Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary

About Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Turtle (Kachhua) Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Varanasi District of Uttar Pradesh.
• It was touted as the first freshwater turtle wildlife sanctuary in the country.
• The protected area is a 7 km stretch of the Ganga River flowing through Varanasi city from Ramnagar Fort to Malviya Rail/Road Bridge.
• The sanctuary was declared to ensure the survival of turtles released into the Ganga River in Varanasi. 

• The turtles were released to promote the organic removal of half-burnt human corpses, which are dumped into the river after final rites under Hindu tradition. 
• To get rid of these without hurting the sentiments of the people, the Ganga Action Plan supported the breeding and release of turtles into the river. 
• The idea behind the action was that this would in turn nurture a good population of the already dwindling population of Indian softshell turtles.

• Turtle hatchlings are reared at the breeding center in Sarnath and subsequently released into the Ganges River once they become mature enough to survive in their natural habitat. 
• According to local officials, about 2,000 turtle eggs are brought to the centre from the Chambal and Yamuna rivers every year. 
• The sanctuary is also home to the Gangetic Dolphin, other species of turtles, and several species of fish, including Rohu, Tengra, and Bhakur.