Efforts are underway towards conservation of rare turtles along with alligators, dolphins and crocodiles at the National Chambal Sanctuary spread over Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, Sanctuary sources said. The Sanctuary came into existence four decades back. As many as 28 varieties of turtles are found in the country and 10 of them are present along the Chambal River's 440-km stretch from Samarsa to Chakar Nagar.
The Chitra Indica and Batagur varieties are found only in this sanctuary. Special arrangements are in place for their eggs’ hatching. The two varieties find the river rather compatible owing to its length and adequate depth that help the turtles in easily creating their places of refuge. In fact, the Chitra Indica has been especially included in the Ganga Action Plan. This variety consumes bodies and carcasses.
Thus it may prove useful in cleansing the Ganges by devouring corpses. Chitra Indica turtles are found in abundance between Samarsa Ghat and Barouli Ghat. Hatching of their eggs is done on sand near the ghats and 4,500-5,000 offspring are annually released into the water.