How many dolphins are in the Ganga river basin? New assessment has some answers

The assessment is part of the WII-NMCG project, which began in 2016 and is scheduled to end in March 2026, and is aimed at devising a comprehensive conservation strategy for the Ganges River dolphins.

Under phase two of the project, which began in 2020, an ecological assessment was carried out in 22 rivers in the Ganga River Basin, including the Ganga, Yamuna, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi, Son, and Mahananda, covering 7,680 km.

According to the affidavit, the study estimated 3,936 (+/-763) Gangetic dolphins in the basin and it was revealed that the Ganga holds the highest number of dolphins, with nearly half of the Gangetic dolphin population residing in its tributaries and sub-tributaries, followed by Ghaghara river.

Moreover, there were 2,510 dolphin sightings during the survey, with 1,303 in Ganga across Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, it said, adding that 335 dolphins were sighted in the Ghaghara river during the survey.

“A 2,850 km of the river stretch in the Ganga River Basin is identified as conservation priority river stretches to ensure the long-term survival of the Gangetic dolphin and other aquatic species,” the affidavit said, adding that more than 6,800 freshwater turtles and crocodiles have been rescued and rehabilitated.

In an affidavit in September in the same matter, the NMCG said the Namami Gange scheme had adopted a biodiversity conservation approach focusing on habitat restoration, species conservation, and community involvement in Ganga rejuvenation.

The Ganges River dolphin was listed as endangered on the 1996 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List; in the Appendix I of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora); in Appendix I and II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS 2020); and comes under Schedule I of India’s Wildlife (Protection), Act 1972.

On October 5, 2009, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while chairing the maiden meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority, declared the Gangetic river dolphin as the national aquatic animal and in 2010, a notification was issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.