Panic Grips After Locals Sight Crocodile in River Ganga Near Kanpur's Bhairon Ghat

KANPUR: Residents found themselves on edge this week as videos circulated on social media showing a crocodile emerging from the River Ganga near the Bhairon Ghat pumping station. The sighting, captured on January 30, stirred panic among locals who witnessed the crocodile briefly venturing onto the riverbank before swiftly retreating into the water. No injuries or attacks related to the crocodile sighting have been reported so far, but the incident has heightened concerns about the presence of these crocodiles in urban areas. This marks the second such occurrence in recent days, following another sighting at Rani Ghat last weekend.

Not an isolated occurrence 

The Rani Ghat sighting was made more tense by the fact that the crocodile did not immediately retreat into the water and several children were playing near the riverbank at the time. According to news reports, while the concerned locals did reach out to the local police department and forest authority, the crocodile retreated into the water before it could be captured. 

Crocodile sightings in the Ganga, at least near population centres, are rare. But the Ganga itself plays host to several different species of crocodiles according to the National Mission for Clean Ganga, ranging from the gharial to the mugger crocodile. Crocodile sightings near population centres typically become more common when the Ganga and its tributaries flood, as was the case in July of last year when heavy rainfall caused a stretch of the River near the city of Haridwar to flood, leading to several crocodiles entering residential areas.