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Sea erosion poses threat to Olive Ridleys

Photo: Lingaraj Panda

Rabindranath Sahu of RSTPC with his volunteers going for a routine check of the condition of the beach near Rushikulya Turtle Rookery at Kantiagarh in Ganjam district on Friday. --

BERHAMPUR: The members of Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee (RSTPC) are working hard on seemingly impossible mission to save the beach near Rushikulya rookery from erosive action of the sea waves.

The 15-km shore line from Prayagi to Purunabandh near the Rushikulya river mouth in Ganjam district is one of the preferred locations for nesting of Olive Ridley turtles. This year it was the only beach on the Orissa coast where the Olive Ridleys had been nesting. In 2006 these turtles mass nested twice at this coast. But the whole beach is under severe threat of erosion due to sea waves.

It has become a thing of worry for the RSTPC members. Protection of rare sea turtles has become a passion for around 300 members of RSTPC from Purunabandha, Gokharkuda and Kantiagada, three coastal villages near the rookery. The turtle protection movement was started in the area in 1994 with just four youths, said Rabindranath Sahu, the secretary of the organisation. The efforts of the youths involved in turtle protection drew the attention of environmentalist Dipak Apte of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the V.J. Seth Memorial Sea Turtle Interpretation Centre was established at Purunabandha with the help of RSTPC.

Due to the efforts of the members of the RSTPC, the fishermen of this area became aware marine turtle protection and were involved in the protection of the nesting sites of Olive Ridlyes near Rushikulya rookery.

They now recognise Olive Ridley turtles. Any Olive Ridley caught in net is released into sea immediately. With the help of RSTPC members they have also rescued other injured endangered sea turtles like green turtles from the sea near the coast.

But the RSTPC members are now a worried lot as sea is eating away the coast where the Olive Ridleys nest. “We know we are too powerless against the nature yet we cannot sit silent so we go to the coast every day to survey the damages by sea waves and try to restore small portions of the eroded beach by our small efforts,” said Rabindranath.

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