More protection to Olive Ridleys

BHUBANESWAR: To ensure safe nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles along Orissa coast, the Government has decided to scale up its vigilance and protection measures. It has decided to deploy police force at the mass nesting sites in four districts. The high-power committee, headed by Chief Secretary BK Patnaik, directed the Home Department to deploy necessary APR force at the mass nesting places in Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Puri and Ganjam. The collectors have been asked to depute magistrates as and when required. The marine police stations along the coast will depute staff, speed boats and high speed vessels for joint patrolling with the Forest Department. Similarly, the Defence Research and Development Organisation has been requested for dimming the lights at the Wheeler’s Island. The DRDO has agreed to share infrastructure and intelligence inputs for protection of turtles coming to coast, the meeting revealed. Detailed programme for patrolling and protection at about 45 locations of six forest divisions has been chalked out. Similarly, the central monitoring unit functioning in the office of Chief Wildlife Warden will be strengthened with equipment, technical manpower to augment the monitoring mechanism. Funds will be provided under State  Budget, Central Plan, CAMPA and Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP). In the last season, at least 7.24 lakh turtles arrived for mass nesting at Gahiramatha and Rushikulya rookeries. Besides, sporadic nesting also occurred along the coast at six wildlife divisions. The meeting revealed that mortality rate has reduced over the years. In 2001-02, the total mortality was around 13,000 and it has come down to 3,000 in current season.  Besides, intensive public awareness activities will be taken up involving NGOs, community-based organisations, local community and mass media. It has also been decided to set up an Olive Ridley Research Institute at Rushikulya.   The Chief Secretary also advised the Forest and Environment department to regulate crowd near the nesting places and asked them to create chances for school students to witness the nesting places for greater awareness. Senior officials were present at the meeting.