The first survey of dolphins in the rivers of the country has been released. According to this, there are 6324 dolphins in the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus river systems and the highest number of them, 2,397, is in Uttar Pradesh. After this, 2,220 dolphins were found in Bihar and 815 in West Bengal. In other states, 635 dolphins were found in Assam, 162 in Jharkhand, while 95 dolphins were found in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Their number was the lowest in Punjab, where only 3 dolphins were found.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the report of this first survey on the occasion of World Wildlife Day on Monday. This survey was conducted in an area of ​​8,507 kilometers spread across 28 rivers in eight states. The Ganges river dolphin, known for its unique features, is found in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system and its tributaries in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. A small population of the Ganges river dolphin, a close relative of the Ganges river dolphin, is found in the Indus river system in India.

As part of ‘Project Dolphin’, a comprehensive survey was conducted for the first time to estimate the population of river dolphins in eight states – Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam and Punjab. According to the Population Status Report of River Dolphins in India, it is one of the largest freshwater surveys in the world, covering the entire range of the Ganges river dolphin in the Ganga and Brahmaputra and the Indus river dolphin in the Beas River. The survey estimated 6,324 Ganges river dolphins (range: 5,977-6,688) and three Indus river dolphins. Both of these are considered bio-indicators of a healthy river ecosystem. However, these species fall in the endangered category and are listed in the schedule of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

'Project Dolphin' scheme launched in 2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Project Dolphin on August 15, 2020 to conserve dolphins and other aquatic ecosystems. Monitoring dolphin populations is important for conservation, especially for river dolphins, which have a slow growth rate and live in some of the world's most threatened habitats. 58 rivers were assessed during the survey. Of these, 28 rivers were actively surveyed by boat, while 30 were studied through road surveys, focusing on places where the Ganges river dolphin was historically seen.

Dolphins are important for the ecosystem

According to the report, dolphins act as an 'umbrella species', whose conservation has a positive impact on their habitat and biodiversity. The aim of this project is to conserve river and sea dolphins from a scientific point of view and bring all the concerned parties on one platform. Species whose conservation also leads to the conservation of other species living in their habitat are called umbrella species.

There is still limited information on the habitat, breeding behavior of dolphins

The report also states that there is still limited information available about the habitat, breeding site, activities and hunting habits of dolphins. However, some research has shown that these species prefer confluence sites, river bends and mid-stream islands. By the end of the 20th century, the number of dolphins in the Ganges river was between 4 to 5 thousand, but now it has decreased to about 1,800. Since 1980, about 500 known deaths have occurred due to accidental fishing or bycatch.

The Indus river dolphin is found only in the Beas river

According to the report, the Indus river dolphin is present only in the Beas river in India and its numbers are very low, due to which there is a dire need for its conservation. This species gives birth to only one or two babies every year, which are usually born in the summer months. Newborn dolphins are about 111 to 116.3 centimeters (43.7 to 45.7 inches) in length and weigh about 10 to 20 kilograms (22 to 44 pounds).