New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey said that a census of Gangetic (found in the Ganges) dolphins will be conducted soon. Recently, the ministry has issued guidelines regarding this. The dolphin census will be done with the participation of scientists, forest departments, experts from NGOs, local people etc. and it will be a joint effort.
He was addressing the program organized by Bhagalpur Forest Division on Gangetic Dolphin Day through virtual medium from Delhi. He said that the primary goal of the program is to conserve dolphins and improve the economic condition of communities dependent on rivers. Conservation of dolphins will ensure a symbiotic relationship between people and biodiversity and long-term protection for biodiversity.
Union Minister of State Choubey said that dolphins will be conserved and promoted under this project under the leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. All necessary steps will be taken to make Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary a world-class tourist destination. Infrastructure will be built to promote eco-tourism. While addressing the country from the Red Fort on the occasion of 74th Independence Day, the Prime Minister had announced the launch of Project Dolphin. The objective of this proposed project is to protect river and sea dolphins.
Union Minister of State Choubey said that the Government of India is taking forward an ambitious project named ‘Project Dolphin’ for the conservation of dolphins as well as other associated species like gharials, turtles, fish, birds etc. Dolphins have been in India since ancient times. Dolphins contribute to controlling river pollution and are thus able to improve water quality.
It is noteworthy that dolphins in India are found in large numbers in the states of Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and West Bengal. There are about 3 thousand dolphins in India. There are dolphins in the tributary rivers along with the Ganges. In Bihar, an area of about 60 kilometers from Sultanganj to Kahalgaon was declared as ‘Gangetic River Dolphin Protected Area’.
