Village Rajghat of Bulandshahr district. This area of Ganga is famous for the presence of dolphins, turtles and fish. There are more than 20 dolphins in the Ganges alone. But, we had to be disappointed. Even after walking in the motorboat for two hours, we did not see even a glimpse of the dolphin.
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‘Dainik Bhaskar’ traveled about 175 km from Hastinapur to Sambhal in Meerut to Sambhal on the second day of his Ganga Yatra. At this stage of the journey, we saw dolphins in the Ganges, the presence of turtles is less. Four dolphins have died in this area in the last four years. The reason is that the chemical and fauna found in the Ganges water. Read this report…
This picture is near Brajghat Ganga Bridge in Hapur district. The water here is clean because the flow is sharp.
The second day of Ganga Yatra started from Brajghat in Hapur district located on the Delhi -Lucknow National Highway. We saw that the number of people taking Ganga bath has increased here. The reason for this is summer. Here Kewat Bholu, who has been running a boat for 30 years, became our partner. We asked Bholu – What is the status of the organisms living in water here? He says – A video of Brajghat Ganga went viral a few days ago. A dead crocodile looked flowing. When we found out from other sailors, it came to know that it has been flowing from Amroha district.
Bholu says – Some people on the banks of the Ganges hunt fish for their food. Many times, big aquatic creatures are also trapped in their net. When crocodiles get trapped in the trap, hunters are not able to leave them alive even if they want to. The hunters are afraid that if we leave the crocodile alive, they should not hunt us next time. Therefore, most of the apprehension is that the crocodile has also been a victim of fish killing.
Ganga water cleaned under Brajghat bridge in Hapur
The ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ reporter filled the Ganga water in the disposable glass just below the Brajghat Ganga Bridge. He looks very clear by looking. Bholu Kewat states that the depth of the Ganges under the bridge is around 30 feet. Here the flow is sharp and the bathing ghat is also next to it. Due to the strong current, the water here remains almost clean. Yes, the Ganges starts to calm down after moving a little further. In such a situation, the color of water starts to be muddy. The mountains are raining continuously. There is also one reason that the color of the Ganges is currently like beige.
This is the view of Brajghat in Hapur district. The water on the banks of the ghat is beige.
A tortoise hatchri in Ahar of Bulandshahr, that too closed due to increasing Ganga water
From Brajghat, we reached the historic and mythological site of Bulandshahr district, traveling about 50 km along the Ganges. Here in Khadar area across the Ganges, the forest department had installed a turtle hatchery, but we found nothing there. We asked Ramautar associated with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on the phone about this.
He told – Turtle Hachri operates from November to May. In this, the eggs of turtles are kept in the hatchery at proper temperatures. When the eggs start bursting themselves, the children get out of it and go to the Ganges themselves. From June, water starts increasing in the Ganges. Hence the hatchery has been closed.
Only the Ganges was seen in the Ahar of Bulandshahr. The tortoise hatchery has been removed due to increase in water.
Now Hachri will be re -operated in November. The area of the hatchery is covered from all sides, so that wild animals do not reach there. People nearby are deployed to monitor him. We met local citizen Upendra Nagar. He told – there is only one tortoise hatchery in the ahar. It remains closed during the flood time. The rest of the days it is looked after by Forest Department, WWF and local NGOs.
WWF base camp closed, dolphin monitoring is also not special
On the banks of the Ganges from Ahar, we reached the yellow kothi in Karnavas, 40 km away. This is the place from where the activities of conservation of aquatic organisms were conducted in the entire Ramsar site at one time. There is silence on the yellow kothi today. It has become completely deserted. The main building is locked. Local people say that this building is now with a trust, which sometimes distributes Bhandara here.
This is the yellow kothi of Karnavas in Bulandshahr, where once wwf’s base camp. Now there is silence here.
Local citizens said – World Wildlife Fund (WWF) had made Yellow Kothi its base camp from 2010 to 2016. The Ganges flows under the yellow kothi. Here scientists from WWF, Tokyo University of Japan and IIT Delhi had two sonar machines in the Ganges. These sonar machines used to watch every activity of dolphin. Around 2016, some economic irregularities were accused and the WWF had to close his Karnavas base camp.
Now Dolphin conservation work is done by WWF officials from Hastinapur (Meerut) office. They often visit the Karnavas region. Till about 8 years ago, two hatchers of turtles used to operate in Karnavas, now they too have stopped. The crop of hatchery in Ganga Khadar is now standing.
Local people say – Yellow Kothi has about 7–8 dolphins, which often appear in the evening. Since this entire area is known for dolphins, the boats are also negligible here.
Sailor said – Dolphin is seen or not visible
Traveling in a motorboat from Karnavas, we reached village Rajghat, 10 km away. It is said that if the most dolphins are present in the Ramsar site, then the place is Ramghat. The reason for this is that there is more water depth in many places, which dolphins like. The sailors here take the tourist inside the Ganges to show the dolphin. We also rode on a motorboat. Our boat in Rajghat Ganga is roaming in an area of about 4 kilometers. Despite being in the Ganges for about two hours, we have not seen a single dolphin.
