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My Ganga My Dolphin: India launches dolphin safaris on River Ganga to boost eco-tourism

India, on the occasion of the Ganga River Dolphin Day, launched an interesting campaign, My Ganga My Dolphin, in a bid to promote and boost eco-tourism in the country. The ecotourism programme has been launched at six destinations by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG). The programme includes dolphin safari in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, all three states blessed with the River Ganga’s presence. My Ganga My Dolphin was also launched to conduct Dolphin census in the 250-km stretch from Bijnor to Narora. In this first-of-its-kind initiative, dolphin safaris will begin in Kahalgaon (Bihar), Bijnor, Brijghat, Prayagraj and Varanasi (all in Uttar Pradesh), and Bandel (West Bengal). Rajeev Ranjan Mishra, NMCG director general called it a unique initiative to “integrate Gangetic dolphin and Ganga conservation with local livelihoods which is in line with the concept of Arth Ganga.” The statement released by the Jal Shakti Ministry read, “This is a joint venture of WII, NMCG and the State Forest Departments, for sustainable tourism linking livelihood through Dolphin Conservation for ecotourism along the Ganga river.” Congratulating the nation on the occasion, the Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat informed that in recent years, the number of Gangetic Dolphins has significantly gone up. He also requested people to support the Dolphin Conservation campaign and explained the importance of biodiversity. As of now, trained volunteers from the local community, known as Ganga Praharis, will lead tourists at all these dolphin sites on boat rides. Ganga Praharis are those who are continuously working for cleanliness of the Ganges in every state. Apparently, India celebrates Ganga River Dolphin Day every year on October 5 as the Ganga river dolphins were declared national aquatic animals in 2010. Then, in 2012, dolphin conservation began in the country in joint efforts by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and UP government. According to Suresh Babu, Director (river, wetland and water policy), WWF, the goal is to ensure water connectivity and depth needed for the survival of dolphins. Number of Gangetic dolphins in india In India, the dolphins can be seen in Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. According to reports, there are about 3700 Gangetic river Dolphins in India.

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Noida to see its first musical fountain today

An attractive musical fountain in Noida is set to open for the public at 7 PM on October 6 by the Noida Authority. The CEO of Noida Authority, Ritu Maheshwari, said that no entry fee will be charged for now, but only a restricted number of visitors shall be allowed. As per a tweet posted by Ritu Maheshwari, the inaugural ceremony would feature a free musical/light/laser show, with medicine for its theme, at Sector 91 medicinal park. She also invited the public to be a part of the ceremony but with due COVID-19 precautions. Reportedly, the Noida Authority has spent INR 4.4 crores to build the musical fountain at the medicinal park, which is a part of the Biodiversity Park near the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. The site will have a daily music and sound show. The Biodiversity Park in Sector 91 has been made over a 75-ac green area along the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. It is expected to be Noida’s biggest park after it is fully constructed. Noida was in the news lately for another reason –the proposed Film City project. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has already sanctioned this project, which is expected to put Noida on the tourism map in the coming years.

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Char Dham Yatra: Daily pilgrim number increased; e-passes mandatory

The Uttarakhand state government has issued fresh guidelines for Char Dham Yatra, along with increasing the daily number of pilgrims to be allowed in the yatra. Initially, only a handful of pilgrims were allowed to visit the Char Dham daily, i.e., Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri, but the board is now set to raise its daily cap on the pilgrim numbers. The number of pilgrims to be allowed to visit these shrines per day will be 3000. Referring to this, Chief Executive Officer of Char Dham Devasthanam Board (UCDDMB) Ravinath Raman said that the limit of daily pilgrims has been increased for all the four shrines. The board added that it will be mandatory for everyone to register and obtain e-passes from the UCDDMB. The Chief Executive Officer said that the e-passes will, however, be issued on the basis of availability of accommodation, food, and other arrangements, including social distancing, as assessed by respective district magistrates. This step has been taken to facilitate the increased footfall of pilgrims after Unlock-5. Reportedly, the limit of daily visitors to Badrinath and Kedarnath has been taken up to 3000 per day. Apart from this, 900 pilgrims will be allowed per day at Gangotri, whereas 700 will be allowed in Yamunotri per day. Earlier, the limited number of pilgrims were allowed to visit the pilgrims per day; while 800 was permitted in Kedarnath, 1200 in Badrinath, 400 in Yamunotri, and 600 in Gangotri. As of now, pilgrims are also exempted from producing a COVID-19 negative report to visit the Char Dham shrines. Also, as per the new guidelines regarding the visit to Char Dham Yatra, pilgrims will be required to undergo thermal scanning, and if their temperatures are not within normal limits, they will have to take COVID-19 tests as well as bear the cost of the same. Further, as per the guidelines, if anyone develops symptoms that are similar to COVID-19, they should avoid visiting the shrine. Also, as per the reports, pilgrims visiting the shrines via heli services, will not have to produce an e-pass too.

