Rare species of Olive Ridley turtles in danger
The fisherman community and the local people of Ganjam town located near the Rushikulya River mouth connecting the sea, for their astonishment, found a layer of diesel along the sea beach only on the morning of April 13.
BY APRIL 13 morning, oil spill had already created panic as local fisherman found dead fishes and oil floating in the sea water. The oil had already created a layer along the beach starting from Arjeepali located near the port to the sea beach near Rushikulya River mouth-famous site for rare olive Ridley turtles mass nesting located at a distance of around 10 KM of the Gopalpur port which is yet to get the environmental clearance.
The fisherman community and the local people of Ganjam town located near the Rushikulya River mouth connecting the sea, for their astonishment, found a layer of diesel along the sea beach only on the morning of April 13. However, people came to know that such an alarming situation owing to a controversial accident in the Gopalpur port that is yet to be ascertained weather it was actually an accident or a man-made.
Fact is that more than 7,000 liters of diesel had been immersed into the sea water from the Essar-owned vessel MV Malavika, with 32,000 tones of non-cook coal from Indonesia, on April 12 in the evening.
However, the officials including Forest, Environmental Pollution Control Board, Gopalpur Port and marine experts had conveyed a positive message that the situation was within control and there was no reason to be panic as it would not affect the lives of olive ridley turtles and hatchlings.
But, the carcasses and dead olive ridley turtles found after three days of oil spill, along the beach near Rushikulya River mouth, proved the tall talks of experts of and officials wrong.
Oil spill from an Indonesian ship and that too at the Gopalpur port located within the eco-critical areas of Orissa coast, has not only triggered panic among the local people and fishermen community but it has also wakening the environmental conscious people including of the Green Peace and the protection committee that has been working for safeguarding rare species of Olive Ridley Turtles as the contamination of sea water threatening lakhs of these rare creatures and more than 1.5 crore hatchlings that are yet to start their seaward journey from the sea beach near Rushikulya River mouth; one of the three suitable locations attracting lakhs of turtles for nesting and laying of eggs.
Rabindra Sahu of the Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee has expressed concerns that the oil spill is endangering the lives of lakhs of turtles in the sea and around 1.5 crore Olive Ridley hatchlings that are expected to start their sea ward journey in first week of May. Since 1994, no Olive Ridley turtle had been found along the beach in the month of April, stated Rabindra lamenting that turtles found dead owing to oil spill, despite that the officials including forest department and pollution control board were denying it. Moreover, the Gopalpur port people are burying the dead turtles in order to hide the fact and not to attract the attention of the media, alleged Rabindra.
Notably, the rare species of turtles had preferred this river mouth along the beach instead of the famous site; Gahirmatha due to the tidal wave, beach erosion and activities by the defense establishment at the ‘wheeler island’. Since 1994, the rare species of turtles had been sighted nesting here at the sea and laying lakhs of eggs during favourable weather conditions and suitable place along the beach near Rushikulya River mouth in Ganjam.
Ganjam chairman Suratha Pahan also opined in the same line and stated that the oil spill also jeopardising the livelihood of thousands of fishermen living along the coast as they have been asked not to venture for fishing. Moreover, marine creatures’ lives as well as the salt production would affect adversely owing to contamination of sea water that might poison the salt banks located along the coast in Ganjam.
Ashish Fernandez of the Green Peace informed that there are over ten (10) such ports now proposed in Orissa coast and many of them are in eco-critical areas. There are three suitable places; Gahirmatha, Devi and Rushikulya in Orissa coast that have been the favourite nesting place for the Olive Ridley turtles. “However, we are playing with fire by permitting ports in such eco-critical areas,” stated Ashish pointing out the case of Dhamra port near Gahirmatha. Permitting ports at such areas imply the gradual disappearance of these amazing creatures form Orissa coast, added Ashish.
“There should not be any such port within eco-critical areas,” stated Ashish while referring to the 2002 report of the United Nations Development Project submitted to the Government of India which prohibits establishment of ports within 25 KM of Olive Ridley mass nesting fields along the sea beach.
Fact is that more than 7,000 liters of diesel had been immersed into the sea water from the Essar-owned vessel MV Malavika, with 32,000 tones of non-cook coal from Indonesia, on April 12 in the evening.
However, the officials including Forest, Environmental Pollution Control Board, Gopalpur Port and marine experts had conveyed a positive message that the situation was within control and there was no reason to be panic as it would not affect the lives of olive ridley turtles and hatchlings.
But, the carcasses and dead olive ridley turtles found after three days of oil spill, along the beach near Rushikulya River mouth, proved the tall talks of experts of and officials wrong.
Oil spill from an Indonesian ship and that too at the Gopalpur port located within the eco-critical areas of Orissa coast, has not only triggered panic among the local people and fishermen community but it has also wakening the environmental conscious people including of the Green Peace and the protection committee that has been working for safeguarding rare species of Olive Ridley Turtles as the contamination of sea water threatening lakhs of these rare creatures and more than 1.5 crore hatchlings that are yet to start their seaward journey from the sea beach near Rushikulya River mouth; one of the three suitable locations attracting lakhs of turtles for nesting and laying of eggs.
Rabindra Sahu of the Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee has expressed concerns that the oil spill is endangering the lives of lakhs of turtles in the sea and around 1.5 crore Olive Ridley hatchlings that are expected to start their sea ward journey in first week of May. Since 1994, no Olive Ridley turtle had been found along the beach in the month of April, stated Rabindra lamenting that turtles found dead owing to oil spill, despite that the officials including forest department and pollution control board were denying it. Moreover, the Gopalpur port people are burying the dead turtles in order to hide the fact and not to attract the attention of the media, alleged Rabindra.
Notably, the rare species of turtles had preferred this river mouth along the beach instead of the famous site; Gahirmatha due to the tidal wave, beach erosion and activities by the defense establishment at the ‘wheeler island’. Since 1994, the rare species of turtles had been sighted nesting here at the sea and laying lakhs of eggs during favourable weather conditions and suitable place along the beach near Rushikulya River mouth in Ganjam.
Ganjam chairman Suratha Pahan also opined in the same line and stated that the oil spill also jeopardising the livelihood of thousands of fishermen living along the coast as they have been asked not to venture for fishing. Moreover, marine creatures’ lives as well as the salt production would affect adversely owing to contamination of sea water that might poison the salt banks located along the coast in Ganjam.
Ashish Fernandez of the Green Peace informed that there are over ten (10) such ports now proposed in Orissa coast and many of them are in eco-critical areas. There are three suitable places; Gahirmatha, Devi and Rushikulya in Orissa coast that have been the favourite nesting place for the Olive Ridley turtles. “However, we are playing with fire by permitting ports in such eco-critical areas,” stated Ashish pointing out the case of Dhamra port near Gahirmatha. Permitting ports at such areas imply the gradual disappearance of these amazing creatures form Orissa coast, added Ashish.
“There should not be any such port within eco-critical areas,” stated Ashish while referring to the 2002 report of the United Nations Development Project submitted to the Government of India which prohibits establishment of ports within 25 KM of Olive Ridley mass nesting fields along the sea beach.
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