After two decades at least 80 baby olive Ridley turtles hatched at Versova beach and successfully made their way to the sea.
Witnesses said around 80 olive Ridley turtles hatchlings emerged from a three-feet-deep pit in Versova beach in the Indian city of Mumbai. The hatchlings were first spotted by Afroz Shah and his team who started the beach clean-up which was termed as the “world’s largest beach clean-up” by the United Nations.
Activists and environmentalists came together to make sure that the little turtles reached the sea safely, from the hatching site. Many believe that the turtles have resurfaced because the beach is now clean after years.
Afroz Shah and other members of Versova Residents Volunteers (VRV) have removed 13 million kilograms of plastic and other garbage from Versova beach which was called the dirtiest beach. They carried 200 beach clean-up operations over the period of 126 weeks and also created awareness amongst local residents and people living in the slums, reported Hindustan Times.
“We believe there are several more nesting sites and we have begun combing operations in these areas to ensure that the turtles don’t face any problems reaching the sea after hatching,” Shah said.
To reach the original article, click here.
