Somewhere in Vizag....

In yet another affirmation that Vizag’s beaches are turning into graveyards for endangered Olive Ridley turtles, 20 mature turtles were found dead on Appikonda beach on the Port City’s outskirts by local fishermen. This is one of the highest death toll of Olive Ridleys in a single day in Vizag district after a span of four years. It was in February 2008 that nearly 700 Olive Ridleys, listed under Schedule 1 of the Endangered Species Act, turned up dead on the beaches of Appikonda, Tantadi, Mutyallammapalem and Tikkavanipalem.
Environmentalists opine, untreated effluents being pumped into the Bay of Bengal by pharma units are the primary reason for the mass slaughter.
“Untreated effluents contain toxic material and toxicity depletes oxygen levels in the water, resulting in marine species perishing,” said Professor Bharata Lakshmi from the department of Zoology, Andhra University. According to Professor J Chakravarthi, department of marine living resources, Andhra University, Olive Ridleys being amphibious do not depend on dissolved oxygen in the water but could have died due to the consumption of algae, sea grass and medusa contaminated with long-term pollution.
According to Bharata Lakshmi, after the 2008 incident, environmentalists had raised a hue and cry over the issue and AP Pollution Control Board also promised to take some measures but the deaths after a lull of four years suggest that rising toxic levels and that pollutants are again being pumped untreated. The beaches along the coast are used by Olive Ridleys, who migrate from the coast of Mexico for breeding and nesting each year during this time.