India’s first Dolphin Observatory

• Vaid's ICS, Lucknow
• 09, Jul 2021

Why in news?

Bihar government is setting up India’s first Dolphin observatory in the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary(VGDS).

Facts:

• Gangetic river dolphin:It is India’s national aquatic animal found in parts of the Ganges, Meghna and Brahmaputra river systems in India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
• They are locally known as Susu which refers to the noise the dolphin is said to make when it breathes.

Significance: They can be an indicator of the health of the freshwater ecosystem as they can only live in freshwater.

IUCN Red List: Endangered

Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

CITES: Appendix I

Threats: Declining water level, Climate Change, Poaching and increase in pollution level.

Additional Facts:

• Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS):It is located in Bhagalpur District of Bihar.It was designated as a protected area for the Gangetic dolphins in 1991.

Facts for Prelims:

Petrapole:

It is the Indian side of Petrapole-Benapole border checkpoint between India and Benapole of Bangladesh, on the Bangladesh-India border, near Bongaon in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

• Petrapole border is the only land port in south Bengal. It is also the largest land customs station in Asia.
• The landport alone accounts for nearly 60 per cent of the bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh.

iCommit’ initiative:

It was launched on the occasion of World Environment Day.

1. The ‘#iCommit’ initiative is centred around the idea of building an energy resilient future.
2. The calls upon all stakeholders and individuals to continue moving towards energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability to create a robust and resilient energy system in the future.
3. The initiative is driven by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under the administration of Ministry of Power.
4. It includes a diverse set of players such as Governments, Corporates, Multilateral and Bilateral Organisations, Think Tanks and Individuals.