UDAIPUR, June 22 (TIWN): Years have passed but so far no concrete measures are taken to preserve the tortoises and fishes of Matabari Kalyan Sagar Lake. The most prominent temple of Tripura, the Tripura Sundari temple’s Lake Kalyan Sagar is famous all over India for the collection of its rare Bostami turtles and various kinds of fishes. But the extinctions of its tortoises have become a very common and an old issue, for which the Government doesn’t care anymore.Talking to TIWN correspondent on Monday, Udaipur SDM Ajit Debnath stated that various steps have been taken already to save the fishes and tortoises. According to him the administration has broken one side of the cement embankment of the Kalyan Sagar Lake and has arranged a temporary measure with sack of mud to preserve the livelihood of the tortoise especially for their breeding of off-spring.Interestingly, years have passed that the administration has adopted this step but so far there is no full-fledged report of any re-production of tortoise in the bank of the kalyan sagar. When asked about the progress of breeding of the tortoise in the bank of Kalyan Sagar lake, SDM Ajit Debnath said that he is completely unaware of this fact and he doesn’t have any details whether the tortoises have laid egg or not recently.

The tortoises can’t breed their offspring for the artificial cemented embankments, although it has been suggested to bulldoze the cemented embankments in order to save the rare species N-Nigricans turtles, which are only found in the Kalyan Sagar of Mata Bari. But every time the temple authorities deny the suggestions, given by the environmentalists and turtle experts.

Udaipur SDM Ajit Debnath further said that they have appointed two forest officials to look after the status of the tortoise.

Lack of oxygen is also a main cause. That’s why a new place has been made especially for the tortoises’ breeding and around 8 artificial man-made oxygen cylinders are placed in the lake which will serve oxygen to the creatures.

 It is to be mentioned that defying all the warnings of environmentalists the temple authorities decided to erect cemented embankments around the banks of Kalyan Sagar in 1998. Since then more than 20 deaths of N-Nigricans turtles were recorded. In 2012 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has declared this Bostami species turtles as an extinct species. A lot of controversies started to arise since then.

Kalyan Sagar is located on the eastern side of the Mata Tripuraswari Temple which is 3 km. away towards south from Udaipur town, Tripura. A big lake Kalyan Sagar just down to the Hillock at the backside of the Temple adds to its beauty. This natural pond has varieties of aqua species. The area of the Kalyan Sagar Lake is 2.752 acre. The lake is considered sacred and devotees worship the fishes and tortoises present here. Kalyan Sagar is famous for very rare species of tortoise in large numbers. 

However, until and unless the embankment of the lake is completely broken it will not be possible to save the tortoise in the lake.