A boating trip in the Ganga river, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India was arranged by the Forest Department for bird watching, migratory birds monitoring and assessing the improvement of habitat condition in the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary due to lockdown. Along with department staff OF Bhagalpur Forest Division, members of Mandar Nature club, Ganga Praharis and sanctuary protection staff took part in this 7 hour trip.
The river banks and sand bars are still having good numbers of migratory birds such as Little Stints, Temminck's Stint, Black-winged Stilt, Black-tailed Godwit, Osprey, Little Terns etc. There are large undisturbed sand bars in the river which is used by numerous Small Pratincoles for breeding. The waters of River Ganga seems to be clean and free from pollution and there is no visible turbidity or pollution. Absence of human activity, especially fishing, is greatly benefiting the birds as well as the endangered Gangetic Dolphins.