India, Feb. 3 -- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Delhi and neighboring states to urgently restore native fish populations and curb exotic species in the Yamuna.

NGT directed Delhi, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to implement and consider the recommendations submitted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CIFRI) to control non-native species in the river.

The order was issued on January 29 after NGT took cognisance of a news report highlighting the issue. The report was based on a survey conducted by ICAR-CIFRI, Prayagraj (2020-2024), which recorded 126 fish species along the Yamuna from Yamunotri to Prayagraj.

The survey stated that the...