A partnership that aims to boost biodiversity of native species along the Ganga River has been agreed to 2026.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Indian technology company HCLTech, which is headquartered in the city of Noida, along with the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH), has been renewed. The extended partnership aims to redouble the initiative's positive impact in restoring biodiversity and habitat in the state of Uttarakhand in northern India.

Over the past five years, HCL and INTACH have planted over 13,550 saplings along the River Ganga, helping to improve native biodiversity in the region, with birds and wildlife finding habitat in the planted areas.

Since the interventions mammals routinely recorded by local people and field teams include barking deer. Birds sighted include laughing thrush, grey treepie, blue-capped rock thrush; while insects include common sailor and common banded peacock butterflies, and the giant wood spider.

HCL Foundation, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of HCLTech, said plans include planting an additional 10,000 saplings of the broad-leaf evergreen rudraksha tree, and other native species in the region by 2026. A series of community awareness programmes to restore degraded habitats and conserve native biodiversity will also take place.

Dr Nidhi Pundhir, vice president global CSR, HCL Foundation, emphasised the need for cohesive action towards restoring degraded habitats with native biodiversity and applauded the government’s efforts in this regard.

“At HCL Foundation, we have always taken a holistic approach to promote the restoration of natural ecosystems. We always work to support a strong and thriving ecosystem while honouring the rich cultural and religious heritage connected to it by promoting the plantation of native species in the Ganga catchment area.

"This renewed MoU will play a critical role in engaging local stakeholders in community-based habitat restoration,” she said.

HCLTech, an Indian multinational information technology services and consulting company, recently won an Indian National Water Award for water conservation and management initiatives. In addition to its initiative to boost biodiversity along river Ganga’s catchment, it was recognised for a number of projects, including rejuvenating the Periyar Canal in Kerala, removing invasive species growing on the riverbed of Vaigai in Madurai, installing rooftop rainwater harvesting structures in corporation schools in Madurai and Noida, and helping low-income farmers convert wastelands into cultivable land through small-scale rainwater harvesting techniques in the Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh.