ICAR-CIFRI takes Measures to Save Dolphins getting Extinction from Ganga River Basin
Dolphins are the ideal ecological markers of a healthy aquatic ecosystem. On August 15, 2020, the “Project Dolphin” was launched by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to include both river dolphins and marine dolphins in its conservation programme. Because of the significance of dolphins, the Union Minister for Environment Shri Bhupendra Yadav declared October 5 the “National Dolphin Day”, to be observed annually to raise awareness for the conservation of dolphins. He announced while presiding over the 67th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, the National Mission for Cleaning Ganga (NMCG) project Principal Investigator, who is also the Director of ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore, Dr Basanta Kumar Das disclosed that India’s waters are home to about 30 species of marine mammals, including river dolphins. The Gangetic River dolphin (Platanista gangetica) lives only in the Ganga-Brahmaputra systems, while the Indus River dolphin (Platanista minor) is only found in the Indus system, which includes the Sutlej, Ravi, and Beas rivers. He also emphasised the Gangetic dolphin’s importance as an indicator species for the Ganga ecosystem, whose vulnerability to changes in water quality and flow offers information on the general condition of the ecosystem and other species in that ecosystem.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List listed Indian Dolphin as endangered. “Due to multiple threats, including pollution, water diversion, habitat fragmentation, and by catch, the Ganges River dolphin is seriously threatened. Dolphins in India face numerous challenges, so spreading knowledge about them is crucial,” said Dr. Dibakar Bhakta, an institute scientist who coordinating the programmes.
Recent data (2017-18) shows that the estimated Ganges River dolphin in the Ganga River basin, along with tributaries, stands around 2644, and in the Brahmaputra, along with its tributaries, stands at 987.
On October 5, 2022, ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore organised campaigns at four different places namely Farakka, Nabadwip, Tribeni, and Balagarh on the bank of river Ganga under Namami Gange Programme. More than 200 personnel including active fishers, social activities, and students residing on the banks of the river participated in the publicity campaign. Locals were also made aware of various river conservation measures through the awareness and sensitization programme, such as refraining from using pesticides on agricultural and horticultural lands along the river, reforestation of the riverbank to prevent bank erosion, refraining from discarding plastic and other trash in the river, releasing enough water from dams and barrages, maintaining riverine biodiversity using scientific fishing gears and more.\
Source: 12 OCT 2022 by PIB Kolkata
Photo: Internet
