TREE Foundation, on Feb.25, organised a memorial service for sea turtles at the Neelankarai beach. The day marks the 9th anniversary when 824 sea turtles lost their lives around the Penna Estuary, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. Additionally another 122 turtles sadly died this year in the 2022-2023 season along the Chennai and Chengalpattu coast. The team gathered in memory of the lost lives. 

On the occasion, the team created a giant sand model of the Olive Ridley turtle. Speaking about the death of the sea turtles in Andhra Pradesh that happened on Feb.22, 2014, a statement from TREE Foundation read, “As word came in from other Protection Force members, very sad pictures of the turtles began to appear. After spending much time removing, marking and counting the dead turtles, a total of 824 deaths were recorded. For our Sea Turtle Protection Force members and volunteers, this was devastating news. Working tirelessly from January to May every year to safeguard endangered nesting turtles, this was a nightmare unfolding in front of their eyes, the largest ever mass stranding of endangered turtles along our coast on a single day. All the turtles had died due to drowning in about 40 trawl mechanised boats that were illegally fishing within 2 kms from the shore violating the Marine Fisheries Regulation Act. Trawl mechanised boats should conduct fishing beyond 8 km from the shore.”

Members of the TREE Foundation relived the trauma with the death of 122 turtles again this season. At the memorial service Tree Foundation shared the below message: 

On that tragic day 9 years ago, 824 sea turtles lost their lives needlessly, due to the completely selfish actions of some people. For the last 20 years, all of us at TREE Foundation and the various departments working with us have worked ceaselessly to protect and preserve endangered sea turtles. Imagine how heartbreaking it was for our STPF patrol teams to witness so many dead turtles washed ashore.

Years of conservation efforts had been set back overnight leaving us with no option but to double down on our conservation efforts to protect these ancient reptiles. Despite the scenes they were confronted with, the STPF put on a brave face and gathered all the deceased turtles so they could be given a proper burial and have respect shown for their remains.

Some will survive, fighting off the extinction of their species, and someday they may make a recovery – it is our job to ensure they are given the best possible chance of surviving. This we do through our patrols, protecting turtles and nests. We regularly interact with the state departments who enforce the laws to improve protection for endangered marine wildlife.

What we cannot do unfortunately, is anticipate and stop every trawler that is fishing illegally and every fisherman using nets set for ray fish causing sea turtles to drown. Through the activities of a few selfish individuals, many suffer. At TREE Foundation we are pressing state departments for increased monitoring of trawl boats and strict enforcement of fishering regulations by the fisheries department.

Bad things happen. They always have and they always will. How we will be judged will be determined by how we react. We can become hopeless and feel like giving up, but as we gather here at this memorial today, I urge you to stand strong in the face of adversity.

We are the guardians of the planet for generations of all life forms, both human and all other species of life we are surrounded by. We have a duty to ourselves today, and to those who will follow us tomorrow. We can turn things around, and we can make things better. We will make things better. We will not give up.

Let us now send positive energy to all the turtles out there in the ocean.

Let us leave here today knowing our efforts and choices, can and do, make a difference. We can protect sea turtles, we can protect the oceans, the planet’s life support system, and in so doing, we can protect ourselves.

Tree Foundation is based out of Sri Kapaleeswarar Nagar, Neelankarai. Ph: 94443 06411 and 22496411.

Check out the below FAQs issued by RBI on the topic:

• Why are ₹2000 denomination banknotes being withdrawn?
  The ₹2000 denomination banknote was introduced in November 2016 under Section 24(1) of RBI Act, 1934 primarily with the objective to meet the currency requirement of the economy in an expeditious manner after withdrawal of the legal tender status of all ₹500 and ₹1000 banknotes in circulation at that time. With fulfilment of that objective and availability of banknotes in other denominations in adequate quantities, printing of ₹2000 banknotes was stopped in 2018-19. A majority of the ₹2000 denomination notes were issued prior to March 2017 and are at the end of their estimated life-span of 4-5 years. It has also been observed that this denomination is not commonly used for transactions. Further, the stock of banknotes in other denominations continue to be adequate to meet the currency requirement of the public.
  In view of the above, and in pursuance of the “Clean Note Policy” of the Reserve Bank of India, it has been decided to withdraw the ₹2000 denomination banknotes from circulation.

• What is Clean Note Policy?
  It is a policy adopted by RBI to ensure availability of good quality banknotes to the members of public.

• Does the legal tender status of ₹2000 banknotes remain?
  Yes. The ₹2000 banknote will continue to maintain its legal tender status.

