Gangetic Dolphins

IASbaba

November 5, 2022

Environment & Ecology

In News: Dolphins have started coming back to the Ganga River with improvement in the quality of its water through the Namami Gange programme, said the Uttar Pradesh government.

With the completion of 23 projects under the ambitious programme started in 2014, the State has successfully stopped flowing of more than 460 MLD of sewage into the Ganga in the State.

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Dolphins have also been seen breeding in Brijghat, Narora, Kanpur, Mirzapur and Varanasi, which is likely to increase their number further in the coming days.
At present, the population of dolphins in Ganga in Uttar Pradesh is estimated to be around 600.
There has been a lot of improvement in dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical demand (BOD) and faecal coliform (FC) parameters as well,
As per the assessment of river water quality, pH (how acidic the water was) at 20 locations met the water quality criteria for bathing.

The Namami Ganga programme:

It was launched in 2014 with the objective to rejuvenate Ganga by adopting an integrated approach which focused on the interception and diversion of sewage by tapping the drains flowing into the river Ganga.
Under the aegis of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) & State Program Management Groups (SPMGs) States and Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions will be involved in this project.
Chacha Chaudhary is the declared Mascot.
NEED:

Rising in the Himalayas and flowing to the Bay of Bengal, the river traverses a course of more than 2,500 km through the plains of north and eastern India.
The Ganga basin – which also extends into parts of Nepal, China and Bangladesh – accounts for 26 per cent of India’s landmass.
The Ganga also serves as one of India’s holiest rivers whose cultural and spiritual significance transcends the boundaries of the basin.
Rapidly increasing population, rising standards of living and exponential growth of industrialization and urbanization have exposed water resources to various forms of degradation.
The deterioration in the water quality of Ganga impacts the people immediately.

Major components of the project will be Wetland inventory and assessment, Wetland management planning, Wetland’s monitoring, and Capacity development and outreach.
Aims at creating a knowledge base and capacities for effective management of floodplain wetlands in the 12 Ganga districts in Bihar to ensure sustained provision of wetlands ecosystem services and securing biodiversity habitats.