Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday said his government was moving ahead with its plan to release crocodiles, revered as the sacred vehicle of Maa Narmada, into the Narmada river, reaffirming the state’s commitment to wildlife conservation.
The reptiles will be released into the river on Thursday at Narmadanagar in Khandwa district, where the river’s flow and ecosystem are considered ideal for their habitation, Yadav told reporters. “The MP government is committed to the conservation of all species. The state is experiencing a steady rise in both wildlife and aquatic species, including gharials and crocodiles,” he said.
He added that a similar conservation initiative was undertaken last year when gharials were released into the Chambal river. “A campaign is underway to conserve all wildlife species in the state. In Indian culture, humans and wildlife are interdependent,” he said.
Also read: Sundarbans sees rise in saltwater crocodile population
Authorities, he assured, would ensure that the crocodiles were released in a stretch of the Narmada where they would not pose any threat to local residents. “The presence of crocodiles will be auspicious for Mother Narmada and strengthen the river water flow,” Yadav said.
India is home to three major crocodilian species: the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), found primarily along the eastern coast in Odisha, the Sundarbans and parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands; the mugger or marsh crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), which inhabits freshwater rivers, lakes and reservoirs across states such as Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu; and the critically endangered gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), found mainly in the Chambal, Girwa, and Ghaghara rivers in northern India.
Over the past decade, conservation efforts under the Project Crocodile initiative have helped stabilise several populations, with Madhya Pradesh emerging as a key habitat for both gharials and muggers.
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