Page 7 - IAV Digital Magazine #467

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Crocodiles Moved FromWorld's Tallest Statue, Angering Environmentalists
By Rob Picheta, CNN
(CNN)
— Officials have started removing hundreds of croc- odiles from the site of the world's largest statue in India, prompting an outcry from conservationists and concerns about the welfare of the reptiles.
The crocodiles are being relocat- ed to allow for a seaplane service to carry tourists to the Statue of Unity, a 597-foot- tall statue that opened in Gujarat in October, AFP reported.
At least 15 have already been lured into metal cages and moved elsewhere in the west Indian state, the Indian Express newspa- per reported, with hundreds still remaining in the waters surround- ing the landmark.
But the operation has been criti-
cized by environ- mentalists and politicians.
"Have we collec- tively lost our minds?" Bittu Sahgal, the edi- tor of environ- mental magazine Sanctuary Asia, tweeted in response to the story.
"As any environ- mentalist will tell you, this is sheer insanity!" Indian journalist and activist Pritish Nandy added,
while others questioned whether the move contra- venes the coun- try's wildlife pro- tect laws.
Crocodiles are a protected species in India, listed under Schedule 1 of the country's Wildlife Protection Act, meaning they cannot be moved unless a state government determines it is "necessary for the improvement
and better man- agement of wildlife therein."
Local forestry official Anuradha Sahu said the state's govern- ment had ordered the removals "for safety reasons as the tourist influx has increased," according to AFP.
But the All India Mahila Congress, the female wing of opposition party the Indian National
Congress, said the move showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government was "keeping the environment at bay again."
The Gujarat Forest Department did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment.
The towering Statue of Unity depicts Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a popular
political and social leader who was part of the freedom struggle that resulted in India's independ- ence from British colonial rule in 1947.
Twice the height of the Statue of Liberty, the land- mark is estimated to have cost more than $410 million to erect.
It is widely seen as the personal project of Modi, who announced the plans in 2010 and formally unveiled the stat- ue in October.
But transport links to the site, which sits in a remote part of the Narmada dis- trict around 100 kilometers from the city of Ahmedabad, are limited, with most tourists currently arriving by bus.
The government finalized three seaplane routes in the region in June to improve access.
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