The people of the village are living in fear because of the crocodiles that bite the public every day in the embankment near Jeyangondam which is a tent of crocodiles. Community activists have requested the Tamil Nadu government to set up a crocodile farm in Geezana, which has been a long-standing demand.
During the British rule, a bridge was built on the embankment to connect Ariyalur district and Thanjavur district. This very old dam is a historic dam. The Cauvery water released from Mettur Dam reaches the dam bank through Kallani and eventually flows into the sea.
In this situation, the crocodiles that migrated from the neighboring state took shelter on the banks of the dam due to the unprecedented floods that occurred several years ago. In the beginning, only a few crocodiles were seen, but due to breeding, there are now more than 150 crocodiles in this cave.
When the water in the dam dries up, crocodiles migrate from time to time in search of food and take refuge in the nearby villages including Weeracholapuram and Kanjamkhollai and threaten the public.
According to the fact that they bit the goat, then the cow, and finally they bit the man, the crocodiles that initially bit the goats and cows have not spared the fishermen who go fishing in the river and the people who graze the goats and cows in the last few years.
Many people have died due to crocodile bites. Similarly, people who have been caught in the crocodile’s mouth and survived with severe injuries are also miraculously happening. The threat of crocodiles that bite goats, cows and humans every day is increasing day by day and not decreasing.
Whenever a crocodile enters any town, the forest department rescues it and releases it back into the river to clean the embankment again. It is customary to catch the crocodile and release it back into the river. Due to the fear of crocodiles, the people of the area fear for their lives every day to go fishing and graze goats and cows.
Although the forest department officials have advised against going to the river, the villagers living in the area have been doing fishing as a clan occupation. They could not leave fishing as they did not know any other occupation.
It is questionable whether the fishermen who leave home to catch fish will return home. Residents of the area allege that every year only a paper notice is issued that a crocodile farm will be set up on the banks of the dam, but the government does not come forward to implement it.
If a crocodile farm is set up on the banks of the dam, this area will become a tourist spot like Chatanur and Okanagan. Also tourists coming to Cholapuram near Ganges and visiting the temple town of Kumbakonam and Navagraha tourist spots both local and foreign come to this dam to see the crocodiles at the crocodile farm.
This will increase revenue for the government. At the same time, fishermen and livestock keepers can go to the river without any fear as the public will not be disturbed by crocodiles.
Therefore, it has been a long-standing demand of the people of this area that the government should take appropriate steps to set up a crocodile farm in Geelan, keeping in view the livelihood of the public and the welfare of the crocodiles.