Ganga River Dolphins

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              Ganga River Dolphins: Living on the edge 

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This world was never meant to be a place only for humans. Ecosystems work because of the interdependency between various species of animals and plants. With the growing trend of humans working towards satisfying their own needs, today a lot of animals are endangered and even worse, some of the beautiful ones have gone extinct. Ganga River Dolphin is thankfully not one of those extinct species.  

Endangered species can be defined as species that are on the verge of extinction. These species may be struggling to survive, owing to factors like habitat loss, excessive poaching and invasive species. Human interference and sudden change in climatic conditions can also pose a threat and make species vulnerable. At present, more than 200 animals and plants have been declared endangered by the Endangered Species Act, 1973.  

Ganga River Dolphins once lived in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India and Bangladesh. The species was discovered in 1801. Being a freshwater dolphin, the Ganga dolphin has one basic need for survival and that is fresh water. It is also said that this species can only survive in the holy river Ganga because of the purity and freshness of the river. Yet another unique characteristic of this beautiful creature is that the Ganga dolphin is essentially blind. They hunt by emitting ultrasound waves, which bounce off of the prey and help them create a mental image of the target. This is called echolocation. From this mental image the dolphin can act accordingly and feast on the fish caught. They usually move in small groups. Generally, the calves and the mother are found together. Females are larger than males and give birth to only one calf every two to three years.   

The Ganga dolphin is also one of the only three freshwater dolphins left in the world. The other two freshwater dolphins are the Indus and the Amazon. There are about 1800 Ganga dolphins left in the Indian part of Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin, around 600 in Bangladesh, and a few more in Nepal, all part of the same basin. These dolphins have not been seen in Bhutan, for many years, which is the fourth country of the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin.  

The main reason behind the dropping numbers, from nearly 4500 in 1972 to less than 2500 in 2019, of the Ganga dolphin is the use of nylon nets by fishermen. These dolphins survive on echolocation and the nylon nets have become a nightmare for them. The nets instead of reflecting sound waves absorb them, which makes it difficult for the dolphins to hunt. The other reasons include the reduced water flow, as more of it is being supplied to irrigation canals, and increased levels of pollution. With toxins and harmful substances entering into the bodies of these dolphins, they are bound get sick. 

While the conservation of these species is the only available option, the efforts put in to sustain these species are not up to the mark. A lot of wildlife sanctuaries are present in the basin which is regulated by the state governments. The personnel working there are neither very well equipped nor skilled enough to run riverine sanctuaries effectively.  

With still some time in hand and the sources available to stop yet another species to get extinct, it is our duty to protect them from further damage and give them an environment suitable for survival and growth. 

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                                                                                                         -Ishan Arora 

REFERENCES https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganges_river_dolphin

https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/5208-Gangariver-dolphin-in-India-faces-extinctionhttps://www.worldwildlife.org/species/ganges-river-dolphin

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