1 week Ago
Vadodara: Activists working on animal and wildlife rescue in the city raised objections to two men making a reel with a crocodile and its eggs in the background on the banks of the Vishwamitri. They claimed the act violated the law and the men who made the reel were related to a contractor working on the dredging of the river. The reel was made on Sunday but came to the notice of some activists on Monday.
The activists made representations to the forest department and sought action against those who made the reel. Forest officials said the act was not a violation as the video was recorded from a distance without disturbing the animal. "The crocodile was not harassed and the incident has also not taken place in a protected area.
There is no violation for which we can register an offence," said range forest officer Karansinh Rajput. The stopping of work at the Bhimnath site in the afternoon led to talk about violations by the contractor's workers. Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) officials said the work was stopped for a while to give instructions to those working at the site, in the wake of a fatal accident involving a dumper carrying soil removed from the Vishwamitri.
While the activists claimed they will not be working with the VMC, officials said that they had no such information. "We have been working with them and the very reason for roping them in was to ensure that safety is maintained. It seems that the reel was not a violation of rules.
We have not been told that they have decided not to work with us," said VMC commissioner Dilip Kumar Rana..
