Visakhapatnam: Turtle hatching increases despite cyclone Hudhud's badgering

The nesting and breeding of turtles has been an unprecedented success this year with nearly 93 per cent of the eggs hatching successfully, even after cyclone Hudhud hit Visakhapatnam last year.

Surprisingly, the cyclone proved to be a blessing for the endangered Olive Ridley turtles, as certain fallouts of the cyclone went in favour of the nesting, egg laying and hatching of turtles.

Moreover, the beaches were restored with fresh golden sand and proved to be an ideal nesting site for the turtles as all the old toxic sand was blown away.

A campaign led by local conservation communities has ensured secure hatching sites and identified 294 nesting sites this year. Every day on an average 200-300 hatchlings are released in the sea.

"Till now 38,000 eggs have been collected as compared to last year when 36,000 eggs were there," said Narayan Rao, in-charge of conservation campaign.

Environmentalists say efforts should be made to cleanse the coast to protect the species.

"The coastal development problem has to be addressed by having a more comprehensive and integrated plan for the coast which also involves the environment as well as the local attributes. Incidental mortality problem which is the turtles dying in fishing nets, one needs to have a better zoning of fisheries," said a scientist at Centre For Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute Of Science(IISC), Kartik Shaker.

Cyclone Hudhud slammed into the coast of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha in October last year, tearing down tens of thousands of mud-and-thatch homes, and flattening rice, banana and sugarcane plantations.