The fishermen, who used to catch fish in the serene water of Katraj Lake have been virtually robbed off their livelihood with the Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) decision to let the crocodile, which was spotted last month, inhabit the water. Caught in a dilemma, the fishermen have now decided to meet municipal commissioner Praveensinh Pardeshi on Monday, seeking permission to let them catch the crocodile and carry on with their regular business. The contract that the Bhoiraj Macchimar Sanghatana had signed with the PMC for fishing in the lake ends in January 2009, but they had to stop fishing about two months before the deadline, as the PMC decided to let the crocodile live in the lake. It had made a sudden appearance in the lake last month and the fishermen had unsuccessfully tried to catch it for a few days. Similarly, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), which runs the boating facility at the lake, has to make do with the income coming through their snack bar at the lake, as the income through the boating facility remains suspended. “For the time being, we have decided to let the reptile remain in the lake,” said Yashwant Khaire, garden superintendent of the PMC.When contacted, Sanjay Bhokre of the Bhoiraj Macchimar Sanghatana said, “The decision to let the crocodile stay in the lake has taken a bitter toll on our business. Fishing was the only source of income for a few families. We have been fishing in the lake for the past many generations. Even though our contract with the PMC ends in January 2009, we are suffering huge loss as we had to stop fishing abruptly.” He said that the fishermen are going to meet Pardeshi on Monday regarding this. “We are going to ask them to first abate the lake water and let us again try and catch the reptile ourselves.” S B Phadtare, manager of MTDC's boating facility at the lake, said, “Due to the instructions about no-boating in the lake owing to the risk involved because of the presence of the crocodile, we cannot go on with the boating facility, even though it means disappointment for the public. Hence we are unable to earn money. Now, the only source of income left for us is the eatery that we are running for the visitors.”
