Maharashtra: Velas beach filled with trash after Mahad floods

Garbage is being cleared from the Velas beach in Ratnagiri district

Days after floods devastated the Mahad belt of the Konkan region, tonnes of garbage have washed ashore at Velas village, prompting officials to mount efforts to clean the seafront, a turtle-nesting site.

Mohan Upadhye who has been working for turtle conservation at Velas said the amount of trash on the beach this year is much more compared to the last few years.

"Whenever water from the Savitri river floods Mahad city, we find garbage on our beach. As this is an important turtle nesting site, we had a meeting with our gram panchayat and self-help groups. We will clean the beach with the help of the forest department and the private company that has adopted our beach for clean-up as a part of its corporate social responsibility."

Upadhye said that the refuse that is getting deposited on the beach includes cattle carcasses, water tanks, pet bottles, thermocol, and plastic wrappers. He said the amount of garbage left the locals worried and they alerted forest officials about the threat to the turtle nesting site.

Also read: Maharashtra floods: Over 18,700 families affected in Mahad and Poladpur in Raigad

With a coastline of 720 km, many beaches in Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg see turtles laying eggs. Since high tide poses a threat to their nests, villagers from places like Velas help the forest department safely remove the eggs and keep them in artificial pits or hatcheries. Sand is poured into the pits and the area is fenced. When hatchlings come out of the eggs, they are released into the sea and a turtle festival is organised to let nature-loving tourists witness it.

Officials said there are six beaches in Sindhudurg, four in Raigad and 13 in Ratnagiri where turtles lay eggs between November to March. A female turtle gives 100 to 150 eggs at a time and it takes 45 to 55 days for the eggs to hatch.

Clement Ben, the chief conservator of forests, said, "It has been observed that a lot of garbage and waste which had gone into the sea during the flood in Konkan belt near Mahad has washed ashore at Velas. It is an important turtle nesting site and the cleaning of the garbage from the beach has already begun with the help of villagers. The work is expected to be completed in the next 3-4 days."

13 - No. of beaches in Ratnagiri that are turtle nesting sites