Pact signed to conserve rare turtle in Assam NGOs, zoo and Kamrup administration to work with temple for project SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT cient and genetically pure GUWAHATI threatened turtle popula- A major temple in Assam has tions in the region. We will signed a memorandum of offer assistance for the re- understanding with two quired improvement of hus- green NGOs, the Assam State bandry of turtles kept in Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden such ponds, and further re- and the Kamrup district ad- covery efforts are recom- ministration for the long- mended for the long-term term conservation of the survival and existence of the rare freshwater black soft- endangered freshwater tur- shell turtle or the Nilssonia tles,” she added. nigricans. The freshwater black softshell turtle. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Kamrup Deputy Commis- A vision document 2030 sioner Kailash Kartik N. em- was also launched after Tur- ples in northeastern India Hayagriva Madhava Temple phasised the mass aware- tle Survival Alliance India and Bangladesh. The Inter- harbour various threatened ness on the conservation and Help Earth signed the national Union for Conserva- species of turtles. Since the issues of all species of turtles pact involving the Hayagriva tion of Nature had in 2021 turtles are conserved in in the region while working Madhava Temple Commit- listed the turtle as “critically these ponds only based on on threats and opportunities tee. The temple, revered by endangered”. But it does not religious grounds, many bio- to strengthen the black soft- both Hindus and Buddhists, enjoy legal protection under logical requirements for shell turtle population in As- is at Hajo, about 30 km the Indian Wildlife (Protec- building a sustainable wild sam. northwest of Guwahati. tion) Act of 1972, although it population have since long Zoo director Tejas Maris- Until sightings along the has traditionally been hunt- been overlooked,” Arpita wamy and Help Earth’s Brahmaputra’s drainage in ed for its meat and cartilage, Dutta of Turtle Survival said. Jayaditya Purkayastha at- Assam, the black softshell traded in regional and inter- “This multi-stakeholder tended the programme on turtle was thought to be “ex- national markets. association [conservation June 19, along with members tinct in the wild” and con- “Various temple ponds in pact] aims to restock the of the Hayagriva Madhava fined only to ponds of tem- Assam such as that of the wild with viable, self-suffi- Temple Committee. .