Bhubaneswar, Feb. 16: The time for the mass nesting of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles is approaching and anxiety about the condition of some of their nesting grounds is growing.

What is of immediate concern to government officials as well as environmentalists is the submergence of the vast stretch between Purunabandh and Katiagada villages near the Rushikulya river mouth in Ganjam where these turtles used to lay thousands of eggs almost every year.

The submergence caused by the change in the course of Rushikulya river has cast doubts on the possibility of mass egg laying by the Olive Ridleys, a phenomenon better known by its Spanish name, Aribada, which is an event much awaited by nature lovers. The mass nesting is usually expected towards the end of February or the beginning of March.

“The river has swamped this area. We are keeping our fingers crossed,” said Berhampur divisional forest officer (DFO), A. K. Jena. Jena said he was unsure about how the turtles may respond to the conditions prevailing at the nesting ground near the Rushikulya river mouth.

Environmentalists, however, feel that the unfriendly environment at the river mouth may prompt the marine creatures to look for a new nesting ground.

“But this is not going to be easy considering that these turtles are very sensitive about the choice of egg laying sites. They want a safe place where they can nest without being disturbed,” said a green activist who has been working for turtle protection.

This is not the first time that an Olive Ridley turtle-nesting site has faced such a situation. In the past there have been at least two occasions (once in 1997) when the turtles did not turn up at Gahirmatha, their most famous rookery in Kendrapara, for nesting because of adverse conditions, which included fragmentation of beaches at the site.

The turtles have also been facing a threat from mechanised fishing vessels, which continue to defy the seven-month fishing ban during the nesting season of the Olive Ridleys with virtual impunity. These vessels have steadfastly refused to use Turtle Excluder Devices, which provide an escape route to the turtles when they get caught in their nets.

“Most of the turtle casualties are on account of choking after getting caught in the nets. Some also succumb to propeller hits. The government has surprisingly failed to check the infringement of the no-fishing zone during the turtle nesting period,” said an environmentalist.