Biodiversity

Importance of Species

• Economic and ecological services

• Storehouse of genetic information
• Cultural and aesthetic values
 Levels of Biodiversity
 Genetic diversity: level of biodiversity that refers to
total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic
makeup of species.
 Species diversity: refers to variety of species within a
region.
 Community and Ecosystem diversity (diversity at the
level of ecosystem)
1.Alpha: within the community
2.Beta: between community
3.Gamma: over the total landscape or geographical area
According to UNEP estimate, approx 9.0- 52 million
species exist on earth. India’s position is 10th in world
and 4th in Asia in terms of plant diversity.
 Threats to Biodiversity

• Habitat Destruction and Fragmentation

• Invasive species
• Population growth
• Pollution
• Overharvesting
 Habitats

• Forests
• Grasslands
• Wetlands
• Mangroves
• Coral Reefs
• Deserts
 Forests

• Placed at 6,33,397 sq km according to the forest survey of

India assessment.
• India is endowed with diverse forest types. Tropical wet
evergreen in North Eastern and Tropical thorn forests in
Central and Western India.
 Grasslands & Shrublands

• 12% of total landmass is covered with

grasslands.
• They constitute semi arid pastures of western
part of Deccan peninsula, humid, semi water
logged tall grassland of Torai Belt, rolling
shola grassland of Western Ghat, and high
altitude alpine pasture of Himalayas.
 Wetlands

• 3% is covered by wetlands
• 320 species are associated with the Indian wetlands, diverse
population of plants and animals including 150 species of
amphibians.
• They are the habitat of some of world’s endangered and
threatened flora and fauna.
• Western and Central flock of Siberian crane is one of the most
endangered cranes in the world.
• Brown antlered deer or ‘sangai’ is found in phumadis (floating
landmass) of Lok Tak Lake
• Gahirmatha beach is major breeding site of olive ridley turtles.
• Chilka is the habitat of many threatened species such as green
sea turtle, Hawkbill turtle, dugong, blackbuck.
 Mangroves

• These are salt tolerant ecosystems in tropical and subtropical regions.

• They are characterized by assemblage of unrelated tree genera that share
the common ability to grow in saline tidal zone.
• India harbours some of the best mangrove swamps in the world:
1. Alluvial deltas of Ganga
2. Mahanadi
3. Godavari
4. Krishna
5. Cauvery
6. Andaman and Nicobar
Sunderbans in W. B covers the largest stretch and it is host to number of
species.
 Coral Reefs

• 60% occurs in the Indian Ocean Region

• Indian Reefs are of the following categories:
1.Palk Bay and Gulf of Munnar: Fringing
2.Gulf of Kachchh: Fringing, Patchy
3.Andaman and Nicobar: Fringing
4.Lakshwadeep: Atolls
5.Central West Coast: Patchy
200 coral species are found in Andaman and Nicobar.
 Status of Biodiversity in India

• India occupies only 2.4% of world’s land area, but its

contribution to world’s biodiversity is approx 8% of the total
no. of species.
1. India is situated at the trijunction of 3 realms, afro-tropical,
Indo Malayan, Paleo Arctic realms, and therefore has
characteristic elements from each of them.
2. This accounts for its rich bio diversity.
• 10 biogeographical zones:
1. Trans Himalayas:Extension of Tibetan Plateau harboring
high altitude cold desert in Laddakh, Lahaul Spiti in Jammu
and Kashmir
2. Himalayas: entire mountain chain from North Western to
North Eastern India, diverse range of biotic provinces and
biomes.
3. Desert: arid area west of aravalli hill range, salty desert of
Gujarat, sand desert of Rajasthan.
4. Semi arid region: between Desert and Deccan plateau
• Western Ghats: Hills and plains running along the
western coastline, south of the Tapti River, covering
an extremely diverse range of biotic provinces and
biomes.
• Deccan Peninsula: Largest of zones, much of the
southern and south central plateau with a
predominantly deciduous vegetation
• Gangetic Plain: Ganges River System
• North East India: plains and Non Himalayan hill
regions of north eastern India with a wide variation of
vegetation
• Islands: Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the
Bay of Bengal (Highly diverse set of biomes)
• Coasts: Large coastline distributed both to the
west and east.
 Habitat Fragmentation and its Causes

