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The habitat of the Indus River Dolphin in Punjab, particularly River Beas, has been duly protected and secured by notification as the Beas Conservation Reserve under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, vide notification dated August 29, 2017. The notification provides a legally enforceable framework for the protection, conservation and management of the riverine ecosystem.
This was stated in the report filed by Chief Wildlife Warden, Punjab, May 15, 2026 in the matter of the news item Indus river dolphins in troubled waters published in Mongabay on August 15, 2024.
The report was filed in compliance with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order of February 9, 2026 addressing concerns arising from the news item and the observations contained in the report of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
The respondent stated that the news repo is based on an ex-parte appreciation of facts and does not reflect the correct factual or administrative position, as the Punjab government was not afforded an opportunity to present its official response. It is further submitted that the news article selectively highlights certain aspects while completely overlooking the substantial conservation measures, statutory compliance and continuous monitoring mechanisms undertaken by the state, thereby rendering the conclusions drawn therein "incomplete, one-sided and misleading".
Regarding the maintenance of environmental flows, the Chief Wildlife Warden has undertaken continuous and formal institutional engagement with the Bhakra Beas Management Board and the Department of Water Resources, Punjab to ensure a scientifically regulated discharge regime from Pong dam. The objective was to ensure the maintenance of minimum ecological flow and adequate water depth during the lean and non-monsoon period to sustain aquatic biodiversity, including the Indus river dolphin.
The authority is engaged in continuous technical collaboration with reputed expert institutions, including WII and WWF India for adaptive habitat management, scientific monitoring and evidence based conservation planning through ongoing studies, research activities, field assessments and technical evaluation. The collaboration ensures periodic review of ecological conditions, identification of stressors and formulation of corrective conservation strategies.
A 185-kilometre stretch of River Beas, extending from 52 Talwara Head to Harike Barrage has been notified as the Beas Conservation Reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Any activity likely to adversely affect the ecological integrity of the wildlife habitat including commercial and mechanised sand mining is impermissible in the Beas Conservation Reserve as per the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
The office of the Chief Wildlife Warden, Punjab has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against illegal activities against the river ecosystem, and it is submitted that mechanized mining is strictly prohibited within the notified conservation stretch.
On May 18, 2026, NGT directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Madhya Pradesh State Pollution Control Board to file a reply regarding whether the activity of pouring milk into rivers is regulated by any guidelines and if not whether guidelines are required.
The court directed that a copy of the application and relevant documents be sent to the regional director, CPCB, Bhopal and the Member Secretary, State Pollution Control Board, Bhopal, to call for a report from experts after obtaining scientific data. They are to submit the report, and if guidelines are required, the appropriate procedure should be adopted and submitted to the court.
The matter concerned the preservation and conservation of the rivulet / stream of River Narmada river, which passes through Satdev and Bheruda villages in Nashrullaganj tehsil, Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh.
According to the applicant, the Gram Panchayat of Satdev had organised a religious gathering in which the organiser poured 11,000 liters of milk into the river and 210 sarees were thrown into the river. Pouring milk will contaminate the water and affect the river's ecology. The application stated that the drinking and irrigation water of other villages would be contaminated.
A two-member committee was directed to be constituted on the orders of NGT, central bench, dated May 15, 2026 to look into allegations of illegal sand mining and the resultant environmental degradation in and around the riverine areas of Harrahwa, Piprakund, Orgai, Kandopani, Urti villages, and other adjoining Gram Panchayats in the Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh. The committee was directed to visit the site and submit a factual and action-taken report.
Notices were directed to be issued to the respondents, including the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board; the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC); the District Magistrate, Singrauli; the Madhya Pradesh State Mining Corporation; and the Madhya Pradesh State Environment Impact Assessment Authority among others.
The application stated that authorities, in collusion with private contractors, have permitted and/or failed to restrain mining operations far beyond the sanctioned lease areas, including mechanised extraction within riverbeds, causing severe and irreversible ecological damage.
These activities have depleted and contaminated river water, destroyed aquatic biodiversity, led to the indiscriminate felling of trees, and resulted in encroachment upon forest land through the creation of unauthorized access roads. The continuing illegality reflects a complete abdication of statutory duties by the concerned authorities, despite the applicant's repeated representations.
