Uttar Pradesh Government has intensified its efforts to conserve the Gangetic dolphin by declaring it the aquatic animal of the state.The Gangetic dolphins play an important role in maintaining the biodiversity of the Ganga River and also have the potential of becoming a major tourist attraction for the state.
Gangetic Dolphins
- Dolphins can be seen in the Ganga basin.
- This is an endangered species that is classified as a mammal since it does not lay eggs like fish.
- Ganges river dolphins exist in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems.
- They have a low fertility rate. A female gives birth to one or two children every three to four years.
- They are having difficulties as a result of the increased pollution in our waterways. They are also endangered by fishing nets, ships, and cruise ships.
- It is a freshwater species, and one of the world’s few river dolphins.
- The Ganges river dolphin was first identified in 1801.
- Scientific Name: Platanista Gangetica
Conservation Status
- Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
- IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) is Endangered.
- It is found in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
- It is found in Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).
- Gangetic Dolphins in UP
- The Ganga River biodiversity is preserved in large part by the Gangetic dolphins.
- The number of Gangetic dolphins in UP is likewise the greatest.
- If their overall population is around 2,000, the section of river that runs through UP is home to approximately 1,600 of these freshwater dolphins.
- Freshwater dolphins may be found in rivers such as the Gerua, Chambal, and Ghaghra, but the Ganga River has the most of them.
Dolphins as a Bio-Indicator
- Dolphin activity is thought to be a sign of river water purity because this aquatic creature does not live in dirty water.
- Dolphins also serve as bio-indicators since they reside in pure freshwater.
- In this case, their existence implies that the water quality is good.
Dolphins in Yamuna River
- The Yamuna River, a tributary of the Ganga River, is an anomaly because, despite its depth, it is home to freshwater dolphins.
- However, their existence in the Yamuna is limited to a 400-kilometre section between Pachanda and Allahabad out of the river’s 1,300-kilometre length.