Dasu Kharvi a dedicated wildlife conserver

By Snehalatha, Udupi
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 31 May 2011: Dasu Kharvi is illiterate, but he is an wildlife conserver. While 78 year old Dasu Venkata Kharwi of Maravanthe said “there is law it seems, but the tortoises are kind and peaceful creatures, they should not be killed....” there was innocence in his words. The same innocence and kindness has rescued more than thousands of baby sea tortoises in the coastline of Udupi District.

 

 

 

Sea tortoises come under schedule 1 of the wild life act. But these creatures are diminishing now. Catching, killing, selling, buying and even breeding them is against the law and this offence is punishable. But Dasu Kharvi do not know about this law. He himself is an fisherman, with his small boat he catches fish in the coast of the sea in Maravanthe and makes a living. About 10 years ago he saw some people robbing the tortoise eggs which were under the sand at the sea coast, which upset him and he made efforts to save them.

 

Since then he visits, not only Maravanthe, but Koderi, Gangebailu, Madikallu, Baindoor, Thrasi, Kodi and such places in the month of February and he carefully rescues the turtle eggs, conserves them and upon hatching carefully brings and releases to the sea. Not only that, he also made awareness among the locals. Even the wild life department also has taken interest in this matter and has offered to pay rupees 5 each to anyone rescues and brings the turtle egg.

 

 

The sea tortoises come above the water during the night and on the shore digs one or two feet deep and lays eggs and goes back to the sea. Dasu follows the foot prints of the turtle and takes those eggs and keeps them under the sand in his backyard of house nearby in a fenced and secured place. Exactly 52 days after the eggs will be hatched and the baby turtles come out. At this time he calls the wild life department personnel and upon counting in their presence he releases them to the sea!.

 

Every year about 200 baby turtles in the last 10 years, that means he has rescued more than thousand turtles from thieves and has released to sea. In reality this work should have been done by the wild life department, that means the government. But government is not doing it. But the illiterate Kharvi do not know what is government, what is wildlife department and does not know the law. But he is doing it as a service. He also involves his wife and children in this noble work.

 

 

There are many Officers and staff who get paid thousands of salary for doing this work. But Kharwi was promised by the department that he will be paid rupees 3,000 per month. In the first 2 years he received some small amount now and then. But in the remaining 7 years he did not receive any money.

 

Kharwi is life saver too. In profession he is fisherman, but he does not save tortles alone, he has also rescued about 7 persons. In the last two decades he had rescued people who drowned in Sawparnika river water current by bringing them to the shore by swimming. Not only that, he has brought up the dead bodies of more than thousand who drowned in the sea, river or well.

 

 

 

He is also expert in catching the poisonous snakes and has caught snakes which come inside houses and has safely released them to the wild forest. He has also given native medicine and treated many who were beaten by the poisonous snakes and saved their life. Wild life CID (Forest Division) got the informative notice board on the prohibited marine life inaugurated by Dasu Kharvi at Malpe Fishing Harbour and honoured him for his contribution in the wild life conservation.