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Why in the News?
Dolphins have started coming back to the Ganga river with improvement in the quality of its water through the Namami Gange program.
About
Gangetic Dolphin
- Scientifically, Gangetic Dolphin is known as Platanista gangetica.
- Habitat: Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems.
- Threats:
- Breeding cycles and habitat of fish and other prey, upon which Gangetic Dolphin feed have been disturbed by dams
- Pollution, silting, and sand mining
- Conservation Status:
- Protected under the First Schedule of the Indian Wildlife (Protection), Act 1972.
- Listed as Endangered in IUCN.
- Appendix I (most endangered) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Significance:
- Aquatic life is an indicator of the health of river ecosystems.
- As the Gangetic dolphin is at the top of the food chain, protecting the species and its habitat will ensure the conservation of the aquatic life of the river.
