seaturtle.org : MTN : ARCHIVES : Sign In

Marine Turtle Newsletter 67:1, © 1994

Latest Word on the Talachua Jetty, Orissa, India

P. Mohanty-Hejmadi
P. O. Box 86, Bhubaneswar G.P.O. 751001 India

Although the first construction of the Talachua jetty collapsed, the Government of Orissa has now completed the jetty [see MTN 63 Supplement for background on this urgent issue]. The road over "Khola" inside the Bhitarkanika Sanctuary is complete, one more road is yet to be completed. In the Public Interest Case brought by the Centre for Environmental Law/WWF-India against the Government of Orissa [see MTN 66:26], the Orissa High Court has given a full stay on the operation of the jetty and the use of the roads inside the sanctuary until 31 October 1994. In addition, the Court has requested an environmental assessment report from an expert committee chosen by the Government of Orissa. The 11-member Environmental Impact Committee has representatives from the Government of Orissa, Government of India and others. No turtle biologists were invited to participate, despite the fact that the effect of the project on the world's largest population of sea turtles will constitute an important aspect of the report. The report is to be filed with the High Court by 31 October for further hearing on the case.

In the meantime, the Government of Orissa is bringing a bill before the State Assembly to remove sections of the Bhitarkanika Sanctuary from protected area status. This will effectively allow the operation of the jetty without permission from the Government of India. The Committee has called for public opinion on the beneficial vs. adverse effects of the jetty on the sanctuary and the sea turtles that nest there. We expect the mobilisation of a large number of letters in favour of operations associated with the new jetty. However, we have filed strong objections. Please write to: Registrar, Orissa High Court (Cuttack, Orissa, India; Fax: 91- 674-400100) citing the Public Interest Case of WWF(India) vs. Government of Orissa on Bhitarkanika Sanctuary. Help us! We expect the next hearing some time in November.

Editor's Note: It is impossible to express the gravity of this situation. At Talachua, some 10 km from the Bhitarkanika Sanctuary and the world's most important sea turtle nesting area (a half-million olive ridleys nested in a single week in March 1991), the Government of Orissa plans a major fishing port for shrimp trawlers (these trawlers drown turtles, 1000 washed ashore in 1991), a processing plant, shrimp farming facilities, ice factories, bridges, and roads slicing through the largest mangrove forest in India. We applaud WWF-India, we pray for good news.