Orissa seeks ban on missile tests during turtle nesting season

Bhubaneswar: India's missile tests, some successful and some not so, are having an unintended fall out. Soon after the country's premiere defence research organisation, the DRDO, successfully tested the intermediate range Agni-III from Wheeler's Island off the Orissa coast on Sunday, the state government lodged a protest with the Centre against missile launches at the site from November to May.

Olive Ridley turtle

According to state government officials, a letter has been despatched to the Union ministry of environment asking it to issue directives to the ministry of defence not to conduct missile tests from the island during this period. The site is close to Gahirmatha, which is the mass nesting ground of Olive Ridley turtles, and state government authorities are apprehensive that missile launches in this period would have an adverse impact on these creatures, which are an endangered species.

Mass mating and nesting of turtles generally takes place in the period November to May and officials point out that continued testing could likely have an impact on the movement of these turtles who travel long distances to lay eggs.

They are apprehensive that the turtles may even stop coming.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has a series of tests lined up for the coming months, including that of an interceptor missile defence missile as well as a series of Agni missiles.