Parliament Question: Biodiversity and river conservation hub/centre

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 262 ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026 BIODIVERSITY AND RIVER CONSERVATION HUB/CENTRE 262. SHRI ASHOKRAO SHANKARRAO CHAVAN: Will the Minister of Jal Shakti be pleased to state: (a) whether Government has recently inaugurated a new Aquatic Biodiversity and River Conservation Hub/Centre named National Centre for River Research (NCPR) at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and if so, the details thereof; (b) the aims and objectives along with the key functions of the said hub/centre; (c) whether Government proposes to cover the species and river systems under the hub’s programmes facing threats such as river dolphins, turtles and indigenous fish species and if so, the details thereof; and (d) whether Government has earmarked/sanctioned any financial outlay for the establishment and operation of the hub and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY) (a) to (d) The Ganga Aqualife Conservation Monitoring Centre (GACMC) / National Centre for River Research (NCRR), at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun was established as a part of the ongoing National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) funded project “Biodiversity Conservation and Ganga Rejuvenation’', to cater to the need of scientific studies on the aquatic biodiversity of the Ganga River Basin. Subsequently, the scope of this Centre was scaled up to cater the need of other Indian rivers through the project “Assessment of ecological status of select Indian rivers for conservation planning” with additional funding support from National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD), Ministry of Jal Shakti. This facility was named as the National Centre for River Research (NCRR), to reflect its aim to contribute to the scientific knowledge and promote conservation of major rivers of the country, including the rivers of Ganga Basin. The GACMC/NCRR aims to promote conservation of rivers and associated freshwater ecosystems in India by pursuing the following objectives: (1) Build scientific knowledge on rivers and associated freshwater ecosystems through applied research, (2) Develop and implement comprehensive monitoring programmes to assess the health and ecological integrity of rivers and associated freshwater ecosystems, (3) Build capacity of relevant stakeholders for the conservation and management of rivers and associated freshwater ecosystems, and their biodiversity, (4) Engage stakeholders through consultative processes, participatory research, and livelihood development to foster stewardship of rivers and associated freshwater ecosystems, (5) Provide scientific expertise and evidence-based recommendations for policy development and decision-making processes related to water resource development, and (6) Develop effective outreach programmes to raise public awareness about the conservation significance of rivers and freshwater ecosystems, and their biodiversity. The GACMC/NCRR is equipped to conduct advanced ecological and eco-toxicological research and systematic conservation planning for rivers. It also has an information dissemination centre and facilities for conducting academic programme related to rivers and their biodiversity. *****