Dolphins

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Dolphins have started coming back to the Ganga river with improvement in the quality of its water through the Namami Gange programme.

• 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.
• 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 fecal coliform (FC) parameters as well, the assessment of river water quality carried out during the period 2014-2022 at 20 locations in Uttar Pradesh reveals. 
• The test found that pH (how acidic the water was) at 20 locations met the water quality criteria for bathing, while DO, BOD and FC improved at 16, 14 and 18 out of 20 locations, respectively.

Namami Gange Programme:

• The Programme was launched in 2014. It is an Integrated Conservation Mission under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• To achieve effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of the National River(Ganga).
• Chacha Chaudhary is the declared Mascot.

Main Pillars of the Programme:

• Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure,
• River-Surface Cleaning,
• Afforestation,
• Industrial Effluent Monitoring,
• River-Front Development,
• Biodiversity
• Public Awareness among others.

National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG): 

• It is the implementing agency of the Namami Gange Programme at the national level.
• It is a statutory authority. It is established under the National Council for River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Act, 2016.
• Projects under the programme: 

• Sewerage infrastructure works for pollution abatement is under execution on 13 tributaries of river Ganga. 
• These include Yamuna, Kosi, Saryu, Ramganga, Kali(West), Kali (East), Gomti, Kharkari, Burhi Gandak, Banka, Damodar, Rispana-Bindal and Chambal.

Need of the Programme

• 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.