Prime Minister Modi announced ‘Project Gangetic Dolphin’ today (15 August), on the occasion of India’s 74th Independence day, for the conservation of the Gangetic Dolphins — as part of the conversation on the riverine dolphin.
PM Modi’s announcement — aimed at conserving the riverine and oceanic dolphins — has come 10 years after the Gangetic Dolphin was declared the national aquatic animal (2009).River dolphins, including the Gangetic dolphins, play the vital role of being ecological indicators. They point at the healthy river ecosystems and are the prime species indicating the conservation status of the river systems.Prime Minister Modi’s announcement will be backed by work from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate change (MoEF).Project Dolphin is a 10-year project and follows the conservation projects of fame dedicated to the conservation of tigers, under Project Tiger, and elephants, under Project Elephant, in Indian animal conservation history.