Millions of turtles laid eggs on the beach of Odisha
Rishikulya beach of Ganjam district of Odisha is getting a wonderful view these days. About three lakh Olive Ridley Turtles have reached the beach of Odisha by covering a distance of 9000 km and they have laid more than 5.5 lakh eggs. Some arrive on the coast of Odisha every year for their annual collective nest construction, known as “Arabada”. Olive Ridley Turtles come in millions every year between February and March. On the golden sand of the beach, these turtles have nests from place to place and laid 5.5 lakh eggs to give birth to their next generation.
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From the first week of February this year, Olive Ridley Turtles started nests on a large scale. This process is still going on. Keeping in mind the safety of turtles, the Odisha government has banned fishing activities in the region from 1 November to 31 May. Olive Ridley Turtles are an important part of the maritime ecosystem. They help maintain the balance of sea life. But due to water pollution and poaching, their number is decreasing rapidly.
Odisha government has made special arrangements for turtles
Odisha’s Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khunti said, “Odisha of Olive Ridley Turtle is a good sign. This year more than 2 lakh turtles have reached the beach. The forest department has reached for the safety of turtles. More than 2000 employees have been deployed. We have called many places ‘no fishing zone’
The Rishikulya beach is divided into 50 parts to ensure the safety of eggs. More than 200 forest department employees and volunteers are engaged in this work. In addition, a circle is also made around the beach to prevent wild dogs, jackal and hunters.
Turtles did not come last year, this year the beach is Gulzar
PCCF Prem Kumar Jha said, “Last year Olive Ridley Turtle did not come to the banks of the sea. This year, about 6 and a half million turtles have been returned in the 5 -km beach area and went back. This process is going on and we hope that the turtles will continue to come for the next 2/3 days. The turtles cannot reach and their safety remains sure. The team of 2 people is also counting turtles.
(Shubham Kumar’s report from Odisha)
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