Kendrapara: Forest personnel of Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary have been facing difficulties in their sea surveillance work as the state-of-the art- interceptor vessels lay dysfunctional at Sasanpeta for more than three months after a technical snag occurred in the boats.
Though the forest department urged the company to repair the interceptor vessel as sea patrolling has been hampered endangering the marine species “Olive ridley sea turtle, the company is yet to heed it.
With an aim to provide security to endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles during turtle nesting season and to engage in national security works, the state government in March 2016 provided two modern technology-based high-speed interceptor vessels to Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary.
The vessels namely Gahirmatha-I and Gahirmatha –II were procured from Mumbai-based Mahindra Marine Ltd. The cost of the state of the art vessels was about Rs 3 crore each. The interceptors are eco-friendly, soundless fibre and speed vessels.
They were later engaged for safety and protection of Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. The two seaworthy interceptors were engaged in 2017 and 2018 to patrol Gahirmatha Marine sanctuary round the year to ensure that endangered Olive Ridley turtles get a congenial environment and they do not get disturbed during their matting and breeding session.
PNN