Forthesakeofseaturtles, don’t dumpalcoholbottles onbeaches

STUDY OF 3 BEACHES Glass, plastic account for bulk of waste at nesting sites; state says spreading awareness

MUMBAI: Glass, primarily from bottles of alcohol and expired medicines, accounts for the bulk of the total waste littered across three major beaches in Maharashtra, found a waste-profiling study that examined government data collected between 2015 and 2017. The three beaches — Velas, Anjarle and Kelsi — are important nesting sites for Olive Ridley sea turtles.

Published in the International Journal of Sustainability Management and Information Technologies earlier this week, the study was conducted by Mumbaibased environment research agency Terranero Environment Solutions with Vivekananda Education Society Institute of Management Studies under an Indo-german biodiversity programme. Local residents and other stakeholders — including Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra, an organisation working for turtle conservation — also helped with the study, which profiled waste across three beaches in Ratnagiri district. Velas beach in Mandangad taluka is famous for its annual turtle festival while Anjarle and Kelshi beaches in Dapoli taluka are also turtle nesting sites.

According to the Maharashtra forest department, an average of 20-25 kg waste is littered daily across these three beaches. Of this, the study found 80% of the waste on Velas was glass comprising alcohol bottles, plastic (14%) rubber (3%), medical waste (2%), and flowers or religious waste (1%). Plastic was banned by Velas’s panchayat in 2017. Similarly, waste on Kelshi and Anjarle was made up of 60% and 67% glass respectively, while plastic accounted for 10% and 17% respectively.

“Glass being highest by weight and single-use plastic highest by

Number of nests at Mandangad (Velas)

Hatchling success in % volume are major threats to the three beaches as turtles may get injured by glass or trapped in plastic,” said Dr Deepti Sharma, lead author, founder and director, Terranero.

The forest department said the amount of waste at these beaches has increased because of tourism. “We don’t have the manpower to tackle these issues but regular awareness activities for local residents

Number of nests at Dapoli (7 beaches including Guhagar Kolthare, Velas, Anjarle, Kelshi etc.) are underway to protect turtles,” said Vaibhav Borate, range forest officer, Dapoli.

However, Sharma pointed to the lack of proper waste dumping sites in the area. With a little more than 5,000 locals living near the three beaches, an average of 0.7 kg waste is generated daily per household, which is almost twice the national average (0.48 kg/ day) for rural households, the

Glass (alcohol bottles and expired medicinal bottles etc.) Medical waste Religious waste

In 2018-19, there were

in Ratnagiri district with of which

Maximum nesting was across Guhagar, Kolthare, Velas and lowest across Anjarle and Kelshi

This year between November and January, Velas has witnessed 3 nests with 350 eggs while Kelshi recorded 250 eggs in one nest during the last week of November study found.

The nesting months for Olive Ridley sea turtles are usually between November to March. The turtles lay eggs on these beaches and only females return to the original breeding sites within approximately two years. In 2018-19, 144 nests with 12,900 eggs were recorded in Ratnagiri district. Of these, 7,230 survived. Owing to extreme weather

Rubber

Plastic

Source: Community Driven Beach Management Practices: Case Study of Velas, Kelshi, Anjarla Villages published in the India International Journal of Sustainability Management and Information Technologies

On Thursday, Anjarle recorded its first nest for this season with 137 eggs

Owing to extreme weather events in 2019, nesting has been delayed.

Source: Maharashtra Forest Department, Mangrove Foundation

events in 2019, nesting has been delayed, said Mohan Upadhyay, livelihood assistant, Mangrove Foundation under the state mangrove cell.

Between December 2019 and January 2020, Velas recorded three nests with 350 eggs. On Thursday, Anjarle recorded its first nest with 137 eggs. Kelshi also recorded a nest in end-november with 250 eggs.