The Forest Department in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district in collaboration with the Turtle Survival Alliance Foundation India, has initiated a conservation effort which aims to establish a turtle conservation reserve and to safeguard the entire biodiversity along the Sarju River, a tributary of the Ghaghra river.

A proposal of the project drawing from six years of monitoring various turtle species, studying the surrounding flora and fauna and encompassing a 2-km stretch of the Sarju River, teeming with a diverse array of plant species, avifauna, fishes, and water snakes, has been forwarded to the state government for approval. Upon approval, a management plan spanning an initial period of 10 years will be devised. It encompasses the protection of over 30 fish species, 50 bird species, various plants, and two species of water snakes. Attention will be given to curbing pollution and enhancing water quality in the river.

Mr. Shailendra Singh, the Director of the Turtle Survival Alliance Foundation India, highlighted that Sarju is home to nine turtle species, with eight of them listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act. The presence of the ‘crowned river turtle’ (Hardella thurjii) is particularly significant as it nests and lays eggs in river water, unlike other turtle species found in the region. He highlighted the importance of empowering women through culture fishery initiatives, promoting self-reliance and serving as a deterrent against turtle poaching.

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The population of crowned river turtles has dwindled due to habitat loss over the past two decades. Recent monitoring surveys revealed that approximately half of the adult crowned river turtle population remains in the Sarju River, with an estimated total of 5,000 individuals.