Ganga Dolphin

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18.02.2014 Prepared by: TECHDRUMERS

description

this document describes the current state of dolphins of ganga..

Transcript of Ganga Dolphin

Page 1: Ganga Dolphin

18.02.2014

Prepared by:TECHDRUMERS

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INTRODUCTION

Three recognized obligate species of river dolphins, are among the most endangered species on Earth.

In fact, one species, the ‘baiji’ or Chinese river dolphin, was declared functionally extinct in 2006.

The remaining species are the Amazon River dolphin, the Gangetic Dolphin and the Indus River dolphin.

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GANGETIC DOLPHIN : WORLD’s OLDEST MAMMAL Gangetic Dolphin is found in

the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghnaand Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of India.

Nearly half of the population of Ganga Dolphin is found in Bihar.

The Ganges river dolphin can only live in freshwater and is essentially blind. They hunt by emitting ultrasonic sounds.

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STATISTICS

In the Ganges as a whole , the river dolphin population declined from 6000 in 1982 to around 2000 in 2005.

It is further reduced to less than 1800.

1982 2005 20080

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Ganga Dolphin Population

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PROBLEMS Construction of more than 50

dams, barrages , Construction of embankments as flood control measures.

About 1.5 million metric tons of chemical fertilizers and about 21,000 tons of technical grade pesticides are dumped annually to the Ganga- Brahamaputra river system in India.

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PROBLEMS cont…

Festival celebration add a lot to pollution of the river, eg. Toxic substances in idols, polyethenes, human baths….

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PROBLEMS cont…

Deliberate killing of Gangetic Dolphins for oil , meat ,ointment , etc..

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PROBLEMS cont…

Numerous proposals to utilize sections of the Ganga for inland water transport. Currently, cargo steamers carry goods from Haldia to Patna regularly, occasionally travelling up to Varanasi.

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PEOPLE CONCERNED

R K Sinha ( a professor at Patna University ) and his collegues are currently working for preserving the habitat of Ganga Dolphins.

He is popularly known as India’s Dolphin Man.

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ENDANGERED!!! This species has been included in : Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife

(Protection) Act 1972 Appendix I of the Convention on

International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)

Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)

Categorized as Endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

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The Gangetic dolphins have been declared as the National Aquatic Animal of India in 2009.

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STEPS TAKEN

the first research centre of its kind in the country, the Gangetic dolphin research centre was established in the Bihar capital.

the Bihar government decided to set up a special task force in order to conserve the endangered animal.

In order to gain tourists attraction Bihar government has planned to develop a dolphin watch centre along the Ganga river that will also promote the conservation awareness about the endangered mammal declared as India's National Aquatic Animal.

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STEPS TAKENcontd…

CCTV cameras have been set up along the bank of Ganga to keep a watch on dolphin poaching.

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STEPS TAKENcontd…

Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary located in Bhagalpur District of Bihar, has done miracle in the conservation of dolphins.

The sanctuary is a 50 km stretch of the Ganges River from Sultanganj to Kahalgaon. Designated in 1991, it is the only protected area for the endangered Gangetic dolphins in Asia.

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SOME GOOD NEWS

Population of endangered dolphins have grown to 223 in November 2011 from about 175 during the previous year at the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS), the country’s only river dolphin sanctuary in Bhagalpur district of Bihar

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IF NOT PROTECTED

Aquatic ecosystem will be imbalanced.

Excellent indicator of river ecosystem health

It is a unique charismatic mega-fauna

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Enjoy GANGA DOLPHIN in museum

Or

Enjoy GANGA DOLPHIN in nature

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THANK YOU