• Rate of species loss is likely to increase during

the next 50 to 100 years because of projected
growth of the world’s human population and
resource per person.
Endangered and Threatened Species
Are Ecological Smoke Alarms
• Endangered species
– So few members that the species could soon become
extinct

• Threatened species (vulnerable species)

– Still enough members to survive, but numbers declining
-- may soon be endangered
 Endangered Species of India

• The International Union for Conservation of Nature and

Natural Resources (IUCN) published the Red Data Book
which includes the list of endangered species of plants and
animals. The red data symbolizes the warning signal for those
species which are endangered and if not protected are likely to
become extinct.
• Extinct: A species is said to be extinct when it is not seen in
wild for 50 years at a stretch e.g. Dodo, passenger pigeon
• Endangered: Number has been reduced to a critical level or
whose habitats, have been drastically reduced and if such a
species is not protected and conserved, it is in immediate
danger of extinction e.g. Spotted owl, green sea turtle, red
panda
• Vulnerable: Population is facing continuous decline due to
overexploitation or habitat destruction. Such a species is still
abundant, but under a serious threat of becoming endangered
if casual factors are not checked
• Rare: Species which are not endangered or vulnerable at
present, but are at the risk are categorized as rare species.
They are usually endemic.
Percentage of Various Species Threatened with
Premature Extinction

Fig. 9-4, p. 194

 Case Study: The Passenger Pigeon:
Gone Forever
• The Passenger Pigeon used to be one of the world’s
most abundant birds

• According to the Audubon Society, a typical flock took

about 3 days to fly over

• Due to human activities, the Passenger Pigeon was

hunted to extinction by 1900:
– Habitat loss
– Commercial hunting (for making pillows and fertilizers)
– Easy to kill: flew in large flocks and nested in dense
colonies
Passenger Pigeon

Fig. 9-5, p. 194

 Why we should prevent habitat loss
•Birds are excellent environmental indicators
•Control population of rodents and insects
which decimate many tree species
•Help in pollination, dispersal of seeds, and
scavenge dead animals
 Hot Spots of Biodiversity

 Hot spot coined by Myers

 A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a
significant reservoir of biodiversity that is threatened
with destruction.
 An area is designated as a hot spot when it contains at
least 0.5% of plant species as endemic.
 35 Hotspots of biodiversity on global level
 2 are present in India
a)Indo- Burma (Eastern Himalayas)
b)Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
a) Eastern Himalayas: They display an ultra varied topography
that fosters species diversity and endemism. There are
numerous deep and semi isolated valleys in Sikkim which are
extremely rich in endemic plant species. In an area of 7298 sq
km of Sikkim about 4250 plant species are found of which
60% are endemic. The forest cover of Eastern Himalayas has
dwindled to about 1/3rd of its original cover. Certain species
like Sapria himalayana, a parasitic angiosperm was sighted
only twice in this region in the last 70 years. Out of the
world’s recorded flora 30% are endemic to India of which
35,000 are in the Himalayas.
• Western Ghats: It extends along a 17,000 sq km strip of forests
in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala and has
40% of the total endemic plant species. 62% amphibians, and
50% lizards are endemic to Western Ghats. Forest tracts upto
500 m elevation covering 20% of the forest expanse are
evergreen while those in 500-1500 m range are semi
evergreen. It is reported that only 6.8% of the original forests
are existing today while the rest has been deforested or
degraded, which raises a serious cause of alarm, because it
means we have already lost a huge proportion of the
biodiversity.
 Criteria for determining Hotspots

• No. of endemic species

• Degree of threat (measured in terms of habitat
loss)
Indo-Burma: Cambodia, Vietnam, entire areas of
Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan, part of Nepal, far
eastern India and extreme southern China, several
offshore island including Mainan islands in South
China Sea, Andaman and Nicobar Islands in
Indian Ocean.
One of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots.
 Western Ghats and Sri Lanka

