Lucknow:
Uttar Pradesh is home to 2,397 river dolphins, nearly 40 per cent of the total population of the aquatic mammal in India, according to an official statement.
India’s first river dolphin estimation report, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the seventh National Wildlife Board meeting at Gir National Park on Monday, showed that the country’s rivers have 6,327 dolphins.
Uttar Pradesh led with 2,397 dolphins, followed by Bihar (2,220), West Bengal (815) and Assam (635). The pioneering effort involved surveying 28 rivers across eight states, with 3,150 man-days dedicated to covering over 8,500 km.
In a statement, the Uttar Pradesh government said its “strong focus on conserving forests, environment and aquatic wildlife has significantly contributed to these results. On October 17, 2023, the Ganges dolphin was declared the state aquatic animal of Uttar Pradesh”.
The presence of Gangetic dolphins has been confirmed in rivers such as Ganga, Yamuna, Chambal, Ghaghara, Rapti and Gerua in the state, it added.
The Ganges river dolphin, known for its unique features, is found in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system and its tributaries across India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.
A small population of the Indus river dolphin, a close relative of the Ganges river dolphin, is found in the Indus river system in India. Monitoring dolphin populations is crucial for conservation, especially for river dolphins, which have a slow growth rate and live in some of the world’s most threatened habitats.
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