On April 26, in a joint operation by the Namami Gange Mission, Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, and the India Turtle Conservation Program, 20 juvenile turtles—aged between two and three years—were released into two strategic locations along the river: Haiderpur Wetland and Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary.
Each turtle was fitted with sonic transmitters to allow for real-time tracking of their movement and adaptation in the wild. This is the first monitored release of this species into the Ganga and marks the first-ever such conservation attempt for turtles in the river system.
“This is a proud moment for the country,” said an official from the Wildlife Institute of India. “The return of the red-crowned roofed turtle signals not just hope for a species on the brink of extinction but also affirms that our river restoration efforts are working.”
Once widespread across the Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems, the red-crowned roofed turtle population had plummeted due to pollution, habitat destruction, sand mining, poaching, and fishing net entrapments. Fewer than 300 individuals are currently estimated to exist in the wild, mostly in protected stretches of the Chambal River.
Launched in 2014, the Namami Gange Mission has focused on cleaning the river, curbing industrial discharge, building sewage treatment infrastructure, and reviving biodiversity. The reappearance of this rare turtle species is seen as a biological indicator of the river’s improving health.
Conservationists and ecologists have welcomed the move, calling it “a beacon of hope” and urging continued protection efforts. With the successful release and tracking of these turtles, the government hopes to initiate similar programs for other endangered aquatic species in the Ganga basin.