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No 7-day mandatory quarantine in Nepal for tourists having Covid-19 negative report

In a bid to revive the hard-hit tourism industry, Nepal on Friday announced that foreign tourists having COVID-19 negative report will not be required to quarantine themselves for seven days from October 17. The move came after mounting pressure from travel and tourism entrepreneurs to open up the country's tourism sector for international visitors, as the industry is passing through a difficult time due to months-long lockdown. Earlier, a seven-day hotel quarantine was mandatory for all the tourists coming to the country. Foreign trekkers and mountaineers wishing to visit Nepal from October 17 may walk free without staying in quarantine if they produce a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) negative report, said an official at the Department of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. According to the official, the tourism ministry is working to carry out instant antigen test for COVID-19 for foreign tourists upon their arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport. "If everything goes according to the plans, Nepal is fully opening up for tourism after October 17, when commercial flights will resume in international sector," said the official. Meanwhile, Nepal on Friday reported a record 2,722 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of infections to 82,450. With the death of 11 more patients, the country's death toll reached 520. During a virtual press briefing, Dr Jageshwar Gautam, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, said that 14,749 PCR tests were conducted at various labs across the country. This is the highest single-day spike of coronavirus cases in Nepal since the country confirmed the first COVID-19 case in January. The Kathmandu Valley, which has emerged as one of the hotspots of coronavirus infections, reported 1,638 cases in a single day. Nepal also recorded the highest number of recoveries in the last 24 hours with 3,307 patients getting discharged, taking the country's national recovery tally to 60,696. There are currently 21,234 active patients.

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Delhi’s Akshardham Temple to reopen from October 13 with due COVID-19 safety guidelines

The famous Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple in Delhi is ready to reopen after several months from October 13 albeit with strict COVID-19 norms. In March 2020, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha shut its temples across the world and stalled all its public activities in the wake of the novel Coronavirus. News also has it that all the weekly and daily gatherings, events and festival celebrations scheduled to be organised across BAPS Swaminarayan Shikharbaddh Mandirs, Hari Mandirs and satsang centres in India were also postponed. According to reports, following guidelines have been issued by the temple authorities for the public visitors to ensure safety from COVID-19 infection. - Only a limited number of people will be permitted to enter the premises of the temple between 5 PM to 7 PM. However, visitors who have had entry before the closing hours shall be allowed to stay till 8 PM. - Wearing masks or face shields is mandatory. Every visitor will be thermally screened at the entrance for Corona symptoms. - It has been decided to keep the exhibition hall of the temple closed. However, the musical fountain program will stay open. - Only a limited number of people shall be allowed to be seated in the musical fountain area in order to maintain physical distancing. - Food courts, bookshops, gardens and gift centres will remain open.

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Dubai to unveil world’s largest fountain on Oct 22

In a bid to make a Guinness World Record, Dubai is all set to unveil the world’s largest fountain on October 22. The fountain will be located at the Pointe, a lifestyle and dining destination, and will be spread over 14,000 sq ft of sea water while its super shooter will be 105-metre tall and have over 3,000 LED lights. Omar Khoory, managing director, Nakheel Malls, said, “We look forward to the inspiration this will bring customers at The Pointe, residents of Palm Jumeirah, our retailers, tourists and the wider community.” Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), said the Palm Fountain is yet another incredible addition to Dubai’s list of world-famous landmarks and is sure to be a big draw among residents and visitors alike. The Palm Fountain will have 20 bespoke shows with five different shows running daily between sunset and midnight (7 pm to 12 am) while swaying to an array of popular songs including Khaleeji, pop, classic, international and more. Each show will last three minutes and will be performed every 30 minutes. Xin Su, chairman, Beijing Water Design Technology, said, “We are proud to be part of the design, build and operation of The Palm Fountain — an extraordinary feat. As one of China’s largest fountain specialists, this project was unique for us as we had the opportunity to tackle many firsts in ingenuity.” Shaddy Gaad, senior marketing manager–MENA, Guinness World Records (GWR) said the fountain will be a great addition to Dubai’s long list of attractions. “The GWR is in the process of verifying the largest fountain and we look forward to hopefully seeing this world-class landmark being declared officially amazing,” Gaad said.

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