Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: At least four of the Turtle Pits protected at the Agonda Nursery of Turtle Rehabilitation Centre were damaged after these Pits got submerged in sea-water as the huge waves began to pound the village coast on Sunday night.
The turbulent waves particularly during the high tide began to pound the coastline at Agonda and elsewhere in Canacona taluka, on Sunday night and the same situation continued on Monday morning.
As the water began to rise than the normal practice during high-tide, at least, four of the turtle pits which are lying at the lower part of the beach sands, protected at Agonda TRC got twice submerged within the last 24 hours (Sunday night and Monday morning). Later- in the day, it was learnt that three of these four submerged pits were found completely damaged and the Forest dept engaged rescuers responded by removing the protection. Interestingly, one of the fully submerged Pits carrying an unknown number of turtle eggs is still kept without removing the protection.
According to sources, Turtle Nursery at Agonda TRC has a record turtle nesting of 178 in the season, but are left with just 46 nests yet to be hatched and continue to be protected while except for one (totally spoiled) all others (131) have had successful hatching at the new TRC site at Agonda beach.
The other Turtle Conservation site at Galgibaga in Canacona which is incidental to the headquarter of South Marine Range is presently protecting only 3 Turtle Nests, and hatchlings have been released from all other 39 Pits.