Context:

The first-ever Ganges-river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) was tagged in Assam recently. 

More on the News

• The initiative was conducted under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• It was implemented by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and Aaranyak.
• The project received funding from the National CAMPA Authority.
• This marks the first-ever tagging of this species, not only in India but globally.
• The tagging exercise will help understand the species’ seasonal and migratory patterns, range, distribution, and habitat utilization, particularly in fragmented or disturbed river systems.
• This event is considered a historic milestone for Project Dolphin, which aims to conserve India's National Aquatic Animal.

About the Ganges River Dolphin

Common Names: Ganges river dolphin, blind dolphin, Ganges dolphin, Ganges susu, Gangetic dolphin, Hihu, Bhagirath.

IUCN status: Endangered; CITES status: Appendix I.

Characteristics and habitat of the Gangetic Dolphin:

• Long thin snout, rounded belly, stocky body, and large flippers, weight 330-374 pounds, length 7-8.9 feet. 
• Has a slit-like nostril on top of its head, similar to a blowhole.
• Females are larger than males and give birth to one calf every 2-3 years.
• Calves are born with chocolate brown skin, while adults have smooth, grey-brown, hairless skin.
• It is exclusively a freshwater species.
• It is essentially blind and hunts by emitting ultrasonic sound waves that bounce off prey like fish.
• As a mammal, it must surface every 30-120 seconds to breathe and is known for the sound it makes while doing so, earning it the nickname 'Susu'.

Major Threats:

• Unintentional killing through entanglement in fishing nets/ gear.
• Poaching for dolphin oil, used as a fish attractant, and for medicinal purposes.
• Habitat destruction due to:  - 
• Development projects (e.g. water extraction and the construction of barrages, high dams, and embankments), 
• Pollution (industrial waste and pesticides, municipal sewage discharge, and noise from vessel traffic), and 
• According to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) the species is now extinct in most of its original distribution ranges, with only 3,500 to 5,000 individuals alive today.

Conservations efforts:

The Gangetic dolphin was included in the First Schedule of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, in 1986.

• The government provided conservation facilities, such as wildlife sanctuaries.
• The Vikramshila Ganges Dolphin Sanctuary (Bhagalpur) was established in Bihar under this Act.

The government developed "The Conservation Action Plan for the Ganges River Dolphin 2010-2020."

• The plan identified key threats to the Gangetic dolphin, including river traffic, irrigation canals, and depletion of the prey base.

Project Dolphin: 

• Launched in 2020 to aid the conservation of the Gangetic dolphin.
• Modelled after Project Tiger, the project involves systematic monitoring of this umbrella dolphin species and potential threats, aiming to develop and implement a conservation action plan.