Tata can save the turtles

It’s hard to say when the story began, but it was certainly long before any one around today was even born… sea turtles have been nesting at Gahirmatha on the Orissa coast for hundreds, possibly thousands of years. But if we don’t act now, we could see this change within a decade – an eye blink in geological timescales. The Dhamra port near Gahirmatha will push the endangered olive ridley sea turtle closer to the slippery edge of extinction.

A few years ago (2004 to be precise), TATA, together with L&T, decided this part of the coast could not be left in its pristine state but would be ‘benefited’ by building one of India’s largest ports at Dhamra. This is less than 15 km. from the turtle mass nesting beaches at Gahirmatha, and just five kilometres from the Bhitarkanika National Park, India’s second largest mangrove forest and home to the saltwater crocodile, aside from other lesser known natural wonders.

Not surprisingly, the plan immediately met with considerable protest from conservation circles. Added to this were the social dimensions. Concerned about the impacts from this project on the local environment and therefore their livelihoods, the Orissa Traditional Fishworker’s Union, who represent the concerns and interests of over 100,000 fishermen, vocally and publicly opposed the construction of the port.

None of this made a difference to TATA however, and in 2007, construction at the port site commenced. Perhaps coincidentally, the 2007-2008 turtle season saw no mass nesting at Gahirmatha.

The simple demand all along has been that the port project be shelved, at the very least until a comprehensive assessment has been conducted to assess the port’s impacts on the ecology of this fragile area. This is needed as the only ‘assessment’ done for the project is over 10 years old, replete with errors and omissions and has no scientific credibility. The project has also invited heavy criticism from over 200 national and international scientists, including over 30 experts of the IUCN’s marine turtle specialist group.

TATAs had all along pledged to shelve the project if presented with scientific proof of the ecological importance of the area. In 2007, a study commissioned by Greenpeace and conducted by well known herpetologist Dr. S.K. Dutta discovered species on the port site itself which had never before been recorded in Orissa or even from mainland India, highlighting the ecological significance of this region beyond just turtles. The study also threw up over 2,000 turtle carcasses in the port area.

In September 2008, after heightened protests and nearly 100,000 dedicated Greenpeace cyberactivists calling on TATA to relocate the port, TATA agreed to a dialogue with those opposing the Dhamra port. In the ensuing negotiations, TATA agreed ‘in principle’ to an independent assessment, yet it continues to build the port, and with every passing day, the turtles’ future looks dimmer…  That’s why Greenpeace and other groups are calling on TATA to immediately halt construction and commission an independent assessment.

It makes no sense to continue construction while conducting an assessment; not only does this prejudge the results of any assessment, it would also interfere with the science of the study itself. It follows that TATA and L&T have to suspend construction pending the results of the impact assessment, something they have so far been loath to do.

The next few months will show whether the concept of environmental responsibility is something the house of TATA takes seriously, or if they are determined to go ahead with the Dhamra port irrespective of its future impacts. Stay tuned to this space for updates and to do your bit to save the turtles of Orissa.