The return of endangered turtles in the Ganga

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16 hours ago

The red-crowned roofed turtle or batagur kachuga, which was almost on the verge of extinction in the Ganga river, has made a comeback after 30 years.
In April, 20 turtles were translocated from the Garheta Turtle Conservation Centre – located within and under the supervision of the National Chambal Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh – and released at the Haiderpur wetland, a Ramsar site located in the state, part of river Ganga.
In collaboration with Namami Gange – the Ganga conservation mission by the Indian government, the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, and the India Turtle Conservation Program, the critically endangered red-crowned turtles have been released and these turtles have been tagged with sonic devices to monitor their safety and migration.
Rehabilitation
Red-crowned roofed turtles were once found in the Ganges river and its tributaries. But in the past 30 years, their numbers have decreased due to excessive hunting, illegal trade, loss of habitat and change in the flow of the river.
The turtle is endemic to India, Bangladesh and Nepal. It is also found in the Brahmaputra river region. Now, the only place in the country where a good number of these turtles are left is the National Chambal Sanctuary. And now, this area which is its natural home, is also in danger. It is estimated that less than 500 female turtles are left here.
In May 2021, a resident of Duhri, a village in UP's Hapur district spotted a large turtle. When experts examined it, they found that it was the same Batagur kachuga which had not been seen in the Ganga river for 30 years.
Then, in March 2023, two nests were found in another village nearby, where 21 babies were born and released into the river after rearing. This was a clear indication that some turtles are still alive in the Ganges.
For the rehabilitation process, the turtles were divided into two groups – one group was released above a barrage at the Haiderpur wetland, while the other group was released into the mainstream of the Ganga river. The aim was to determine which method is the most effective for the rehabilitation of turtles.
There are 12 species of turtles found in Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary, of which four are part of conservation efforts. 'Our effort is to conserve flagship species in the Ganga such as gharials, dolphins and turtles,' Rajesh Kumar, former Divisional Forest Officer of Meerut Forest Division, told Mongabay India.
'Twenty red-crowned roofed turtles were brought from Chambal and divided into two groups. Out of this, five males and five females were released in the Haiderpur Barrage and the same number of pairs were released in the (mainstream) Ganga river,' he added.
Telemetry study
'This study is the first telemetry-based monitoring effort of these turtles in the Ganga river,' said Pawan Shantiprakash Pareek, a researcher with the Turtle Survival Alliance Foundation India, who is coordinating the project and monitoring the movement of turtles.
Explaining the technology to Mongabay India, he said, 'The transmitter fitted on each turtle gives information to the scientists about which direction the turtle is moving in, which place it is adopting to and how it is behaving. From this data, it will be analysed how this species is adapting itself to the circumstances after entering the Ganga and what threats it is facing.'
The turtles that were released were carefully selected based on health, sex and body parameters. Scientific procedures such as rehydration, stress reduction, and transporting during the night to avoid heat, were followed during the translocation.
Elaborating on the precautions taken in attaching the transmitter, Pareek said, 'It has plates made of keratin on its back, which are similar in structure to human nails, making it easier to attach the tag. Our team, very carefully, glued these transmitters in a way that the turtle does not suffer any injury or discomfort. We ensured that the device is well attached and the chances of any kind of harm are minimal.'
The acoustic tags used in this study were attached externally to the back (dorsal carapace) of these turtles which essentially are hard-shelled freshwater turtles. He explained, 'Conservation work on three turtle species in the Ganga has been going on with the World Wide Fund for Nature-India since 2010. Earlier, we used to do soft release – turtles were released into the water from time to time.'
He added, 'Apart from Meerut, a hatchery has also been built in Bulandshahr for three species of turtles. However, this time, the Batagur (kachuga) turtle will be monitored with the help of technology, which will help in conservation.'
Real-time monitoring
All turtles have been fitted with a transmitter that emits signals at a specific frequency. This has made it possible to identify each turtle individually and track its activities.
'This system allows us to continuously monitor each turtle's movement, habitat choice and behavioural patterns,' explains Pareek. 'This process will help understand how the turtles are responding after their reintroduction, adapting to the new environment, and dealing with ecological challenges. Future conservation and management strategies will be formulated based on these data,' he added.
A special team is monitoring these turtles daily to understand how many turtles are alive and how they are spreading in the new environment. This monitoring focuses particularly on the turtles' habitat preferences, their movement patterns, and potential threats that may affect their survival and movement. 'This information will help us plan for the future and understand what is working and what is not while rehabilitating these turtles,' says Pareek.
Today, human activities as well as climate change are emerging as the biggest threats to these turtles. Pareek elaborates, 'In all turtles, the sex is determined by the temperature of the eggs. If the temperature is high, then more of the same sex, ie, females will be born. This can disturb the balance of the entire population.' Additionally, changes such as unseasonal rains and sudden water releases can destroy nests and disrupt the breeding cycle.
Public participation
Sadhus and saints living on the banks of the Ganga have also been included in conservation efforts. 'People listen to these sadhus. If they say that the turtles are sacred, people will stop fishing and hunting. Currently, more than 20 sadhus are helping in this work. Illegal activities have reduced considerably in the areas around their ashram,' says Pareek.
Kumar says, 'There is a lot of awareness among the local people about these aquatic creatures. Our efforts with WWF-India involve creating awareness among farmers to save turtle eggs in the fields. Farmers are so aware that they have started protecting turtle nests. Sadhus, saints and school children are also cooperating in this effort.'
'AI cameras and drones are also used for monitoring, but sonar technology is very effective for underwater creatures. These were also used in the dolphin surveys,' Kumar said.
Raman Kant Tyagi, a river expert and the director of Neer Foundation that works on grassroots level activities for environmental awareness, told Mongabay India, 'The return of the red-crowned roofed turtle to the Ganga after 30 years is not just a biological event, but it is a sign of the success of river conservation efforts. The health of any river can be judged by the aquatic life living in it.'
He added, 'Thanks to government efforts like Namami Gange, crocodiles and turtles are being released. Sewage Treatment Plants are being built, biodiversity parks and awareness campaigns are also being initiated. However, the impact of these efforts on the ground is limited because there is a lack of proper engagement with society. There is a need to encourage the participation of saints and students.'
He elaborated and said, 'Organisations such as the Bhartiya Nadi Parishad are acting as a bridge between society and the government. In the future, obstacles like corruption, bureaucracy and lack of public participation will have to be overcome to make river rejuvenation successful at the grassroots level.'
Commenting on the quality of the water in Ganga, Kumar said that since Meerut is a rural area, there is less pollution in the river here. 'Cities like Banaras have the problem of sewage but here, the water of Kali river, a tributary of Ganga, is received indirectly. This area is protected, so sewage is not received directly.'
He added, 'Two sewage treatment plants of 220 megalitres per day and 65 MLD are proposed in the city, due to which, in the near future, the drain water will reach the Ganga river only after being cleaned.'