PATNA: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Sushil Kumar Modi said that the National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC) is all set to come up in Patna University premises in October this year.
Replying to questions of members at the state legislative council on Monday, Modi said that NDRC will be set up at the total cost of Rs 19.16 crore.
“According to a survey recently conducted, 1,548 Gangetic dolphins have been spotted in Ganga, Gandak, Kosi and Mahananda rivers. In 2010, Dolphin was declared national Aquatic species in the state”, he said and added further that the Vikramsheela Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary has been developed in the basin of Ganga between Sultanganj and Kahalgao in Bhagalpur district.
“The people would be able to watch aquatic activities of Dolphins in the river from an observatory tower getting erected between Sultangaj-Aguvani ghat”, he informed the house. He also added that efforts have been taken up towards conservation of turtles also with a decision to set up the first turtle conservation and rehabilitation centre of eastern India in Bhagalpur’s sundarvan areas.
A Garur Conservation and Rehabilitation centre has also been proposed in Bhagalpur’s Kandawa diara (riverside) areas to save the species of Garur vultures. He also informed the upper house that the Valmiki Tiger Reserve sanctuary was visited more than 46,424 tourists in 2018-19 compared to total number of 10,467 footfalls of visitors in 2017-18.
“Besides all theses, the state government is developing a zoo-safari spot between Rajgir’s Swarngiri and Vaibhavgiri hilly areas over 480 acres of land. The visitors would be able to spot and watch lions, tigers, and leopards in loitering in open areas during the zoo safari”, he said, adding that one part of zoo safari will be thrown open to common people in October.
In Nalanda’s district, works are also in progress to develop a Nature Safari spot at the estimated cost of Rs 19.29 crore while a mega bio-diversity park in Araria district is has been setu with over 450 varies of plants for visitors.