Varanasi: Turtle Breeding Center after rehabilitation, a part of Kashi Wildlife DivisionFunds have not yet been received from the government to feed the turtles. Due to delay in release of funds, forest dwellers had to arrange for borrowed resources to feed these aquatic creatures, which play a vital role in this. Ganges Cleaning.
According to forest officials, such a situation arose due to confusion after the government ordered to shift the tortoise sanctuary from Varanasi, as it was not clear at that time whether the tortoise breeding center would be shifted along with the sanctuary.
However, forest officials claimed that the confusion has been cleared and the Turtle Breeding Center will get the funds soon. “We sent a proposal last year, which was approved. The release of funds got delayed due to some reasons like assembly elections. We are hopeful that the funds for the tortoise breeding center will be released this month. Kumar Singh told TOI on Tuesday.
He admitted that there was confusion whether the tortoise breeding center along with the sanctuary would also be relocated or would remain at its original place at Sarnath, on the outskirts of Varanasi city. He said that it has been clarified that the tortoise breeding center will remain at Sarnath and the mature tortoises will be released in the rehabilitated sanctuary. “At present, there are 887 turtles, of which around 250 are adults, ready to be released in the Ganga sanctuary area,” he said.
The turtle eggs were obtained from the Chambal River for hatching at the Sarnath Breeding Center and after becoming adults were released to the sanctuary area in the Ganges. according to the records of Kashi Wildlife DivisionSo far more than 42,000 turtles have been reared and released into the Ganges at the Sarnath Breeding Center in Sarnath. By 1993, when the first phase of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) was completed, 28,920 turtles had been dumped in the Ganges. With the termination of GAP-I, the tortoise breeding project was also stopped in 1993. Later, the Forest Department revived the program in 2005.
According to forest officials, such a situation arose due to confusion after the government ordered to shift the tortoise sanctuary from Varanasi, as it was not clear at that time whether the tortoise breeding center would be shifted along with the sanctuary.
However, forest officials claimed that the confusion has been cleared and the Turtle Breeding Center will get the funds soon. “We sent a proposal last year, which was approved. The release of funds got delayed due to some reasons like assembly elections. We are hopeful that the funds for the tortoise breeding center will be released this month. Kumar Singh told TOI on Tuesday.
He admitted that there was confusion whether the tortoise breeding center along with the sanctuary would also be relocated or would remain at its original place at Sarnath, on the outskirts of Varanasi city. He said that it has been clarified that the tortoise breeding center will remain at Sarnath and the mature tortoises will be released in the rehabilitated sanctuary. “At present, there are 887 turtles, of which around 250 are adults, ready to be released in the Ganga sanctuary area,” he said.
The turtle eggs were obtained from the Chambal River for hatching at the Sarnath Breeding Center and after becoming adults were released to the sanctuary area in the Ganges. according to the records of Kashi Wildlife DivisionSo far more than 42,000 turtles have been reared and released into the Ganges at the Sarnath Breeding Center in Sarnath. By 1993, when the first phase of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) was completed, 28,920 turtles had been dumped in the Ganges. With the termination of GAP-I, the tortoise breeding project was also stopped in 1993. Later, the Forest Department revived the program in 2005.