The Odisha government’s revived plan to build a dam at Pipalapanka has sparked protests, as locals and environmentalists accuse it of endangering the Rushikulya river to favour industries. 

Rushikulya River: 

• The Rushikulya River is a major river in Odisha, flowing primarily through the Kandhamal, Ganjam, and Boudh districts. 
• Rushimala Hills part of the Daringbadi hills of the Eastern Ghats range.  
  • Daringbadi, where the river originates, is called the ' Kashmir of Odisha ' 
  • Rushikulya River does not form a delta at its mouth. 
• Tributaries such as Jarau, Badanadi, Baghua, Dhanei, and Ghodahada once ensured perennial flow but are now weakened due to damming. 
  • Activists warn that illegal sand mining and industrial projects have further endangered the river’s health. 

Olive Ridley

• Turtle Nesting Site:  
  • At the river’s mouth lies Rushikulya Beach, a globally important site for Olive Ridley Turtle nesting. 
    • Each year, from January to March, thousands of turtles arrive for mass nesting — a phenomenon known as Arribada. 
  • Activists fear that the dam would exacerbate salinity intrusion from the Bay of Bengal and reduce fish yield due to freshwater depletion. 
    • Climate change-induced rising temperatures are skewing Olive Ridley turtle sex ratios, producing more females and endangering species survival. 

• About:
  • The Olive ridley turtles are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
  • These turtles are carnivores and get their name from their olive-coloured carapace.
  • They are best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.
• Habitat:
  • They are found in warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.
  • The Odisha’s Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is known as the world’s largest rookery (colony of breeding animals) of sea turtles.

• Protection Status:
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix I
• Threats:
  • Human Consumption: They are extensively poached for their meat, shell and leather, and eggs.
  • Marine Pollution and Waste: An ever-increasing debris of plastics, fishing nets, discarded nets, polythene and other garbage dumped by tourists and fishing workers threaten all sea turtles and degrades their habitats.
  • Fishing Trawlers: Overexploitation of marine resources by use of trawlers often violates the rule to not fish 20 kilometers within a marine sanctuary.
    • There were injury marks on many dead turtles indicating they could have been trapped under trawls or gill nets.
• Initiatives to Protect Olive Ridley Turtles:
  • Operation Olivia:
    • Every year, the Indian Coast Guard’s “Operation Olivia”, initiated in the early 1980s, helps protect Olive Ridley turtles as they congregate along the Odisha coast for breeding and nesting from November to December.
      • It also intercepts unlawful trawling activities.
  • Mandatory use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs):
    • To reduce accidental killing in India, the Odisha government has made it mandatory for trawls to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs), a net specially designed with an exit cover which allows the turtles to escape while retaining the catch.
  • Tagging:
    • The tagging of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles using non-corrosive metal tags is done to enable scientists to chart their movements and also know the areas they visit in order to protect the species and their habitats.