E-Paper
Dolphin man in central panel, rues project delay in his native Bihar
PATNA Dolphin expert from Bihar, Dr RK Sinha, who was awarded Padma Shree in 2016 for his contributions to extensive research on the mammal, has been made a member of the steering committee for implementation of the Project Dolphin, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2020
PATNA
Dolphin expert from Bihar, Dr RK Sinha, who was awarded Padma Shree in 2016 for his contributions to extensive research on the mammal, has been made a member of the steering committee for implementation of the Project Dolphin, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2020.
The 15-member steering committee, to be headed by additional director general of forests (wildlife) and director, wildlife preservation, government of India, will oversee the implementation of the Project Dolphin and advise the ministry of environment, forest and climate change on strategies and modalities for effective implementation.
Sinha is among just three members who have been made part of the steering committee in individual capacity in recognition of their contribution to Dolphin research. Sinha is presently vice-chancellor of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (Jammu & Kashmir), but he did extensive research on the mammal in Bihar during his stint with Patna University.
“I am happy I will get the opportunity to work for Project Dolphin, but I would have been even happier had my native state Bihar, which has half the river Dolphin population of the world as well as rich expertise in this field, been ready to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, the long-awaited National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC) In Patna has remained stuck for years for reasons best known to the authorities,” he said.
Last year, chief minister Nitish Kumar had laid the foundation stone of the centre after a long wait just ahead of assembly elections and the fund for the building was also sanctioned to the building construction department (BCD), but things could not move beyond that.
“As Bihar accounts for 50% of the world’s river dolphin population, highly endangered species under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and declared the National Aquatic Animal in 2009, the NDRC would have been a big step forward for the conservation of the mammal,” he said.
With the Prime Minister announcing Project Dolphin on the lines of Project Tiger to focus on both river and sea dolphins, there was hope that the proposed centre in Bihar, for which land was acquired from Patna University, acquired more importance.
The erstwhile Planning Commission had sanctioned a sum of ₹28.06 crore for it in 2013 itself and subsequently the state government also released a sum of ₹19.16 crore for infrastructure development on June 4, 2014, to Infrastructure Development Authority (IDA). But everything remained on paper.
Sinha said he felt sorry for Bihar not being able to take advantage of such a big project despite having natural advantage. “Had the centre been ready, Bihar could have staked claim to be centre of activity. Now, the condition of the Ganga in Patna, where the river has 25-km bank with the city, is also bad, with the river drifting away and a lot of construction going on in the river bed to permanently block river flow closer to the city. It has badly affected Dolphin habitat in and around Patna,” he said.
In 2018-19, around 1,500 Dolphins were sighted in the Ganga during a survey by teams of experts. This also prompted the government to build India’s first observatory, Vikrmshil Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary, for the mammals in Bhagalpur. The work on it is on. It will boost eco-tourism. Another observatory is also in the pipeline at Patna.
