ISSN 2348-1218 (print) International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations ISSN 2348-1226 (online) Vol. 8, Issue 2, pp: (120-124), Month: April - June 2020, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
Environmental Impact on Freshwater Ecosystem: A Case Study of Gangetic Dolphin Dr. Parul Rana Assistant Professor, Department of Geography Government College for Women, Faridabad, India.
Abstract: Gangetic Dolphin once found in teeming numbers in the Ganges and its tributaries is now fighting a battle for survival. It is the most threatened cetacean and among the world's most threatened mammals. The Government of India has declared Gangetic Dolphin as the National Aquatic Animal but threats in the form of poaching, rising pollution in the rivers and obstruction in the flow of rivers due to the construction of a series of dams, barrages etc. still exist. Dolphins keep a watch on the state of freshwater. The worrying decline in the population of Gangetic Dolphins (Platanista Gangetica) signals a decline in freshwater for all. Captive breeding is not possible for Gangetic Dolphins so concerted efforts should be made not only to reduce river pollution and to ensure adequate river flow to maintain health of the Ganges and its tributaries but also to involve people in the conservation efforts by making them stakeholders in the conservation campaign. Keywords: Gangetic dolphin, Threatened mammal, Poaching, River pollution, Conservation efforts.
I. INTRODUCTION Mother of all rivers in India, the Ganga is unable to sustain the only population of freshwater dolphins found in the country. The dolphins living a pathetic life in the Ganga are fighting a losing battle for their survival. The Ganges river dolphin, known locally as the 'susu', was once common throughout many of the rivers in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. It has disappeared from much of its former habitat over the last 100 years and its future is uncertain. Dolphins have probably lived in the Gangetic basin from time immemorial, perhaps since the origin of the river, and are mentioned in mythological literature and folklore, including the Mahabharata, which refers to them as the Vahana (carrier) of the legendary Ganga. In the 3rd Century BC, Ashoka the Great, the emperor of the Mauryan Empire, issued a decree not to hunt or kill 'Ganga - Puputaka', as the Gangetic dolphins were known at that time. Centuries later, the Gangetic dolphin was also recorded in an illustration that formed part of the Babur namah, an indication of its prominence during the early 16th century A.D. However, the status now is desperate as their total numbers have dwindled to less than 2000 in the entire range, which includes Nepal and Bangladesh. The last dolphin in the Yamuna River near Delhi was sighted in 1967.This has led to its being declared a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) too declared the Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica) an endangered species in 1996.The other three freshwater dolphins across the world-Indus River Dolphin (Platanista minor), Amazon River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) and Yangtze River Dolphin (Lipoptes vexillifer) also have the same status. In 2006, dolphins became extinct in the Yangtze river in China (now, surviving only in captivity and semi-natural reserves). It was a major jolt to wildlife lovers across the globe. One should not be surprised if the same happens to the Gangetic dolphin.
II. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The researcher has adopted the doctrinal method of research. The researcher made use of a large number of sources available to her such as articles and journals and various websites.
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