Konkan's Velas, Anjarle beaches may soon be declared a Biodiverity Heritage site

The Velas and Anjarle beaches in Ratnagiri on the Konkan coast – nesting sites for the endangered Olive Ridley turtles – may soon get the status of biodiversity heritage sites. Along with protecting these marine turtles and their delicate habitats, it will also boost participative conservation, promote eco-friendly tourism and boost income of locals, according to a notification by the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board.

The first biodiversity heritage site in Maharashtra is Glory of Allapalli, a 6-hectare patch of pristine forests in Gadchiroli, boasting of rich biodiversity.

Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board chairman Vilas Bardekar confirmed that they were planning to declare Velas and Anjarle as the state's second and third biodiversity heritage sites. "This will create awareness among people and send a message to them to behave properly at a protected site," he said, adding that the biodiversity heritage tag would enhance the conservation status of these sites.

"Small heritage sites outside jungles can be protected (by this)," Bardekar, a retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, explained. The two beaches are located at a distance of around 40 km from each other in Ratnagiri.

Pointing to instances where rocks, insects, hatchlings and eggs were taken away by people from these rich habitats without consent, Bardekar said the status would ensure that such activities would be offences of a criminal nature.

"This will ensure a sense of belonging for the local communities. They will ensure that the outsiders do not tamper with things without their permission," noted Bardekar.

For a site with biodiversity importance to be classified as a biodiversity heritage under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, the local gram panchayat or local body has to send a proposal, which will subsequently be approved by the board and the state government. The state government has the power to frame rules for management and conservation of such biological heritage sites.

"The biodiversity board is working on the heritage site proposal," said Bhau Katdare, president, Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra (SNM), an organisation involved in marine turtle conservation at Velas and Anjarle by protecting their eggs and hatchlings. He added that the enhanced status would help protect the olive ridley turtles.

This will also lead to the formation of a committee to monitor the biodiversity in the area and creation of a biodiversity register. "The committee will decide on how the biodiversity in the village will be protected, how outsiders will be shown that, if money would be charged, and other things. The committee will do this through the resolution of the gram panchayat," he noted, stressing that this would lead to participative conservation.

Olive ridley turtles also nest and lay eggs at sites such as Srivardhan, Diveagar, Velas, Kelshi, Dabhol and Guhagar in the Konkan.