Dolphin camp cum mela

Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Northern Regional office, Lucknow is implementing Ganges River Dolphin Conservation Education Programme in Ganga basin covering Uttar Pradesh and Bihar state. The initiative is being implemented with the support from National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Govt. of India.

Under the programme, CEE is working with 20 school clusters of UP and Bihar where 10 key dolphin locations have been taken in each state. At these locations, 35-40 schools are identified as dolphin cluster which are close to river Ganga and other tributaries. The teachers of these dolphin schools have been trained where a set of educational material has been provided to conduct activities around species. Under this programme more than 750 schools have been enrolled and working for dolphin conservation through students of dolphin club of their schools formed under this programme.

To bring dolphin schools at one platform, a camp cum mela has been planned as school-community interface for conserving dolphins and their habitat. Camp Cum mela is proposed at Katarniaghat wildlife sanctuary, Bahraich. To promote Katarniaghat as dolphin eco-tourism site various educational activities and material are planned.  

CEE with the support from UP Forest Corporation and Katarniaghat Wildlife Division has planned 2 days dolphin camp cum mela of dolphin cluster schools on 12-13 of April. There would be over 70 - 80 participants which will include students, teachers, partner NGOs. One best performing school from each cluster will get chance to participate in the Mela. This event would act as a sharing platform for schools where local community would also add their knowledge and experience about dolphins and river ecosystem.