In deep trouble

Originally found in oceans, some species of dolphins live in freshwater as well. The Gangetic Dolphin is one such species. It has been considered necessary to keep the ecology of the Ganga balanced. Until a few years ago, only four of the 88 species in the world were found in freshwater but, with the extinction of Baiji — found in the freshwater of the Yangtze River in China — in 2006, only three of them have managed to survive. Now except the Ganga, dolphins are found only in the Indus and Amazon rivers, which are known as Bhulan and Bota.

Gangetic Dolphin is the national aquatic animal of our country. We celebrate Gangetic Dolphin Day every year on October 5, and Gangetic Dolphin Week from October 2 to 8. The Gangetic Dolphin was declared an endangered animal in 1996. However, serious efforts are not being made for its conservation. Its population was 6,000 in 1982, which has come down to about 2,000. The Gangetic Dolphin is considered a belligerent aquatic animal because it can survive even in unfavourable environments. It adjusts easily to large fluctuations in temperature. Nevertheless, its rapid decline in numbers is certainly a matter of concern.

In the Karnali river flowing in Nepal, it tolerates five degrees Celsius temperature, while in the Ganga River flowing in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, it can easily withstand the temperature of 35 degrees Celsius. It is usually found at the confluence of the Ganga and its tributaries, so that in times of difficulty, it can take shelter in the tributaries. Gangetic Dolphins do not like to live in shallow waters and between narrow rocks. Due to this nature, it likes to live in the tributaries of Ganga — like Ramganga, Yamuna, Gomti, Rapti, Dikho, Manas, Bhareli, Teesta, Lohit, Disang, Dihang, Diwang, Kulsi etc.

The popular name of the Dolphin found in the Ganga River is Sons. It lives in aquifers found in freshwater. It can also live in salt water located at the confluence of river and sea, but it does not like to live in the sea. After every 30 to 120 seconds, it has to come to the surface of the water to breathe.

The length of the nose and body of the female Gangetic Dolphin is more than that of the male. Its long, sharp teeth can be seen even though the jaws are clenched. An adult Gangetic Dolphin weighs between 70 and 100 kg. The female Dolphin has a gestation period of nine months and gives birth to one baby at a time. Males become physically ready to mate in 10 years, while females become ready for mating in the age of less than 10 years.

At present, the habitat of the Gangetic Dolphin is in Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers of India; Karnaphuli and Sangu Rivers of Bangladesh; and Karnali and Saptakoshi rivers of Nepal. Once this creature used to roam in all parts of the rivers, but due to the construction of a barrage in Narora in 1966, Farakka in 1975 and Bijnor in 1984, its house was divided into three parts. The barrages have divided the Ganga River into lower, middle, and fore parts — making it difficult for the Gangetic Dolphins to travel from one part of the Ganga to another. Due to the flow of chemical waste from Narora nuclear plant and 400-500 small and big factories located in Kanpur, the Gangetic Dolphins living around Narora and Kanpur gradually died.

The flow of Ganga has come to a halt at many places due to construction of barrages. Due to low water level in the river, Gangetic Dolphins are facing difficulty in living their natural life. The river has become shallow due to siltation. Ganga's life is in trouble due to the creation of a human house in the river. During the rainy season, the water of the river goes above the danger mark.

Today it has become easier for hunters to hunt Gangetic Dolphins. It is hunted for meat, oil, fodder (for the purpose of catching catfish) etc. There is also a tradition of pregnant women in Bangladesh drinking the oil of the Gangetic Dolphin. It is believed that drinking oil makes the baby healthy and beautiful.

During previous years, cargo steamers used to run from Haldia to Patna, and later to Varanasi. In Kolkata, there is still a tremendous amount of ferry and steamer traffic in the Hooghly River. In the name of promoting river tourism, steamers and ferries are being run in cities like Patna, Kolkata etc., due to which Gangetic Dolphins get injured or die after colliding with them. Apart from this, their health is adversely affected by noise pollution. Fishermen use nylon nets for fishing, in which Gangetic Dolphins are easily trapped. Apart from this, it is also killed due to lack of awareness or because of greed.

The concentration of manure, pesticide, industrial and domestic waste in Ganga is increasing rapidly. Due to water pollution, the lifespan of Gangetic Dolphins is decreasing. An estimated 1.5 million metric tonnes of chemical fertilisers and 21,000 tonnes of technical-grade pesticides are released into the Ganga and Brahmaputra annually, due to which polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), chlorodyne compounds, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) etc. have exceeded the tolerable amounts in the rivers. These are damaging for the muscles, kidneys, liver etc. of the Gangetic Dolphins.

Today, there is a need to preserve this aquatic creature, for which Ganga has to be saved first. The Modi government is determined to save Ganga. This is a good sign, but a tough decision has to be taken in this direction; negligence at any level can be dangerous for Gangetic Dolphins, Ganga and our existence. Dolphin Parks can be established. Fishermen should take care that they do not catch fish in areas where the concentration of Gangetic Dolphins is high. Tighten the net to catch the poachers. Simultaneously, combing operations should also be carried out, so that hunters don't hunt the Gangetic Dolphins. A campaign was launched in 2000 for saving the dolphins found in the Indus River in Pakistan, under which the dolphins who had gone into the canal or tributaries to save their lives were rehabilitated.

There is a need to run such campaigns in India also, especially in Bihar, as the Gangetic Dolphins are found in maximum numbers in the state. In this context, educating and making the common man aware can be beneficial. Central and state governments can also play a positive role in this regard. Merely celebrating Dolphin Day and Week will not yield positive results. If corrective measures are not taken, the day is not far when the Gangetic Dolphins will also disappear like the Baiji Dolphin of China.

Views expressed are personal