Community role vital in dolphin conservation: Experts
A team from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, under the Namami Gange Program, visited the Indira Barrage in Lucknow for dolphin observations and shared insights on the situation.
A thorough examination of the canal is essential to understand the reasons behind sporadic incidents of dolphins, Uttar Pradesh’s state aquatic animal, getting trapped due to low water levels.
A team from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, under the Namami Gange Program, visited the Indira Barrage in Lucknow for dolphin observations and shared insights on the situation. On October 25, a 90-kg female dolphin was rescued from the Sharda/Indira Nahar Canal at the same location, while another 150-kg female dolphin died. A similar incident in Lakhimpur Kheri led to the successful rescue of 10 stranded dolphins.
“The canal originating from Lakhimpur Kheri traverses Lucknow and continues as a single channel to Rae Bareli, further extending to Mirzapur’s Eihari village. It then bifurcates into two branches—one leading to the new Kacchua Wildlife Sanctuary near Prayagraj and the other to Kamaipur village near the Sai River. This entire stretch is crucial for dolphins,” explained Dr. Vipul Maurya, a key member of the project, during his visit to Indira Barrage on Friday.
The team tracked two adult Gangetic dolphins (Platanista gangetica) in the Sharda/Indira Canal during their visit. “Regular monitoring and establishing a volunteer network would provide immediate alerts if dolphins get stuck,” said Dr. Maurya.
“The dolphins currently in the canal appear healthy, with sufficient water levels at the barrage to support them. Local fishermen noted that such occurrences are common during the monsoon season or when water is released into the canal, and dolphins typically return to the main river channel naturally,” added Dr. Maurya.
Dr. Maurya emphasised the crucial role of community support and continued vigilance in ensuring the safety of these species. The observations underlined the importance of community awareness in enhancing dolphin conservation efforts within the Ganga basin.
Recommended Topics