Echoes of survival: India’s largest river dolphin survey begins
Atleast 26 researchers sailing on three boats have embarked to record ecological and habitat parameters of the Dolphins in the Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra by using modern technologies such as hydrophones for underwater acoustic monitoring. In the first phase, the survey will cover the main stem of the Ganga from Bijnor to Ganga Sagar and then the Indus River.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has rolled out the second range-wide estimation of riverine and estuarine dolphins under Project Dolphin from Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh. India is home to two species of freshwater dolphins - Ganges (Platanista gangetica) and Indus (Platanista minor), which serve as bio-indicators of healthy river ecosystems. Both dolphins are classified as Endangered and listed as Schedule I species under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
In the second phase, it will cover Brahmaputra, the tributaries of the Ganga, the Sundarbans, and Odisha. Apart from the Ganges River Dolphin, the survey will assess the status of the Indus River Dolphin and Irrawaddy Dolphins, along with habitat condition, threats, and associated conservation-priority fauna. This initiative will generate robust scientific data to support evidence-based conservation planning and policy action for India’s river ecosystems. The ongoing survey follows the same standardized methodology as the previous exercise, however will additionally cover new stretches and operational areas to include a new species, Irrawaddy dolphin, estimation in Sundarbans and Odisha.
This expanded spatial coverage will help update population estimates for this species, assess threats and habitat conditions and support improved conservation planning under Project Dolphin. This programme is coordinated by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, in collaboration with State Forest Departments and partner conservation organizations WWF India, Aaranyak and Wildlife Trust of India.
The previous nationwide survey (2021-23) recorded an estimated around 6,327 riverine dolphins in India, including Ganges River Dolphins in the Ganga, Yamuna, Chambal, Gandak, Ghaghara, Kosi, Mahananda and Brahmaputra systems, and a small population of Indus River Dolphins in the Beas. The majority of the dolphins - estimated to be 2,397 - were observed in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Bihar (2,220) and West Bengal (815), highlighting the critical importance of the Gangetic basin for long-term dolphin conservation. Researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India surveyed 58 rivers across 10 states between 2021 and 2023 to produce the first comprehensive count of India’s river dolphins.
