AGARTALA/UDAIPUR, June 28 (TIWN): Being pushed by the Tripura High Court recently the team under the leadership of Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) on Saturday visited the Kalyansagar Lake with an aim to take a stock of the situation of the rare turtles at the lake at Udaipur Matabari Lake.

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 Government to submit the recent status report of the Tripura Matabari Kalyansagar Lake through affidavit within two weeks.

Talking to TIWN on Saturday in regard of their visit to the lake SDM, Udaipur Ajit Debnath said, “Following the HC’s direction the team comprising of PCCF Dr. A K Gupta, forest staffs, Fishery staffs, Pollution Control Board staffs along with an expert Jyoti Bhaskar Ray and others had visited the site of the Kalyansagar Lake to take a stock of the situation of the turtles and the breeding ground.”

Das said, “A meeting was also held on Saturday after the visit at DM office taking up the issue of the HC order.” Adding to that as the HC directed to submit the affidavit by two weeks the department had geared up to frame a report to be tabled with the court.  

“90 per cent of the work is done making a breeding ground for the rare turtles at the lake by demolishing the cemented embankment,” adding Das said still rest 10 per cent work wpould be finished up soon as the HC directed to submit the report by two weeks.

It is worthy to mention here that recently the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) 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.”

“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,” Gupta told reporters recently.

The HC on June 22 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.

Ray also added, “Chief Justice Deepak Gupta 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 turtles.”

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.