New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI) Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil on Thursday launched a new digital platform for providing ecological insights, conservation case studies and data on river biodiversity of India.

The platform was launched during a high-level review meeting of key projects undertaken by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) under the aegis of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).

During the meeting, Paatil emphasised the importance of local involvement and suggested organising a Ganga Prahari Conclave to strengthen volunteer engagement.

He also encouraged the exploration of new conservation initiatives, particularly those aimed at protecting the Mugger crocodile in Indian rivers.

A key highlight of the event was the launch of a new digital platform, developed jointly by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and WII.

The platform aims to serve as a comprehensive information dashboard, offering ecological insights, conservation case studies, and data on river biodiversity and physiography.

It covers major rivers including the Ganga, Barak, Mahanadi, Narmada, Godavari, Cauvery, and Pamba.

The platform is part of the Ganga Aqualife Conservation Monitoring Centre/National Centre for River Research, aimed at promoting transparency and scientific rigor in aquatic ecosystem monitoring.

Paatil also released a series of knowledge products developed under these initiatives.

These include ‘Hydrophytes: Green Lungs of Ganga’ (Volumes I & II) and ‘Protocols for Collection, Storage and Transportation of Biological Samples of Freshwater Macrofauna’.

Another milestone underlined in the review was a massive river survey that spanned over 12,000 kilometers across 22 rivers.

The ministry said the survey employed advanced tools such as GPS-enabled data collection, SONAR-based depth profiling, and ecological monitoring apps.

These technological interventions were complemented by initiatives like Project Dolphin, which focuses on conserving river dolphins and supporting sustainable livelihoods through eco-tourism and conservation-based employment, the ministry said. PTI UZM NB