30 March,2018 11:32 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
The state Mangroves Cell will soon set up a temporary rescue centre for marine animals at Versova beach. The move comes after the discovery of hatchlings of olive ridley turtle at the beach last week.
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and chief of Mangroves Cell of the Forest Department N Vasudevan said, "Every year, particularly during the monsoon, we see many cases of injured marine creatures getting washed ashore. To ensure that they are rescued safely and get medical treatment on time, we are going to set up a makeshift rescue centre at Versova beach before rains start."
During the monsoon, instances of turtles, dolphins, and other aquatic animals getting washed on the west coast, right from Colaba to Palghar, increase, mainly due to propeller hits or getting entangled in fishing nets.
Every time an injured creature is found, it needs to be rushed to the rescue centre at the Wildlife Conservation & Animal Welfare Association in Dahanu. Wildlife lover and volunteer for Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Ankit Vyas, welcomed the plan. "Having a dedicated marine rescue centre is the need of the hour, because every monsoon, we come across a huge number of cases of injured marine animals. Having such a centre will ensure that they get the right treatment on time," he said.
According to officials from the state Mangroves Cell, a total of 77 carcasses of marine creatures had washed ashore on city's coast between 2015 and 2017. On the west coast between Mumbai and Dahanu, around 25 marine creatures were found in 2017 alone.
77
Marine creatures found dead on city coast in 2015-17
25
Aquatic animals found dead on the west coast in 2017
Also Read: Olive Ridley turtles adopt Versova beach as nursery for first time in 20 years
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