changeadminIndia is blessed with many rivers, which are held as profound cultural symbols, serving as the “lifeblood” of civilisations and repositories of collective heritage and cultural diversity.
Many of these rivers, including the Ganga-Brahmaputra system, host unique, threatened species such as the Gangetic dolphin, turtles, gharials, and numerous endemic fish.
The Ganga river system sustains close to 2000 aquatic species, including threatened species like the Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica), Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), and various riverine turtles.
This requires focused efforts on aquatic conservation, species protection, habitat improvement, monitoring, patrolling, and awareness programs.
To support aquatic biodiversity in India, the government leverages scientific laboratories and conservation centres, including international institutions.
Aquatic Conservation Centres in India
Recently, the Aqua Life Conservation Monitoring Centre for Ganga and other rivers was inaugurated at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, as a specialised facility for research and monitoring of riverine and associated freshwater ecosystems and their biodiversity.
The Centre is equipped with laboratory facilities in ecotoxicology, aquatic ecology and spatial ecology. The Ecotoxicology Laboratory undertakes an assessment of the presence and distribution of pollutants in river systems.
It also supports studies using non-invasive approaches for evaluating contaminant exposure in aquatic fauna, including species such as the Gangetic dolphin and otters.
The Aquatic Ecology Laboratory supports the analysis of riverine biodiversity, including molecular-level studies of freshwater organisms.
The Spatial Ecology Laboratory facilitates spatial analysis relevant to river conservation and freshwater ecosystem management. The Centre also houses a library that serves as a resource centre for studies of rivers and freshwater ecosystems.
In Etawah (Uttar Pradesh), a Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) laboratory has been established in the National Chambal Sanctuary to support digitised patrolling and monitoring of rivers and wetlands.
The system assists field-level monitoring of aquatic fauna and their habitats, including gharial and turtle populations.
One rear-and-release facility (enclosure) at the National Chambal Sanctuary has been refurbished to support recovery programmes for endangered turtle species, including the Red-crowned Roofed Turtle.
In addition, a transit and holding facility (enclosure) has been established along the Saryu River in the Bahraich district to triage and treat confiscated turtle cohorts and rescued gharials.
Six aquatic species rescue and rehabilitation centres have been established in the Ganga River Basin in collaboration with State Forest Departments. These centres are located at Narora and Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh), Barhi and Deori (Madhya Pradesh), Bhagalpur (Bihar), and Barrackpore (West Bengal).
The facilities provide infrastructure for conservation breeding, husbandry, and veterinary care of aquatic wildlife and are staffed by trained personnel, including qualified veterinarians.
International Cooperation to Support Aquatic Life
The United Nations (UN) has recognised the NamamiGange initiative to rejuvenate India’s sacred River Ganga as one of the top 10 World Restoration Flagships from over 150 such initiatives from 70 countries across the globe to revive the natural world in the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Montreal, Canada.
Following the UN’s recognition, NMCG has adopted best international practices in Water Resources Development and Management, including through collaboration with the governments of Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands.
The Smart Laboratory for Clean Rivers (SLCR) has been established under the Green Strategic Partnership between India and Denmark to deliver global solutions to current challenges in clean river water.
The Smart Laboratory conducts collaborative research and development to integrate real-world environments through a Living Lab approach and by creating a platform among government authorities, academic institutions, and technology providers for knowledge sharing and co-creation to achieve clean river water.
An agreement has been signed between the Government of India and the Government of Germany for Technical cooperation to support the Ganga Rejuvenation (SGR) project, and work has been done to strengthen the quality infrastructure for water monitoring of the River Ganga.
The Centre of Excellence on Water has been established under the Strategic Water Partnership between India and the Netherlands, focusing on Water Safety, Water Availability, and Water Quality.
It has been established to identify, showcase, and implement advanced water technologies, particularly from the Netherlands and other global leaders, and pilot projects to promote cutting-edge water solutions.
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