Modi government's survey finds over 6,300 river dolphins in India
What's the story
India's first population survey of riverine dolphins has found a whopping 6,327 dolphins across the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus river systems.
The findings were made public in a government report released today.
The figures were based on a detailed survey conducted as part of "Project Dolphin," which sought to conserve dolphins as well as aquatic ecosystems.
Project details
Survey conducted across 8 Indian states
The survey, one of the largest freshwater surveys in the world, covered eight Indian states: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam and Punjab.
It surveyed over 8,000km between 2021 and 2023.
The research team surveyed a total of 58 water bodies during this time for the same.
Habitat preferences
Dolphins thrive in areas with minimal human disturbances
The survey results showed that dolphins tend to flourish in regions with adequate water depth and less human disturbances.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced Project Dolphin on August 15, 2020, stressing the need to keep a tab on dolphin populations for conservation purposes.
This is especially important for river dolphins as they grow slowly and live in some of the world's most endangered habitats.
Distribution
Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of dolphins
The survey was conducted by surveying 28 rivers across eight states, covering over 8,500km and taking 3,150 days.
Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of dolphins, and was followed by Bihar, West Bengal and Assam.
The Ganges River Dolphin is an endangered species and is found in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system.
Conservation efforts
Modi emphasized the need for local community involvement
During the seventh meeting of the National Board for Wildlife, Modi stressed on local community involvement in dolphin conservation.
He proposed organizing exposure visits for school children to dolphin habitats to raise awareness about their importance.
The PM also announced plans to initiate new wildlife conservation projects such as Project Tiger, Project Elephant and the International Big Cats Alliance.