Baby Olive Ridley turtles make their way back to the sea from Vizag coast

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Andhra Pradesh forest department is busy making arrangements to release Olive Ridley hatchlings into the Bay of Bengal this summer. The turtles lay eggs along the Andhra Pradesh coast in December and after. Conservatories like the forest department collect the eggs, store them in a protected location for artificial hatching and release the baby turtles after a gap of 40–45 days. The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is providing financial support for the exercise. The process of releasing Olive Ridley hatchlings started in the third week of March and will continue till May, said Ch Ranga Rao, assistant manager, corporate social responsibility (CSR) of NTPC-Simhadri. Nearly 300 hatchlings have crawled back to their natural habitat from Mutyalammapalem beach in Parwada. “We have tied up with the forest department to conserve endangered sea turtles along north-coastal Andhra with Rs 14 lakh in 2021,” Ranga Rao told TOI. Hatcheries have been developed on the Visakhapatnam coast to protect the nestlings from predators and anthropogenic interference. Community participation has played a key role in ensuring security from external threats. Interventions of NTPC-Simhadri support the forest department in aligning resources for the purpose. The project is aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) goal number 14 that advocates conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources and the aquatic system, said an NTPC official. According to assistant manager, CSR, NTPC has been involved with the forest department for the ‘Conservation of Olive Ridley Sea Turtle’ since 2015 as part of its sustainable development initiatives.