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Work on India’s first dolphin research centre to start soon in Patna
The dolphin is a highly endangered species under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and was declared the National Aquatic Animal in 2009.
The society for the long-awaited National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC) is likely to be formed within a month, officials said.
Last year, chief minister Nitish Kumar had laid the foundation stone of the centre and the fund for the building was also sanctioned to the building construction department (BCD), but things could not move beyond that.
Principal secretary, department of forest and environment, Dipak Kumar Singh said that there were some issues with Patna University on the society formation, but that has now been sorted out. “The society will be formed within a month. The construction of the building in Patna University will also get underway soon. Fund has already been sanctioned,” he added.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announcing Project Dolphin last year on the lines of Project Tiger to focus on both river and sea dolphins, the centre has acquired more importance. The project also got in-principle approval at the first meeting of the National Ganga Council (NGC), headed by the PM.
The NDRC is a long-pending project, but it got further delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic. 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).
However, the autonomous centre, proposed under Bihar’s department of environment and forests, still could not take off due to wrangles over its location and control. “Now, there is no issue and the work on it will begin soon,” he added.
Prof RK Sinha, vice chancellor of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (Jammu & Kashmir) and Padma Shree awardee in 2016 for his contributions to dolphin research, said sooner the centre took shape, better it would be. “With the announcement of Project Dolphin, Bihar can take lead in it. The state has the advantage of half the Dolphin population as well as expertise for conservation,” he added.
As Bihar accounts for 50% of the world’s river dolphin population, a highly endangered species under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and declared the National Aquatic Animal in 2009, Sinha said the NDRC would be a big step forward for the conservation of the mammal.
In 2018-19, around 1500 dolphins were sighted in the Ganga during a survey by teams of experts. This also prompted the government to build India’s first observatory, Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary, for the mammals in Bhagalpur. Once it is completed, it is expected to boost eco-tourism. Another observatory is also in the pipeline at Patna.
