Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary

About Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Turtle (Kachhua) Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Varanasi District of Uttar Pradesh.
• It was touted as the first freshwater turtle wildlife sanctuary in the country.
• The protected area is a 7 km stretch of the Ganga River flowing through Varanasi city from Ramnagar Fort to Malviya Rail/Road Bridge.
• The sanctuary was declared to ensure the survival of turtles released into the Ganga River in Varanasi. 
  • The turtles were released to promote organic removal of half-burnt human corpses, which are dumped into the river after final rites under Hindu tradition. 
  • To get rid of these without hurting the sentiments of the people, the Ganga Action Plan supported the breeding and release of turtles into the river. 
  • The idea behind the action was that this will in turn nurture a good population of the already dwindling population of Indian softshell turtles.
• Turtle hatchlings are reared at the breeding center in Sarnath and subsequently released into the Ganges River once they become mature enough to survive in their natural habitat.
• According to the local officials, about 2,000 turtle eggs are brought to the centre from the Chambal and Yamuna rivers every year. 
• The sanctuary is also home to the Gangetic Dolphin, other species of turtles, and several species of fish, including Rohu, Tengra, and Bhakur.

Q1: What is an Indian softshell turtle?

Indian softshell turtle (Nilssonia gangetica) is one of the largest freshwater turtles that grows upto 940 mm. They breed from April to May and the clutch size is 25-35. The species is widespread in deep rivers, streams and ponds with sand bottoms of northern parts of India. The species is omnivorous and feeds on both invertebrates and small vertebrates like frogs, fishes, birds . It is also observed to feed on dead bodies and religious wastes from temples. It is one of the most exploited species for its flesh and oil.

News: NGT castigates UP officials for mining permissions in turtle sanctuary