INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image:Stunning visuals of the world's tallest statueIndian officials have begun relocating some 300 crocodiles from a reservoir next to
the world's tallest statue to allow a seaplane service for visitors.The animals, some around 3m (9ft) long, are being lured into metal
cages and sent elsewhere in the western state of Gujarat.But conservationists have criticised the plan.The 182m statue of independence hero
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was inaugurated last October.The bronze-clad statue sculpture, located some 200km (125 miles) from the state's
main city of Ahmedabad, has become a popular attraction.But there are no train services and most tourists reach the site, known as "Statue
of Unity", by bus.Image copyrightAFPImage caption
The statue is nearly twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty in New
York
Local forestry official Anuradha Sahu said the instruction had come from the state government "for safety reasons as
the tourist influx has increased", AFP news agency reports.So far about a dozen crocodiles have been removed and transported on the back of
pick-up trucks.Community Science Centre Director Jitendra Gavali said the decision to remove the crocodiles was a violation of the country's
wildlife protection legislation."The government is disturbing their habitat and putting their lives at risk," Dr Gavali was quoted by the
Times of India as saying."Also, the government hasn't thought out where it will release the captured crocodiles safely."Bittu Sahgal, editor
of the wildlife magazine Sanctuary Asia, was another critic of the plan.Prime Minister Narendra Modi - who, like Patel, was born in Gujarat
- commissioned the statue when he was the state's chief minister in 2010.In recent years, Mr Modi's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya
copyrightReutersBorn in Gujarat, Mr Patel was a deputy to India's prime minister after India's independence in 1947The nationalist was
known as the "Iron Man of India" after he persuaded feuding states to unite and become part of the Indian state after independenceMany Hindu
nationalists feel his place in history was overlooked in favour of the Nehru dynasty, which came to dominate Indian politicsThe statue is
nearly twice as tall as New York's Statue of Liberty and has a viewing gallery some 153m up, near its chestRead more: The battle over the
legacy of India's 'Iron Man'
