In India, freshwater turtles inhabit different water bodies ranging from shallow ponds to deep lakes and rivers. The waters of the River Ganga are rich with all kinds of flora and fauna. Each of these species is being affected by human activities and climate change. Freshwater turtles are also no exception to these changes.

Turtle habitat:
Due to the construction of many barrages at various points in the river, most of the Ganga water has been stored up-stream of barrages, forming large reservoirs. Downstream of the barrages the river is very shallow with less flowing water. Soft-shell turtles prefer to live in the reservoirs whereas the hard-shell turtles live in the flowing waters as these animals require large tracts of sand banks for nesting. Hard shell turtles nest on islands and sand banks.

Species:
There are four species of hard shell turtles that are being monitored are Indian tent turtle (Kajhuga tentoria), Indian roofed turtle (Kachuga tecta), Brown roofed turtle (Kachuga smithii), Striped roofed turtle (Kachuga dhongoka)

Threats:
In the River Ganga, depletion of turtle population was mainly due to:

■ Habitat Loss
The riverine habitat of freshwater turtles in the Ganga river is under constant threat due to many human activities like construction of barrages, agricultural practices on the river banks, discharge of industrial pollutants in the river. The most notable among them are water development projects which alter the natural flow of the river. Barrages constructed on the Ganga river made the flowing water habitat into standing water in the upstream of the barrages and in the downstream of the barrages, less water is available for turtles. Heavy agriculture practices on the river banks have resulted in the decline of suitable nesting sites for turtles. Due to rapid industrialization and urbanization on the river banks large amount of domestic, industrial and agricultural pollutants are reaching the river. The pollution in the river is a major threat to the turtles as their food chain is affected by pollution.

■ Changes in environmental and climactic conditions
Climate change impacts have been studied and noticed in the frequency of irregular floods and droughts in the river ecosystem. Floods during nesting seasons wash away turtle eggs. Unexpected release of water from upstream barrages also has the same effect as floods.
Droughts bring about temperature changes which extend the incubation time of the turtle eggs. Studies have proven that this brings about a sex change in turtle hatchlings.

■ Exploitation for commercial purposes
Freshwater turtles in the Ganga river are used for food and medicinal purposes. Locals from villages on the banks, fishermen and other turtle poachers catch large number of turtles. Larger turtles are mainly used as food by the locals. During fishing operations small turtle species die in fishing nets. The fishermen operate intensive fishing in the river, using various types of nets. Small turtles entangle in the nets and die due to drowning.

Turtle nesting grounds were also disturbed due to agricultural practices. During the ploughing operations most of the turtle nests were dug out. Locals destroy the eggs. Such destruction at the egg stage itself is a great threat to turtle populations. In the present study it is observed that almost all species of turtles face localized threats as certain accessible populations are exploited for food. While over collection is a problem in the lower stretch of the study area, habitat fragmentation and loss are the prime factors in the decline of turtles upstream. The barrages constructed on the river have adverse impact on the natural flow of the river.

WWF’s efforts to conserve turtles:

Dedicated staff are continually surveying turtle nesting sites in the Upper Ganga Basin (from Narora to Anoopshahar) to ensure the safety and protection of the turtles and eggs in these sites.

■ Ex situ conservation
WWF Staff members are also carrying out ex-situ conservation of turtles in the natural nesting sites of the species, along the banks of the river. This means that the eggs are collected from the wild and are hatched outside the habitat using the same natural conditions, which are protected. Once the eggs hatch, the turtle hatchlings are then placed in the river again.

■ In situ conservation
Efforts are made to fence off the area where the eggs have been laid in their natural nests and then are protected from predators.

 

What needs to be done to protect them:

Protected areas should be declared and these areas should be regularly patrolled against poaching. In the Ganga river, a mixture of reserves and semi protected areas like religious areas near temples and important bathing ghats have adequately protected large populations of freshwater turtles. Local religious heads, police men patrolling the ghats, staff from the Irrigation dept, and village governing heads have shown interest in protecting the turtles.

■ Different sites along the river like Haridwar, Bijnor, Narora, Bittor etc. are worth their potentiality to support turtle fauna and should be declared as protected areas.
■ Large scale netting, killing and trapping of turtles should be controlled. Indiscriminate fishing practices should be stopped.
■ All important nesting sites should be identified. Measures should be taken to reduce human activities such as fishing and agriculture on the nesting sites.
■ Need for the government and NGOs to take up widespread awareness and conservation measures to highlight the problem of turtles and the need for their conservation.