Kachhua Sanctuary

The Kachhua Sanctuary or the Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary is protected area located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It is noted not only for its turtle population but also Gangetic Dolphins and other aquatic animals. It has both soft shelled carnivorous turtles such as Nilssonia gangetica (noted for its role in cleaning up the Ganga River of half burnt corpses) and hard shelled herbivorous turtles. The sanctuary is threatened by water pollution and development projects like the Haldia-Varanasi Inland Waterways Project. Recently, the sanctuary was listed as the worst performing area in the management effectiveness evaluation of protected areas.