 Also known as Sahyadri Hills

 Encompasses the montane forests in south western parts
of India and on neighbouring islands of Sri Lanka.
 Asian Elephant, Indian Tigers, endangered lion tailed
macaque.
 Reasons for rich biodiversity in tropics:
1.Stable climate
2.Warm temperatures and high humidity provide
favorable conditions
3.Species coexist
4.Rate of out crossing appear to be higher in tropics
• Deforestation continues to be an issue
worldwide contributing to loss of critical
habitat and emissions of CO2 into the
atmosphere
• Acceleration of deforestation in Brazilian
Amazon in mid 1990’s
• Cargill, Greenpeace, and McDonald’s came
together to create Brazilian task force
• Major soybean traders agreed not to purchase
soy grown on deforested lands after July 2006
• These efforts were recently recognized by the
Keystone Policy Center, which honored
Cargill, Greenpeace, and McDonald’s with the
‘Leadership in Environment Award’
 Some Deliberately Introduced
Species Can Disrupt Ecosystems
• Most species introductions are beneficial
– Food
– Shelter
– Medicine
– Aesthetic enjoyment

• Nonnative species may have no natural

– Predators
– Competitors
– Parasites
– Pathogens
 Case Study: The Kudzu Vine
• Imported from Japan in the 1930s

• “ The vine that ate the South”

• Could there be benefits of kudzu?

– Fiber for making paper
– Kudzu powder reduces desire for alcohol
Kudzu Taking Over an Abandoned
House in Mississippi, U.S.

Fig. 9-12, p. 201

 Green Revolution

• Introduction of high yielding varieties of seeds and increased

use of fertilizers and irrigation for increasing food production
• It was done in 3 steps
a) Develop and plant monocultures of selectively bred or
genetically engineered high yielding varieties of key crops
such as rice, wheat, and corn
b) Produce high yields by using large inputs of fertilizer,
pesticides and ample water
c) Increase the number of crops grown per year on a plot of land
through multiple cropping
This increased yield in most developed countries between 1950-
1970
• Second green revolution since 1967, where fast growing dwarf
varieties of rice and wheat specially bred for tropical and sub
tropical climates, were introduced in several developing
nations
• First GM high yielding wheat was first introduced in India
(1963) by Dr Norman Borlang (Father of Green Revolution)
• More food on less land
• Yield depends on
1. Fertile soil and ample water
2. Fossil fuels to run machinery, produce and apply inorganic
fertilizers and pesticides and pump water for irrigation
High input green revolution agriculture was about 8% of the
world’s oil output
 GM cropping vs Traditional agriculture
• Intercropping system in traditional agriculture where as
monoculture cropping in GM cropping
• Alley cropping where trees and crops are grown together,
resistant to soil erosion and bad weather like flood in
traditional cropping
• Less need for fertilizers and water
• Insecticides are rarely needed as multiple habitats are created
for natural predators of crop eating insects
• No need for herbicides because weeds cannot grow
Thus polyculture is a way of growing food by copying nature.
Recent ecological research, polyculture produces higher yield
per hectare of land than monoculture
• BRAI (Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill,
2013) regulates organisms and products of modern
biotechnology
 Bt Cotton
• Most commercial crop in India
• Incorporating delta-endotoxin producing Cry
1Ac (crystal 1Ac) gene derived from soil
bacterium into cotton genome by genetic
engineering (toxic to wide range of insects such
as bollworms)
• Self reliant Cotton industry with high
productivity, yield, and export
• Government of India permitted the commercial
use of Bt cotton for farmers in April 2002
 Bt Brinjal
• GM food crop created by inserting Cry 1Ac
(Crystal 1Ac) gene from soil bacterium into
brinjal.
• Resistance against insects like Brinjal Fruit and
Shoot Borer
• Bt brinjal seed was developed by Maharashtra
Hybrid Seeds Co in association with Monsanto
• GEAC had approved permission for field trials
in 2009 in order to bring down the cost of
brinjal production .
• Annual production would thus increase and would be
good for farm economy
• Potential health hazards and problem of purchasing of
the terminator seeds led the matter to Supreme Court ,
who declared a 10 year moratorium on field trials of
all GM food crops and a complete ban on field trials
of transgenics in crops which originate in India
Prevention Is the Best Way to Reduce
Threats from Invasive Species
• Prevent them from becoming established

• Learn the characteristics of the species

• Set up research programs

• Try to find natural ways to control them

• International treaties

• Public education
 Pollution and Climate Change

• Projected climate change and exposure to pollutants such as

pesticides threaten some species with premature extinction
• Human activities like green house gas emissions, and
deforestation may bring about rapid climate change which
may change habitats of many species and accelerate extinction
of some species
 Core Case Study: Polar Bears and
Global Warming
• 20,000-25,000 in the Arctic

