Plans to save Olive Ridley sea turtles pick up speed

The decision to constitute the committee was taken at a high-level meeting here attended by DGP Dr Bana Behari Panda, principal chief conservator of forests Saroj Patnaik, Olive Ridley turtle expert Professor Priyambada Hejmadi, forest secretary Srinivas Rath, Rajnagar MLA Nalini Mohanty, fisheries director J N Panda and director of the Nandankananzoological park Bairagi Charan Prusty.

Gahiramatha was a fast deteriorating beach as far as the Olive Ridley turtles were concerned, the Chief Minister said, and underlined the need for stringent measures to protect the species from extinction. The state will soon have a research and observation centre to study all kinds of sea turtles on the Orissa coast, the Chief Minister added. He said large-scale plantations will be taken up in other rookeries along the coast.