Berhampur: Even as thousands of Olive Ridley turtles are heading toward coast near the Rushikulya river mouth in Ganjam district, the forest department has drawn up an action plan for safety measures for their mating at another nesting place – Bahuda river mouth, a report said.
According to the forest department, apart from Rusikulya river mouth, Bahuda river mouth is the new destination of the turtles. The department has planned elaborate protection measures for them.
Turtles prefer a 3-km coast from Sonur to Anataraypur. This was identified as a new nesting place for the turtles. The distance between Rusikulya mouth and Bahuda mouth is 20 km.
For many years, the sea turtles have preferred Rusikulya as a nesting place while Bahuda mouth has been chosen by turtles as another nesting hub since 2017. After three years, turtles have again come for nesting. This has enthused the department and environmentalists.
In view of mass arrival of turtles, the department has cleaned the coast off plastic waste and other dirt. As per plan, fencing will be done for 2 km along the coast to ward off predators. Picnickers have been advised not to use plastic items on the beach.
The department expects that the turtles will come ashore to lay eggs between the second week of February and March.
The Rushikulya river mouth, 45km from the Silk City of Berhampur, is one of the biggest rookeries in the state for the endangered sea creatures.
Countless pairs of Olive Ridley turtles have started mating in the sea water. The Rushikulya river mouth is already brimming with turtles.
After nesting, the female turtles swim ashore to lay eggs by digging pits in the sand. The hatchlings emerge 45 to 50 days after nesting. The female turtles, however, do not wait to see their eggs hatch and return to the sea.
The turtles turn up in large numbers to the beach from Gokharakuda to Purunabandh. The mass nesting is likely to take place in the second week of February.
Over 3.23 lakh sea turtles had laid eggs near the river mouth areas in 2019-20, said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Amlan Kumar Nayak.
Apart from a 4 km stretch from Purunabandh to Gokharakuda, thousands of turtles also lay eggs on another 2 km stretch between Podampeta and New Podampeta area.
The department is on the vigil to check turtle mortality. In the last two months, 30 carcasses of turtles were found on the Ganjam coast. The forest department and police have intensified patrolling to check movement of Andhra trawlers, said the DFO.
He said, the department has been taking protection measures for the turtles since 2000. All possible measures are being taken for safety and protection of the turtles along the coast, he added.
PNN