Holding out the olive branch
The Save Coast Movement (SCM) of
Orissa scored a major victory in its
campaign to protect the habitat of
the olive ridley turtles. The Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), bowing to pressure
from the movement's leaders agreed
to adopt measures to protect the
endangered turtle.
The DRDO is setting up a missile
testing range on the Wheeler group
of islands in the state, near the
world's biggest rookery of olive ridleys on the Gahirmatha beach, close
to the Bhitar Kanika sanctuary. The
SCM's reaction to this was quick as it
drew A p J Kalam's (scientific advisor to the Union ministry of
defence} attention to the possible
threat to the turtle. Following the
negotiations which took place between the DRDO dircetor and the
SCM,the former agreed to refrain
from carrying out tests between
November and April, the nesting
season for the turtles. The SCM has
also demanded that Gahirmatha be
declared a marine sanctuary.
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