• Most calories in winter from seals on sea ice

• Environmental impact on polar bears

– Less summer sea ice from global warming
– Could be gone from wild by 2100

• 2008: Threatened species list

Polar Bear with Seal Prey

Fig. 9-1, p. 190

 Pesticides

• General term for insecticides, rodenticides, herbicides, and

fungicides
• Insecticide- DDT which is a persistent organic pollutant (POP)
• 25% of total DDT is likely to have been transferred to oceans
• Accummulation of DDT in food chains causing
biomagnification
Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification

Fig. 9-15, p. 203

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfDUBEE
2SsI&feature=youtu.be
• Major soil organisms bring biodegradation of
pesticides through oxidation
 Poaching
Some protected species are illegally killed for
their valuable parts or are sold live to
collectors
Subsistence Poaching- killing of animals for
food
Commercial Poaching- hunting and killing
animals to sell their products
• A live mountain gorilla is worth $150,000
• A giant panda pelt $100,000
• A chimpanzee $50000
• Imperial Amazon macaw $30000
• A Rhino horn $28,600/kg (because of its use
in dagger handles in Middle East and as a
fever reducer and alleged aphrodisiac in China
• China is world’s largest consumer of wildlife
• Bengal tigers at risk as tiger fur sells for
$100,000 in Tokyo
• Body parts of a single tiger worth $5000-
$20,000
• Illegal hunting skyrocketed in India
• As commercially valuable species become
endangered, their black market demand soars,
thus leading chances of premature extinction
• Pangolin, the most poached animal in 2015
Natural Capital Degradation: Reduction in the
Ranges of Four Wildlife Species

Fig. 9-10, p. 199

Indian Tiger

Range 100 years ago

Range today

Fig. 9-10a, p. 199

African Elephant

Probable range 1600

Range today
Fig. 9-10c, p. 199
Asian or Indian Elephant

Former range
Range today

Fig. 9-10d, p. 199

Humans have wiped out 58% of wildlife in
42 years
Could decline by another 67% between
1970- 2020
Worst Sufferers:
a)Animals in lakes, rivers, and wetlands
b)31% of global fish stocks overfished
c)Factory fishing has emptied the seas of
40% of sea life
d) Factory fishing has emptied the seas of 40%
of sea life
e) Marine and land vertebrates population have
dropped by 36% and 38% respectively
Factors to blame:
Human activity resulting in
a)Habitat Loss
b)Wildlife Trade
c)Climate Change and Overexploitation of
resources
India picture:
70% of surface water is polluted
60% of groundwater will reach critical
stage where it cannot be replenished in the
next decade
25% of India’s land faces desertification
 Rising Demand for Bush Meat
Threatens Some African Species
• Indigenous people sustained by bush meat

• More hunters leading to local extinction of some

wild animals

• Trade is increasing in Southeast Asia, Caribbean,

Central and South America

• Helps spread HIV/AIDS and Ebola from animals to

humans
Endangered Hyacinth Macaw is a Source
of Beauty and Pleasure

Fig. 9-8, p. 197

• More than 60 bird species, mostly parrots are
endangered or threatened because of this wild
bird trade
• According to US Fish and Wildlife Service,
collection of exotic birds may pay $10,000 for
a threatened hyacinth macaw smuggled out of
Brazil.
• Keeping a bird indoors for more than 10 years
doubles the chances of getting cancer
• Migratory birds are sitting ducks for poachers
(All they need is a dead bird as bait, gunny
bag). Many of them are dead when sold.
• Wild species whose population are depleted
because of pet trade are amphibians, reptiles,
mammals and tropical fish (taken mostly from
coral reefs of Indonesia and Phillipines)
• Coral animals create coral reefs (center for
marine biodiversity)
• Orchids and cacti are endangered, gathered
illegally and sold to collectors to decorate
houses.
• Habitat of rhinoceros hornbill is threatened by
agricultural development and logging, mostly
killed for food and its feathers
The Rare Rhinoceros Hornbill

