Powai Lake home to at least 18 crocodiles: BMC’s first ever census

The first ever census of crocodiles in Powai Lake has revealed that there are “at least 18” Indian marsh crocodiles, or muggers (Crocodylus palustris) currently living in the water body.

The first ever census of crocodiles in Powai Lake has revealed that there are “at least 18” Indian marsh crocodiles, or muggers (Crocodylus palustris) currently living in the water body.

A crocodile basks on the rock inside Powai lake on May 18, 2017 (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

The census was led by herpetologist Kedar Bhide, who is part of a six-member panel appointed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) last year to oversee the sustainable implementation of a cycle-track around the periphery of the lake (a project which has now been stayed by the Bombay High Court).

Bhide’s interim report on—Crocodile Population Estimation and Habitat Assessment, was submitted to the BMC’s hydraulic engineering department earlier this week. Such a study has been a long-standing demand of environmentalists and citizens, who had last year staunchly opposed the BMC’s Powai Lake Cycle Track project saying that it would result in destruction of crocodile habitat.

“For decades we have known about the presence of crocodiles in Powai Lake, but no one made any effort to count them. Now, we not only know that there are at least 18 of these reptiles living there, we also know where they prefer to bask and nest. The crocodiles are well dispersed around the lake, using the banks in front of Adi Shankaracharya Marg, Renaissance Hotel, and IIT Bombay as basking grounds. We cannot reveal any information on nesting areas for the safety of the animals,” said Vishal Bhalekar, hydraulic engineer, BMC.

Crocodile populations in Powai Lake are allegedly in decline. “Sightings of crocodiles in Powai lake were far more frequent around 10-15 years ago. Now a lot of the areas which were available for them, have been encroached, and fish stocks have declined due to pollution and overfishing. Desilting projects have also eroded little islands in the middle of the lake where they would bask,” said an honorary wildlife warden with the forest department, who has been conducting rescue operations in the city for close to a decade.

Bhide, on the other hand, said, “I am not surprised at this result. I expected there to be between 15 to 20 individuals inhabiting the lake. We have taken 18 as the baseline because that is the maximum number of crocodiles our teams counted simultaneously on a single field excursion. The true count may be slightly higher than 18, but definitely not lower.”

Over the next month, BMC officials said, various stakeholders around Powai Lake will be made to undergo a conflict management workshop helmed by Bhide and his team, including staffers at the BMC, IIT-B, Renaissance Hotel, the Maharashtra State Angling Association, local fishermen, and others. “In light of a recent incident where a man was bitten by a croc while fishing, we will be conducting some basic awareness sessions so that people are aware about what to do in such instances,” Bhide added.