Cleaning Ganga involves preserving its rich biodiversity, particularly its endangered inhabitant, Dolphins. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the main body for cleaning the holy river, is set to start a special Dolphin Ambulance to rescue injured aquatic animal.
Labelled as the national aquatic animal of India, Ganga Dolphin is also found in the river system of India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Under the ambitious project approved for conservation of the Ganga River Dolphin, a specialised vehicle will be developed to assist dolphins in distress.
The project titled 'Advancing Rescue System for the Protection of Stranded Ganges River Dolphins' has an estimated budget of Rs 1 crore. The project will focus on raising awareness for dolphin conservation and community capacity building through training.
The NMCG during its board meeting also approved “an innovative and highly significant” project for the conservation of endangered turtles in the Ganga basin in Uttar Pradesh.
“The objective of this initiative is not only to rehabilitate endangered turtle species but also to reintroduce three highly threatened species, alongside establishing a spatial monitoring and reporting tool at the National Chambal Sanctuary. This project is estimated to cost Rs 78.09 lakh,” an official statement said.
Among the other projects approved include: a project for assessing the environmental flow of the Chambal, Son, Damodar and Tons rivers. With an estimated budget of Rs 11 crore, the objective of this project is not only to evaluate the environmental flow of these rivers but also to prepare hydrological and hydrodynamic models that allow scientific evaluation of flow systems. This will involve studying the existing water stream and natural flow patterns, which will not only improve water quantity and quality but also document the biodiversity within these river systems, ensuring that their ecosystems remain balanced and rich.
During the meeting, a proposal for the third season of the travelogue series "Rag-Rag Mein Ganga - Ek Jeevan Dhara" was also approved. This new season will present the importance of the Ganga and the conservation efforts from a fresh perspective. The season will focus on ecological balance, protection of aquatic life, eco-tourism, cultural heritage, and promoting active community involvement.