AGARTALA, June 23 (TIWN): With an aim to save ‘flaura and fauna’ the Tripura High Court under the division bench of Chief Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Subhashish Talapatra on Monday ordered the State Principal Secretary and Chief Secretary to submit the recent status report of the Tripura Matabari Kalyansagar Lake through affidavit within two weeks. Talking to TIWN in this regard Lawyer Kalyani Ray said, “After hearing the videography and the recent photography of the Kalyansagar lake the HC seeks the status report of lake.”Ray said, “After being asked by the court we have submitted the status report of the lake along with the rejoinder, following which the court on Monday asked the PC and the CS to submit the report if the state government has demolished the artificial cemented embankments or if they have not yet to save the rare species of the turtles in the lake.” Ray also added, “Chief Justice Deepak Gupta while issuing order to the state government had clearly stated that the aim must be to save the falura and fauna of the historical lake and also to restrict the problems of the breeding of the rare species of Bostami turtles.”Adding to that lawyer Kalyani Ray said, “In the recent status it has been found that the state government has not taken any sincere initiatives to break fully the cemented embankments of the lake so far to set up a breeding ground for the turtles in the lake.” Only partial embankments were demolished which did not solve problems with bostami turtles natural breeding grounds.

Natural breeding grounds were destroyed by few 'genius' IAS, IFS officials of Tripura Govt while constructing cemented embankments. 

However, it is worthy to mention here that talking to the reporters here at the civil secretariat Chief Wildlife Warden A K Gupta clarified, “Being suggested by a scientist from Dehradun the state forest department during the year 2014 had demolished the eastern side embankment of the Kalyansagar Lake to set up a breeding ground for the existing rare species of the turtles.” 

Gupta said, “Since after the set up of the breeding ground the turtles started laying eggs from this year at the ground and from this year June 17 the hatchlings were found at the breeding ground.” Adding he said that the department had successfully managed to save those rare turtle species at the Kalyansagar 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 now become a matter of concern for the common masses of the state. The tortoises were earlier found unable to 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.

However, but on Monday the HC hearing the recent status of the lake from the petitioners ordered the state government to submit the latest report if they have taken steps to save the turtles at the lake within two weeks from now though affidavit. According to the lawyer Kalyani Ray despite several persuasions the state government on its negligent role has not taken any necessary steps to save the flaura and fauna at the lake which has become a matter of concern now.

Following the statement of Chief Wildlife Warden A K Gupta on Monday Ray said, “I would take the statement for granted and take the stock of the situation.” Adding to that Ray said, “If the government had taken steps setting breeding ground for the turtles at the lake then it was not informed earlier?”  But the fact is no bostami turtles are breeding in newly created breeding ground which are created by filling sands in a little piece of area in eastern side.

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.