Expressing concern over the plight of the highly endangered gangetic river dolphin, due to habitat degradation and killings, public activist Prof Deven Dutta has questioned the role of the Forest D

Large river dams might affect the dolphin population: Dr Wakid

Dibrugarh, Oct 5:

Ganges River dolphins (Platanista gangetica gangetica) occur in the Ganges-Brahmaputra River system primarily in India and Bangladesh. They are listed as Endangered by the IUCN due to a probable population decline of at least 50% over the last 50 years and projected future population declines. No quantitative estimates of abundance are available for the Ganges River

The State Government today declared the endangered Gangetic river dolphin as the State Aquatic Animal. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi announced this during a World Environment Day celebration here today. The decision would add teeth to the conservation measures initiated by the State Government to save this endangered species, which was a longstanding demand of the various environmentalist groups across the world.

The Central Government has declared 14 water resources projects as National Projects for which 90 per cent project cost of irrigation and drinking water component of the project is to be provided as Central Grant. The projects include the Kulsi Dam in Assam, Upper Siang and Nao Dihang Dam Projects in Arunachal Pradesh. The Planning Commission would take up the projects after techno-economic appraisal of the Detailed Project Report and Investment clearance. The projects in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh would be funded on the 90:10 basis. The irrigation benefits from these projects is estimated to be about 21 lakh ha apart from additional indirect irrigation benefits and availability of drinking water, said Union Water Resources Minister, Prof Saifuddin Soz, in a Rajya Sabha reply.