CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -Q. Which state is to set up a turtle conservation and rehabilitation centre? Notes: The Tamil Nadu government will set up a ₹6.30 crore turtle conservation and rehabilitation centre in Chennai. The centre will be set up at the Guindy Park with facilities including turtle pool, shed.

Detailed explanation-2: -UPSC Mains Notes: India’s first rehabilitation centre for freshwater turtles will be inaugurated in the Bhagalpur forest division of Bihar. The centre, which is to be open soon can accommodate 500 turtles at a time.

Detailed explanation-3: -Turtle Rehab Centre in Bihar-First of its kind.

Detailed explanation-4: -The project involves the set-up of makeshift hatcheries along nesting sites of the Chambal River, where staff search for vulnerable turtle nests, translocating them to a riverside hatchery. The hatchery is manned round the clock for the entire duration of nesting and incubation.

Detailed explanation-5: -In India, sea turtles are protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, under the Schedule I Part II. Despite this legal protection they face grave threats. Bycatch is one such example, which is the name given to ocean animals that are unintentionally caught by fishing gear.