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UPSC » Daily News Analysis ‘6,327 Gangetic river dolphins recorded in the Ganga and its tributaries: Dolphin Report’ : 4 March

Daily News Analysis ‘6,327 Gangetic river dolphins recorded in the Ganga and its tributaries: Dolphin Report’ : 4 March

Table of Content

Key Findings of the Report:

  • Total Population: 6,327 Gangetic river dolphins present in the Ganga and its tributaries.
  • Geographical Distribution:
    • The highest is in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam.
    • Breakdown of numbers:
      • Ganga Mainstream: 3,275
      • Ganga Tributaries: 2,414
      • Brahmaputra Mainstream: 584
      • Brahmaputra Tributaries: 51
      • Beas River: 3 (Indus river dolphins)
  • Survey Coverage: Conducted over 8,507 km of river stretch between 2021 and 2025.
  • First use of acoustic hydrophones (underwater microphones) to track dolphins.

Comparison of River Dolphins in India:

Feature

Gangetic River Dolphin

Indus River Dolphin

Irrawaddy Dolphin

Common Name

Susu

Bhulan

Irrawaddy Dolphin

Habitat

Freshwater

Freshwater

Freshwater & coastal waters

Distribution

Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems (India, Nepal, Bangladesh)

Lower Indus River (Pakistan) and Beas River (India)

Coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia; Rivers: Irrawaddy (Myanmar), Mahakam (Indonesia), Mekong (China); Chilika Lake (India)

IUCN Status

Endangered

Endangered

Critically Endangered

Why in News?

  • The dolphin report was officially made public on March 3, 2025, by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.