India, Jan. 19 -- The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has launched a new conservation project under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) at Dehradun to protect the endangered Indian Skimmer in the Ganga Basin.

The project, titled Safeguarding breeding habitats of Indian Skimmer and sympatric birds through monitoring and community participation in the Ganga Basin, was recently inaugurated by Union Minister for Jal Shakti, C R Patil.

The main goal of the project is to protect river sandbars, which are vital nesting sites for the Indian Skimmer and many other river birds.

According to a statement by BNHS, these nesting areas are under serious threat due to sand mining, changing river flows, and human disturbance. The project ...