Save Ganga, Save Dolphin campaign initiated in Uttar Pradesh

Save Ganga, Save Dolphin, the three day campaign was initiated on 5 October 2012 by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department in association with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The team also included local volunteers and 14 NGOs. The campaign was a state-initiative to create awareness to conserve the Gangetic Dolphins one of the critically endangered species of the Gangetic River System. These dolphins are scientifically named as Platanista Gangetica.

To cover a distance of about 2,800 kilometers in the Gangetic River System that flows within the state, 18 boats were flagged off by Raja Mahendra Aridaman Singh, the Transport Minister of the state. The campaign that also aims at identifying the population of the dolphins in the river system and it ended with the declaration by Akhilesh Yadav, the Chief Minister of the state on 7 October 2012.

The Ganga Dolphins are also called as the Tigers of Ganga as it enjoys the position in Ganga that is equivalent to that of the tiger in the forest. In the last two surveys conducted in the year 2005 and 1982, the population of this species recorded was 1,600 and 4000 to 5000 respectively.

The survey was conducted in the river Ganga and its tributaries across the state. In Ganga, this campaign started from Bijnor and ended at Varanasi. In the Chambal River it started from Rajghat of Morena District in Madhya Pradesh to Pachneda of Etawah at the confluence of the river with Yamuna and further it will be carried out from this place to yamuna’s confluence with Ganga at the Sangam in Allahabad. The campaign also included a survey in the Saryu River in Ayodhya and Rapti in Garakhpur, Ghagra and Geruwa from Katarniaghat Wild Life Sanctury to Dohrigaht in Mau District of Uttar Pradesh. In Ken River the survey was done from the Banda to Chilla and from Rampur to Deoara in the Sone River. In Betwa River the campaign started from Orchha and ended at Hamirpur.