Special Correspondent
Digipur, Feb 23: The Turtle nesting site of Kalipur beach area may face serious threats from the ongoing extension works of Indian Navy’s Shibpur Airport, many believe.
According to reports, as per the earlier plan the Indian Navy had plans to extend the Shibpur Airport runway in the direction of South, towards the sea and north, towards the jungle but for reasons unknown the runway extension works have also started width wise. The Shibpur Airport is situated very close to the Kalipur beach, which is a world famous turtle nesting site.
The initial extension plans, posed zero risk for the turtle nesting as the tailwardly extension of the airport was towards a rocky area, where hardly any turtle goes for nesting. Moreover the area was more or less 800 mtrs away from actual turtle nesting area.
“But it is believed that the extension of work width wise will clearly mean that the boundary of the airstrip will reach upto the turtle nesting site, hence it is bound to cause problems for turtle nesting,” a prominent villager of Digpur told Andaman Sheekha who do not want his name to be quoted.
According to information available here the width wise extension work was started following some requirements, which was created locally.
“Generally it is believed that extra light and sound causes problems for turtle nesting and sound from the airport after extension may cause disturbance to turtles,” Mr. C M Mallick the DFO (Wildlife) of Mayabunder region told Andaman Sheekha today.
When asked whether the Forest Department will raise objections over the extension of Shibpur airport to preserve the turtle nesting site, the DFO said that though turtle nesting in Kalipur beach is his subject but territorial jurisdiction of the area is with DFO Diglipur. “Hence it will be inappropriate for me to reply to this question,” he added.
But the district Administration feels that the extension work won’t affect Turtle nesting in the area.
“Yes, the Airstrip is being extended and lands are being acquired for this purpose but I doubt that this extension will cause any kind of disturbance to turtle nesting,” Sanjay Kumar, the Assistant Commissioner of Diglipur told Andaman Sheekha over phone.
Located half -an-hour ahead of Diglipur, the marvellous Kalipur beach, is an ideal Turtle Nesting Ground and it is believed that this is the only beach in the world, where four species of Sea Turtles, Olive Ridley, Leather Back, Hawks Bill and Green Turtles call their home.
Sadly, before starting the work, no detailed research has been carried out yet to find out impact of the Shibpur Airport extension work on turtle nesting.
From security point of view the airport is very important for India and extension of the airstrip will be a blessing for our Defence Forces and also civil Administration but for this risking a world famous turtle nesting site won’t be a wise move.
Some local residents of the area also raising questions over the extension works of Shibpur Airport, but they may have their own business and vested interest behind this and to clear all doubts for once and for all, the Defence Forces and the Administration must conduct a detailed study on the impact of such extension works, which will reach very close to the turtle nesting site of Kalipur.
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