Fig. 9-B, p. 206

Individuals Matter: Pilai Poonswad
• Biologist in Thailand

• Visited poachers of rhinoceros hornbill bird

and convinced them to protect the bird
instead

• Many former poachers now lead ecotourism

groups to view the birds
Professor Pilai Poonswad

Fig. 9-A, p. 206

 Man-Wildlife Conflicts:
Factors:
1.Human encroachment into forest cover:
2.Shrinking of forest area
3.Injured animals have a tendency to attack man
4.Earlier forest department used to grow paddy and
sugarcane in sanctuaries, but now due to lack of such
practices, animals move out.
 Technology to Trap Poachers

• DNA Analysis: DNA analysis of ivory, when

compared with DNA based mapping of
elephant population, allows investigators to
pinpoint the origins of illicit ivory and focus
enforcement in high risk areas
• Digital radio; Digital Radio network that
allows rangers to communicate securely over
long distances, coordinate with headquarters,
and respond faster to poaching incidents and
illegal park entries
• Thermal imaging: Researchers with Wildlife
Crime Technology Project are testing thermal
imagery cameras to remotely track illegal entry
into parks and protected areas. Cameras send
automatic alerts to rangers when they detect a
poacher’s entry into a protected area.
• Acoustic traps: using networks of recycled cell
phones fitted with solar panels and antennas
that act as sensors, Rainforest connection is
tracking illegal logging in Borneo.
• The phones, mounted in waterproof cases,
record and transmit sounds associated with
illegal activity to a cloud based server for
analysis.
 Overgrazing/Overexploitation

• More than half of the world’s cropland is used to

grow livestock feed grain
• Livestock and fish raised for food also consume 37%
of the world’s grain population
• Meat production uses more than half of the water
withdrawn from the world’s rivers and aquifers
(water used to irrigate crops fed to livestock)
• 14% topsoil loss linked to livestock grazing
• Cattle belch out methane (greenhouse gas)
• Nitrous oxide released from fertilizers
• Animal wastes in run off water may kill fish
by depleting DO
• Overgrazing occurs when too many animals
graze for too long and exceed the carrying
capacity of that area
• Causes desertification on a prolonged basis
• Producing meat can also endanger wildlife
species
 PROTECTING WILD SPECIES- THE
SANCTUARY APPROACH
• The convention on Biological Diversity held in June 1992
stressed the need of the conservation of biodiversity for
sustainable development and perpetuation of human beings on
earth.
• Conservation is defined as the “management of human use of
biosphere so that it may yield the greatest sustainable
benefit to the present generation while maintaining its
potential to meet the needs of present and future
generations.”
• The two basic approaches to wildlife conservation in protected
habitats are:
1. In- situ Conservation
2. Ex-situ Conservation
 In-situ Conservation
• Conservation of species in natural ecosystem or even in man made
ecosystems.
• This strategy emphasizes protection of total ecosystem through a network
of protected area.
• Protected Areas: An area of land specially dedicated to the protection and
maintenance of biological diversity and managed through legal effective
means.
• There are different categories of protected areas which are managed with
different objectives: Biosphere Reserves, National Parks, Wild life
Sanctuaries etc.
• At present we have 11 major Biosphere Reserves, 80 National Parks,
420 Wild Life Sanctuaries in our country covering 4% of the geographic
area.
• The Jim Corbett National Park was 1st National Park established in
India.
• Examples of Biosphere Reserves in India:
1. Nilgiri-5520 sq km
2. Nanda Devi-5860.69 sq km
3. Manas- 2837 sq km
4. Gulf of Mannar- 10,500 sq km
5. Great Nicobar- 885 sq km
6. Panchmarhi- 4926.28 sq km
Examples of some National Parks in India:
1. Kaziranga-Assam
2. Gir National Park- Gujarat
3. Periyar- Kerala
4. Sariska-Rajasthan
• Examples of some Wild Life Sanctuaries in India:
1. Ghana Bird sanctuaries
2. Hazaribagh sanctuaries
3. Abohar Wild life sanctuaries
4. Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuaries
5. Mudamalai Wild life sanctuaries
 Ex-situ Conservation

• It is defined as ‘the conservation of component of biological

diversity outside their natural habitats.
• It involves maintenance and breeding of endangered plant and
animal species under partially or wholly controlled conditions.
E. g. Zoos, Botanical Gardens, Aquaria, Nurseries, DNA
Bank, Seed Bank, Gene Bank, etc.
• There are more than 1500 botanical gardens in the world
containing more than 80,000 species.
• There are more than 800 zoos around the world with about
3000 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles.
• In India, we have many gene banks. The important ones are
1. National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resource (NBPGR), New
Delhi- Agricultural and horticultural crops and their wild
varieties are preserved by cryo-preservation of seeds at (-196
deg C in liquid nitrogen), pollen etc.