There are more than 20 Ganga dolphins in Rajghat area of Bulandshahr district. But dolphins were not seen during our Ganga trip.
Monu Monu, who is driving the boat in this journey, said – Many times the officers come here to see the dolphin. It is a matter of luck that even those officers do not see dolphins. Whereas many times it happens that dolphins float along with our boat.
We definitely see some birds sitting on the sandy island in the Ganges. Sailor says that these birds sit here to hunt fish. There is a large number of Siberian birds gathering in the region during the cold days, which reflects the better eco system of the region.
Some of the river on the river in Rajghat definitely appeared.
Four dolphins killed in four years
The Wildlife Institute of India (WWI) conducted a survey in the year 2024 to know the number of dolphins in the rivers of India. On 3 March 2025, the central government released its figures. The number of dolphins in the Ganges river was found to be 6324. While their number from Bijnor to Narora Barrage was recorded at 52. This number was 50 in 2023. That is, two dolphins have increased in the last one year. Four dolphins in Meerut and Bulandshahr districts from 2020 to 2024 have died under suspicious circumstances. The cause of his death in the postmortem report has not been clear till date.
Four dolphins have died in Meerut and Bulandshahr districts.
Two rehabilitation centers of turtles in Narora
Touring the Ganges from Karna in Bulandshahr, we reached Narora, about 7 km from here. There is Narora Atomic Power Station (NAPP) Anuvihar Colony here. There is an office of Namami Gange Project inside this colony. There are two Ganga aquatic organism rescue and rehabilitation centers here. There is a hostility of water inside these rehabilitation centers. In which some big turtles were found floating. In addition to the Forest Department overseeing these centers, the Indian Wildlife Institute does. However, we did not find anyone present on the spot.
We spoke to Aftab of the Indian Wildlife Institute on the phone. He says – Two such rescue centers were opened in Uttar Pradesh. One was in Varanasi and the other in Narora. Both are built on the banks of the Ganges. Most turtles are caught from hunters. When the forest department recovers them, many times turtles are not in the condition that they should be released in water immediately. These rehabilitation centers have been set up for such a situation.
We asked – How many turtles are there at the time of these rehabilitation center. On this, Aftab says – Turtle is not aim in these centers. The aim is that if such a situation comes, we are fully prepared to protect it. During the cleanliness of Lower Ganga Canal, we rescued some turtles, which are present in these rehabilitation centers. Our project is for the preservation of the creatures of the Ganges. Under this, we find out where the number of organisms living in water is more. Then we work on their protection.
Aftab says that 70 to 80 types of organisms are currently found in the Ramsar site. It mainly has a large number of dolphins, crocodiles, crocodiles and turtles. The Ganges water has been cleaned, so the organisms have increased.
Village with turtle, IPS officer recognized
District Badaun starts after crossing Narora Ganga Barrage. We reached the village Kishanpur in Sambhal district via here. This village falls about 9–10 kilometers from the banks of the Ganges, which is a way of Ganga Khadar. There is a pond in this village. There are large number of turtles in the pond. They are also so big that they can hardly look in the Ganges. Because of this, Kishanpur is also called a village with turtles. It can also be searched from a village with turtles on Google Map. IPS officer Anukreethy Sharma is going to give a new life to this pond.
There are a large number of turtles in Kishanpur village of Sambhal district. It is also called a village with turtles.
Anukreethy is also associated with wild life, often records activities on the banks of the Ganges in her special camera. She says that about 260 types of creatures, birds have been found in Sambhal district along the Ganges. This area is very special for birds. Apart from deer, crocodile, dolphin, turtles, hundreds of types of birds are seen here.
Dangerous chemical crisis on dolphin
There are many reasons for crisis on organisms in the Ganges. A recent survey of the Indian Wildlife Institute has revealed that the small fishes that Gangeya Dolphins hunt are in touch with dangerous chemicals. In this way it is reaching the stomach of chemical dolphin. In the last four years, four dolphins in Meerut and Bulandshahr have died under suspicious circumstances. Till date, the exact cause of his death could not be known.
Apart from this, chemical is used in the crop growing in the area of Ganga, from Bijnor to Meerut, Bulandshahr and further in the Ganges area of Ganga. These chemicals flow into the Ganges with the help of water. There is also a threat to aquatic organisms.
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Crisis on Ganga in UP, many places shrunk: where the river was the deepest, there was also an island … Part-1
Vidur Kuti of Bijnor district of UP. Ganga shifted to one and a half kilometers west of this Vidur Kuti. Vidur Kuti is a mythological place, which is associated with the Mahabharata period. The Ganges flowed here till a few years ago. ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ has come out on a 1450 km long ‘Ganga Yatra’ in Uttar Pradesh. Read full news …