• Can ₹2000 banknotes be used for normal transactions?
  Yes. Members of the public can continue to use ₹2000 banknotes for their transactions and also receive them in payment. However, they are encouraged to deposit and/or exchange these banknotes on or before September 30, 2023.

• What should the public do with the ₹2000 denomination banknotes held by them?
  Members of the public may approach bank branches for deposit and/or exchange of ₹2000 banknotes held by them.
  The facility for deposit into accounts and exchange for ₹2000 banknotes will be available at all banks until September 30, 2023. The facility for exchange will be available also at the 19 Regional Offices (ROs) of RBI having Issue Departments* until September 30, 2023.

• Is there a limit on deposit of ₹2000 banknotes into a bank account?
  Deposit into bank accounts can be made without restrictions subject to compliance with extant Know Your Customer (KYC) norms and other applicable statutory / regulatory requirements.

• Is there an operational limit on the amount of ₹2000 banknotes that can be exchanged?
  Members of the public can exchange ₹2000 banknotes upto to a limit of ₹20,000/- at a time.

• Can ₹2000 banknotes be exchanged through Business Correspondents (BCs)?
  Yes, exchange of ₹2000 banknotes can be made through BCs upto a limit of ₹4000/- per day for an account holder.

• From which date will the exchange facility be available?
  To give time to the banks to make preparatory arrangements, members of the public are requested to approach the bank branches or ROs of RBI from May 23, 2023 for availing exchange facility.

• Is it necessary to be a customer of the bank to exchange ₹2000 banknotes from its branches?
  No. A non-account holder also can exchange ₹2000 banknotes up to a limit of ₹20,000/- at a time at any bank branch.

• What if someone needs more than ₹20,000/- cash for business or other purposes?
  Deposit into accounts can be made without restrictions. The ₹2000 banknotes can be deposited into bank accounts and cash requirements can be drawn thereafter, against these deposits.

• Is there any fee to be paid for the exchange facility?
  No. The exchange facility shall be provided free of cost.

• Will there be special arrangements for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, etc. for exchange and deposit?
  Banks have been instructed to make arrangements to reduce inconvenience to the senior citizens, persons with disabilities, etc., seeking to exchange/deposit ₹2000 banknotes.

• What will happen if one cannot deposit / exchange ₹2000 banknote immediately?
  To make the entire process smooth and convenient for the public, a period of over four months has been given for deposit and/or exchange of ₹2000 banknotes. Members of the public, are therefore, encouraged to avail this facility at their convenience within the allotted time.

• What will happen if a bank refuses to exchange / accept deposit of ₹2000 banknote?
  For redress of grievance in case of deficiency of service, the complainant / aggrieved customer may first approach the concerned bank. If the bank does not respond within a period of 30 days after lodging of the complaint or if the complainant is not satisfied with the response/resolution given by the bank, the complainant can lodge the complaint under the Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS), 2021 at the Complaint Management System portal of RBI (cms.rbi.org.in).

* RBI having Issue Departments: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Belapur, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Patna and Thiruvananthapuram

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, on May 19, notified that the ₹2000 bank note, which was brought into circulation in November 2016, will be withdrawn for circulation. It will however continue to remain as a legal tender. 

RBI has stated that the public can deposit Rs.2000 bank notes in the bank account / exchange in the usual manner. In order to ensure operational convenience and to avoid disruption of regular activities of bank branches, exchange of ₹2000 banknotes into banknotes of other denominations can be made upto a limit of ₹20,000/- at a time at any bank starting from May 23, 2023.

To complete the exercise in a time-bound manner and to provide adequate time to the public, all banks shall provide deposit and/or exchange facility for ₹2000 banknotes until September 30, 2023. Separate guidelines have been issued to the banks on the same. The RBI has also advised banks to stop issuing ₹2000 denomination banknotes with immediate effect.

A document on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in the matter has been hosted on the RBI website for information and convenience of the public.

The ₹2000 denomination banknote was introduced in November 2016 primarily to meet the currency requirement of the economy, as part of the demonetisation strategy, after the withdrawal of legal tender status of all ₹500 and ₹1000 banknotes, in circulation at that time. The objective of introducing ₹2000 banknotes was met once banknotes in other denominations became available in adequate quantities. Therefore, printing of ₹2000 banknotes was stopped in 2018-19. The RBI also observed that this denomination is not commonly used for transactions and the stock of other denominations banknotes is adequate to meet the currency requirement of the public, thus prompting the decision for the withdrawal of ₹2000 banknote.