2. National Facility for Plant Tissue Culture Repository

(NFPTCR) at NBPGR Campus New Delhi- development of
facility of conservation of varieties of crop plants/trees by
tissue culture.
Managing Forests More Sustainably

Surface fires
usually burn
undergrowth and
leaf litter on the
forest floor. They
may kill seedlings
and small trees but
spare most mature
trees and allow
most wild animals
to escape. They
burn away
flammable ground
materials and help
prevent more
destructive fires
Hot fires or crown
fires may start on the
ground and but
eventually burn
whole trees. They
usually happen
where forests have
not experienced
surface fires for
decades. They
destruct vegetation
wildlife, increase
soil erosion, burn or
damage human
structures
• Set controlled surface fires to prevent buildup of flammable
material, allow fires on public lands to burn unless they
threaten human structures and lives, and clear small areas
around buildings in areas subject to fire
• Economic approach: Agricultural wastes to make paper
 Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity

• The greatest marine biodiversity occurs in coral reefs,

estuaries, and the deep sea floor.
• Second, biodiversity is higher near coasts than in the
open sea because of the greater variety of producers,
and nursery areas in coastal areas.
• Third biodiversity is higher in the bottom region of
the ocean than in the surface region because of the
greater variety of habitats and food sources on the
ocean bottom
• Marine biodiversity can be sustained by protecting
endangered species, establishing protected
sanctuaries, managing coastal development, reducing
water pollution, and preventing overfishing
• Since 1986, World Conservation Union has helped
establish a global system of marine protected areas
(MPA), mostly at the national level. Approximately
90 of the world’s 350 biosphere reserves include
coastal or marine habitats.
• In 2004, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef-world’s
largest living structure- became the world’s biggest
marine protected area when the government banned
fishing and shipping on one-third of the reef.
• Within fully protected marine reserves, fish
populations double, fish size grows by almost one
third, fish production triples, and species diversity
increases by almost one fourth
• Less than 0.01% of the world’s ocean area consists of
fully protected marine reserves
 SAVING THE MANGROVES

• They are trees that grow along the coast in saline water
• Can grow up to 25m
• Often found in estuaries, creeks, and mudflats
• In Tamil Nadu, mangroves covered 2100 hectares in 1990
How they save the Planet?
• Mangroves have the richest C stock among tropical forests
• They can absorb CO2 in atmosphere in much higher volumes
than other vegetation and convert them into biomass, thus
mitigating global warming
They have ground
stilt roots and
underground cable
roots, which are
interwoven to
create a wall like
structure, acts as a
barrier against
calamities.
• Mangroves are a haven for marine life
• Conservation measures have almost doubled in TN in
two decades
• Active intervention by MS Swaminathan research
Foundation, and forest department, MSSRF developed
‘fish bone type of canal technique’ to restore the
degrading mangroves
• Allows water to flow freely in and out of the degraded
areas and restore the condition of the soil for mangrove
regeneration
 Sustainable Water Management

Water available/person in a year has reduced by over

2/3 rd in six decades. Saving Water is Not Enough.
It’s time to Revive our Lifelines
• Deforestation in catchment areas
• Excessive sand mining along river beds
• Dumping of waste
• Unbridled construction
• Climate Change
Afforestation along the banks can replenish dying
rivers.
• Acts like sponge and store huge amounts of moisture,
leading to more water supply for the river
• More rain
• Saves marine life
• Stops soil erosion
• Sabarmati, once a bed of fine sand punctuated with
puddles, around 14 years ago, is now Lifeline Express
of Gujarat.
• 47,000 trees were planted along the banks of the river
(which was once named the third most polluted river
in the country by Central Pollution Control Board)
• Thick plantation has started attracting birds, animals,
and insects, which were once driven away by
industrialization and pollution. It is now home to 110
species of birds, including migratory varieties.
• Today it is a model for similar projects in riverfront
areas
• Under Rally for River Campaign, on July 2nd, six
crores saplings were planted along the river bank of
Narmada in just 12 hours, backed by a robust after
care protocol to ensure a high survival rate, and a
sewage treatment Project to ensure it is clean