Odisha Govt Requests DRDO to Stop Missile Testing During Mass Nesting Season of Olive Ridleys

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has urged DRDO authorities to defer missile testing off the Odisha coast during the mass nesting season of Olive ridley during February-March.

According to sources, the DRDO has been requested not to have any missile testing during the mass nesting period. The Olive ridley turtle nesting site at Gahirmatha is near Wheeler Island where missile testing occurs.

The DRDO has also been requested to nominate a nodal officer for better coordination with the Odisha forest department during the nesting period of the Olive ridleys.

In 2022-23, a record number of 6.56 lakh Olive ridleys laid eggs at the Rushikulya rookery coast in Ganjam district, and 5.12 lakh of these turtles opted for mass nesting at the Gahirmatha coast.