles Vs Tourism
Crocodiles have been an issue too hot to handle for the Andaman administration, as tourism has been affected. There were many meetings held earlier to tackle the issue, with national and international experts invited to find a solution. It is also noteworthy to think of how we deal with such a slithering problem that comes from the water and comes without warning. How many crocodiles will have to be captured and for how long will this go on? Is it a sustainable solution or is it just a shot in the dark waters, in a Kalapani of our own making?
It is notable that crocodile conservation areas would be any protected area, wildlife sanctuary or park, but we must also remember that crocodiles will swim beyond any boundaries or zones we create for our own purposes and satisfaction. Tribal areas in the Islands are the most suitable areas to be designated as crocodile conservation areas, as they are much bigger than any national park or sanctuary in the Islands, and are locations where the Jarawas (and now extinct tribes) have learned to live alongside all other forms of life. Many creeks and habitats for crocodiles are found in the tribal areas of the Andamans.
Most breeding areas for crocodiles require freshwater ecosystems which also explain why the animals come upstream into creeks and water-bodies of revenue areas during the monsoon. The tribal areas have the best natural ecosystems, including freshwater and estuarine habitats, much better than any national park in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
In this regard, one just needs to move beyond governmental departments and secretariats to understand the issue. Most decision-makers live in Port Blair, the capital town. They don’t live in the villages or walk across nullahs regularly or alongside the seashore to fish. Some are far removed from Island realities while others, who do try to understand them, are not heard.
So many local people of the Islands have seen and encountered crocodiles ever since the early days of settlement. It is true that there has been a series of attacks on people which has given rise to the human-crocodile conflict in recent years. However, we shouldn’t forget that people have co-existed with wildlife and dealt with the animals as they have been able to over many decades. We need better solutions rather than quick-fix and short-term solutions.
Sustainable, long-term solutions
Crocodiles are a part of the natural ecosystem, and have also largely avoided human-dominated areas, while visiting them from time to time. Local people or settlers too are part of the natural ecosystem today, and we must remember that they have more tolerance and understanding than decision-makers at the Secretariat who have mostly lived in Delhi or in their government accommodation. Local people keep a watch and those who are aware, avoid and take preventive measures, including chasing the crocodile, killing it or keeping their livestock safe by moving them to safer ground.
Facilities such as small bridges or berthing ghats for dinghies, exclosures in water use areas for local people are still absent in 21st century Andamans. Why not move in these directions as well, rather than just try and create imaginary boundaries or walls like Donald Trump is attempting?
The meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary shows the wishful thinking in an Island territory, where suggestions like deporting crocodiles to a specific Island get finalised. Large-scale tourism plans are in the offing; most of the projects are beach-based, and crocodiles are perceived to be an impediment. There has been pressure from bodies like NITI Aayog to find a solution.
Solutions such as these seem more gloss on paper for the short-term, rather than long-term and more realistic solutions, which should include improvements of infrastructure in rural areas, garbage and waste management, education and awareness, confidence-building rather than fear-mongering and so on. Some countries even earn revenue through crocodile tourism, while also containing problems associated with these animals through various means, including co-existence for the long-term.
Warning or fear-mongering?
On the one hand, there are no places with water where the Forest Department hasn’t put up warning boards on the presence of crocodiles. All these are in large print, while the educative posters are much smaller and never as numerous as the ‘Beware of Crocodile’ type of signboards. Near all creeks and inundated areas, such boards can be seen.
Moreover, on most of the beaches, the department has banned entering waters. At some beaches, where netting has been done, the waves have breached the poor quality of nets and remain exposed. Netting too is not a solution per se. No one goes and maintains the nets from underwater where the salties swim near the shore. Containing animal movement is not necessarily the best solution in this case. Neither is banning entry into water at any random point. These also affect the face of tourism.
We need more eyes and brains to find appropriate solutions.
“Garbage management is still a mounting problem and that which often attracts crocodiles to residential areas alongside villages. We still have not been able to find a solution to this bigger and more serious catastrophe, beyond crocodiles,” says Manish Chandi, an ecologist and conservationist, who has extensively worked in the Islands.
“Not having done our homework on this issue, we plan to capture, hunt and jail these animals, but for how long and for how many?” Manish asks. Will we be able to make our surroundings better, educate our public to be more aware and proactive, rather than being dependent on government departments to do all the groundwork for them? Crocodiles that enter human settlements will need to be removed for the safety and security of all human inhabitants, but what can we do to prevent them from entering?
Many villages are located and blessed with mangroves, while others are next to tribal areas. Are these blessings in disguise or dangers to be wiped clean? Does all the banning, capture and hot air we create around ‘crocodile conflict’ actually exacerbate and increase fear of these animals? Animals that many early and present settlers have been living alongside for years?
A solution still eludes the perceived problem, as crocodiles cannot be stopped from moving in waters, from one place to another, even if any far off Island is designated as Kalapani for the salties!
Zubair Ahmed is a journalist and researcher based in the Islands.