BERHAMPUR: Members of eco-clubs at schools would join hands with forest officials to clean up Rushikulya river mouth coast to get it ready for the mass nesting of Olive Ridleys. The Forest Department has commenced preparations to get the beach conducive for the nesting of mother Olive Ridley turtles. Mass nesting of these turtles is expected to commence from second or third week of February.

Speaking to The Hindu over phone from the river mouth coast on Thursday, Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Siba Narayan Mohapatra informed that this year they decided to increase the participation of children in the turtle nesting process.

On Sundays and other holidays during the next few weeks, schoolchildren would be brought to the beach to help in its cleaning. Practical information regarding the lifecycle and nesting process of Olive Ridleys at this beach would also be provided to them during the process.

"Children should realise the importance of this beach that attracts Olive Ridleys to nest here every year which would motivate them to protect nature," said Mr. Mohapatra.

Beach monitoring

The Forest Department had already established a camp in a temporary shed to monitor the beach. Eight more similar camps would be put up in next few weeks. Initial work for the sampling and enumeration of Olive Ridleys coming to nest at the beach this year also started. The beach stretch, which is most conducive for nesting, was divided into 100-metre segments with flag marks.

Mr. Mohapatra thanked fishermen of Ganjam coast for protecting these rare turtles during fishing. So far, the mortality rate of Olive Ridleys was the lowest here in comparison to Devi river mouth coast and Gahirmatha. Forest officials recovered only 17 carcasses of Olive Ridleys this year from the Ganjam coast.

Soil erosion

Reports of soil erosion at the new delta formed at the Rushikulya river mouth this year worried the forest officials. The DFO and a team of experts visited the spot of erosion to assess whether it would affect nesting or not.

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