Requests for ban on fishing in 10 Km stretch of Ganga in Bhitaura
By Ashutosh Shukla
Fatehpur: For conservation of Dolphins in river Ganga, the Fatehpur forum has demanded from the Namami Gange Director to put a blanket ban on fishing activities in 10 Km stretch of river Ganges in Bhitaura of Fatehpur district in Uttar Pradesh.
The forum, with cross sections of the society as its members working in various parts of the country and abroad with their roots in Fatehpur demanded the ban on fishing in 10 km stretch up stream and down stream of Ganga at Bhitaura under Namami Gange Mission to conserve the Gangetic Dolphins.
The Fatehpur forum members including Pradeep Srivastava, S.S. Parihar, Daya Shankar Rastogi, Uttam Tiwari, Rajeev Tiwari, Sandhya Singh , S. Sharan Simpal, Surendra Pathak, S. Tiwari regularly take up various social, educational environmental , medical and other issues of the district by maintaining a constant touch with district officers at Fatehpur informed the DG Namami Gange Rajiv Ranjan Mishra during a recent meeting held in New Delhi about spotting of Dolphins in 10 Km stretch of Ganges around Bhitaura since time immemorial . They stated that the villagers respect the creature and the Fatehpur fourm took up the issue of protecting it before the district officers on several occasions.
They further informed that some orders though were passed in this regard at local level but unfortunately could not be implemented under pressure of fish traders who catch fish in Ganga- Yamuna for commercial purpose.
In due course of fishing Dolphins too get trapped, though inadvertently and killed.
Demanding ban on fishing in the said stretch of river Ganges, for Dolphins survival. Once the dolphins could be seen in plenty, it would certainly attract the tourists fetching revenue in the district.
The forum requested the DG to instruct authorities concerned to initiate necessary steps for conserving Gangetic Dolphins.
Taking serious cognizance of the issue raised by the forum, the DG instructed his subordinates Mr Sandeep Behra and Mrs Nidhi to make a comprehensive plan for the purpose.
Appreciating the forum members efforts for development of their district and its resources the DG also directed the authorities concerned to explore the plan taking more inputs from forest department and from the DM Fatehpur. He also asked for revival of the lakes with the help of concerned departments and stake holders.
Meanwhile Executive Director National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) Ashok Kumar Singh assured to take all possible efforts
to explore the possibility of working on ground.
The entire work related to the conservation of Dolphins would be monitored by the core members of the Fatehpur Forum Rajeev Tiwari and Sandhya Singh.
Earlier apprising the DG about the details of the auspicious value of river Ganges, the forum said that it flows towards North only at a few places in course of its long journey from Gangotri to Gangasagar and Bhitaura in district Fatehpur is one of them where it is Uttar Vahini for about 3 km of stretch.
Bhrigu Thaura , now pronounced as Bhitaura was
Tapasthali of Maharshi Bhrigu. As the legend goes, Ganga and Bhrigu treated each other as brother - sister. While descending on earth with terrific force , Ganga when reached Taposthali of Maharshi Bhrigu it changes her course to protect her brothers Ashram and it travelled for about 3 km towards north.
The villagers consider Bhrigu Tapasthali as an auspicious place where 25 years back a well known Saint of the area Swami Vigyananand Saraswati made a beautiful Ashram.
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