8 centres to conserve Ganga biodiversity

VARANASI: The Union government will set up eight biodiversity centres at different locations for restoration of the ancient ‘Bhojpatra tree’ and many other medicinal plants on the banks of Ganga from Gangotri to Gangasagar.

Besides, the centres will work for conservation of Mahaseer (a rare fish), ghariyals, dolphins and turtles. The centres will be established on the outskirts of Narora, in Varanasi and Allahabad (UP), Rishikesh and Dehradun (Uttarakhand), Bhagalpur (Bihar), Sahibganj (Jharkhand) and Barrackpore (West Bengal) under the Centre’s flagship programme ‘Namami Gange’ that is dedicated to Ganga cleaning and conservation.

Speaking to HT, additional mission director, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Pushkal Upadhyay said, “The centres will come up in the next six months to conserve aquatic species like dolphins, turtles, crocodiles and fish such as Mahaseer. In addition, the centres will aim to conserve precious trees and medicinal plants, which were once found in abundance along the banks of Ganga.”

“There were many Bhojpatra trees in the Gangotri region. Now, only a few such trees are left. Similarly, around 450 types of medicinal plants are found along the river from Gangotri to Gangasagar. Tree species such as mahua and mango play important roles in nurturing avian species, which have reduced in recent times,” Upadhyay said.

“Each river has an ecosystem. Rich biodiversity in a river ecosystem is the ultimate indicator of the river’s health. The population of Gangetic dolphins, Mahaseer, golden fish, Gangetic ghariyals and turtles has dropped due to several reasons. It shows that the health of the river is not good,” Upadhyaya added.

The Rishikesh centre aims at conservation of mahaseer and restoration of Bhojpatra trees, while Narora centre will focus on dolphin conservation.

THE CENTRES WILL WORK FOR CONSERVATION OF MAHASEER (A RARE FISH), GHARIYALS, DOLPHINS, TURTLES AND THE ANCIENT BHOJPATRA TREE

Allahabad and Varanasi centres will make efforts to increase the population of four rare species of turtles found in the Ganga. As many as 378 fish species are found in the river. Bhagalpur, Sahibganj and Barackpore centres will conserve important fish and other aquatic species along with important tree species. Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, along with two other government bodies, in coordination with NMCG, will develop the centres, he said and added that WWI had already prepared a detailed project report.

The centres will also encourage locals to plant indigenous tree species and medicinal plants.

“Forestation along the river is very important for restoration of its rich biodiversity. When there will be trees, birds will automatically return to the banks,” Upadhyay said. “With united efforts, we aim to achieve the goal of ‘Clean Ganga’,” Upadhyay said. BOX *The Ganga flows through five states -- Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. It is 2,525 km long. Along its banks, there are 1,657 gram panchayats in 253 developmental blocks in 53 districts. Making all these panchayats ‘open defecation free’ is also part of the project.

*In 2015, the centre decided to spend Rs 20,000 crore on its flagship programme Namami Gange for Ganga cleaning and conservation in five years.

The project comes under the ministry of water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation.