CHENNAI: In the next three months, Garuda Aerospace will deploy drones in Chennai coastal areas to protect the Olive Ridley turtles. Recently over 300 dead turtles have been recovered from the Chennai coastal area. The main objective of the company is to take initiatives to stop illegal fishing.

Garuda Aerospace said in a statement that it has partnered with the Tree Foundation and the Department of Forests and Fisheries to deliver the plan. In this, drones will be deployed in the sea to keep a watch on the turtles to identify the reason behind the deaths of these turtles. Also Olive Ridley turtles often get entangled in fishing nets and die.

Agnishwar Jayaprakash, CEO of the company said, “We are deeply concerned about the death of the Olive Ridley turtles in this way. Demanding action for a long-term solution to the plight of turtles, within three months we are directly intervening to protect nests by deploying drones free of charge. This will Prevent illegal fishing and give hatchlings a chance to survive.”

Supraja Dharini, a representative of the Tree Foundation said, "The population of the Olive Ridley turtle is critically threatened. Their numbers have started to decline rapidly due to entanglement in fishing nets and habitat destruction."

To ensure the safety of the hatchlings in the sea, drone surveillance will be conducted in an area of ​​5 to 10 km in the sea.