
New method likely to yield more accurate count of the endangered species
The annual Ganges river dolphin census, undertaken by World Wide Fund for Nature-India in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department along about 250-km-long riverine stretch of Upper Ganga between Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary and Narora Ramsar site began in Bijnor on Wednesday.
Unlike previous years, when direct counting method was used, this year the tandem boat survey method is being used, said M. Semmaran, District Forest Officer, Bijnor.
Dr. Semmaran told The Hindu that the method, developed by the renowned river and marine ecologist Gill Braulik, provides a more accurate count of the endangered species. “Here the officials use two inflated boats which move in tandem to count the dolphins. After collating the data, statistical tools are employed to arrive at the final count. In this process, we don’t announce the number of sightings on a daily basis.” Ms. Braulik, who is known for her work on Indus river dolphins, is also participating in the census.
The forest official added this year the upstream of Bijnor Ganga barrage up to Balawali has also been included. It has added around 30 km to the area being covered by the census which will conclude on October 15.
Stable numbers
Mohd. Shahnawaz Khan, coordinator, WWF-India, said that last year the count was 33, including three calves. “Starting from 22 in 2015, the number has been stable in the last few years. We expect a rise this year.” Mr. Khan lists the dumping of single-use plastic, industrial pollution, fishing and dredging as some of the threats to dolphins in the region. “The increase in the number of barrages and dams is also affecting their growth as such structures impede the flow of water,” said Mr. Khan.
From mythological significance to a tourist attraction, the mammal is at the top of the riverine ecosystem. “It is among the four ‘obligate’ freshwater dolphins in the world. Its presence indicates the health of the riverine ecosystem,” said Mr. Khan.
The animal is known to make strange sounds when it breathes, earning it the sobriquet ‘Susu’. “Being a mammal, it has to come to the surface to breathe,” said Mr. Khan. It is also called a blind dolphin because it doesn’t have a crystalline eye lens and uses echolocation to navigate and hunt. “It is crucial to find prey in the murky waters of the Ganga. Like bats, they produce high-frequency sounds which helps them ‘see’ objects when the sound waves bounce off them,” said the WWF-India coordinator.
He praised the local population’s role in the region in saving the riverine ecosystem. “Often, they are the first ones to inform us of any development that requires our intervention.”
74 thoughts on “Annual Ganges river dolphin census begins”
cost levofloxacin 250mg purchase levofloxacin
avodart 0.5mg pill dutasteride price order zofran 8mg online
buy sildenafil 100mg online estradiol 1mg ca estradiol uk
brand lamictal 200mg buy lamotrigine 200mg for sale purchase retin
tadalafil 20mg uk tadalis 20mg drug buy generic diclofenac
isotretinoin 40mg sale purchase amoxil without prescription order azithromycin pill
generic indocin order indocin 50mg without prescription buy amoxicillin 250mg for sale
tadalafil 40mg cheap help with ed order sildenafil without prescription
buy arimidex pill arimidex 1 mg over the counter buy sildenafil online
tadalafil 10mg generique acheter 5mg tadalafil en ligne viagra 200mg sans ordonnance
generic deltasone 20mg viagra 50mg sale sildenafil price
tadalafil generika rezeptfrei kaufen tadalafil 10mg kaufen für männer sildenafil 50mg bestellen
buy isotretinoin 10mg online cheap order accutane pills ivermectin over the counter uk
order provigil 200mg sale acetazolamide 250mg canada buy diamox 250 mg pills
cheap ramipril 5mg order clobetasol online generic astelin 10 ml
purchase clonidine sale buy minocin 50mg for sale tiotropium bromide online
buspar buy online order buspirone 10mg generic ditropan online order
terazosin pill terazosin for sale azulfidine for sale
oral alendronate order fosamax 35mg order pepcid sale
olmesartan 10mg brand generic divalproex 500mg oral acetazolamide 250mg
tacrolimus 1mg price buy prograf generic ursodiol 150mg generic
generic imdur isosorbide 20mg price generic telmisartan 80mg
zyban 150 mg drug order strattera 10mg buy seroquel 50mg without prescription
order molnupiravir 200 mg online cheap naproxen 250mg sale lansoprazole price
sertraline order online brand escitalopram 10mg viagra tablet
imuran over the counter cheap imuran 100mcg order sildenafil generic
generic tadalafil 40mg buy prozac 20mg pills viagra 50mg price
order naltrexone for sale oral albenza 400mg order generic aripiprazole
avlosulfon uk nifedipine order perindopril us
order medroxyprogesterone pill order periactin 4 mg for sale order cyproheptadine
modafinil 100mg drug order stromectol 6mg without prescription stromectole online
luvox 50mg pill buy luvox 100mg online purchase glucotrol
accutane 10mg canada cheap amoxil tablets buy deltasone 40mg
order nootropil 800mg pills viagra 100mg sale cheap sildenafil pills
zithromax 500mg usa purchase zithromax pills buy gabapentin online
tadalafil 20mg uk cialis 10mg oral cheap sildenafil sale
order cialis 20mg sale buy clomipramine pills buy clomipramine pill
chloroquine 250mg tablet cenforce generic buy baricitinib
oral glycomet 500mg tadalafil oral generic tadalafil 40mg
olanzapine 10mg cheap order zyprexa pill diovan 160mg uk
order norvasc generic brand sildenafil 50mg tadalafil sale
clozaril 100mg usa oral clozaril decadron us
usa viagra overnight sildenafil in usa lisinopril canada
zyvox online order buy zyvox 600 mg without prescription planning poker online
buy prilosec my mother essay writing casino moons online casino
order metoprolol pill metoprolol brand purchase levitra
paper writer best online blackjack slots free
levitra 10mg generic vardenafil cheap methylprednisolone price
essay writing affordable essays viagra us
buy clomid pill clomid online order casino play
cialis pills viagra 100mg uk viagra 50mg for sale
order triamcinolone 10mg without prescription buy claritin 10mg online buy desloratadine 5mg online cheap
cialis black cheap viagra sale purchasing viagra on the internet
xenical canada acyclovir 800mg cheap buy generic zovirax 400mg
tadalafil 20mg without prescription plavix pills clopidogrel 75mg sale
brand allopurinol 100mg ezetimibe buy online brand ezetimibe 10mg
methotrexate 10mg tablet buy generic methotrexate 2.5mg brand metoclopramide 10mg
domperidone without prescription buy tetracycline sale purchase flexeril pills
cozaar 50mg brand order topiramate 100mg sale topiramate 200mg canada
buy generic ozobax ozobax order online ketorolac oral
order generic imitrex 25mg levofloxacin 250mg oral avodart generic
order colchicine for sale play roulette free for fun best gambling sites
zantac without prescription buy ranitidine 150mg pill purchase celecoxib
online blackjack real money best online poker sites real casino slots
order tamsulosin pills buy flomax without prescription buy spironolactone 25mg generic
cialis 10mg uk cost ciprofloxacin 500mg cipro 1000mg pills
zocor 10mg price valtrex medication finasteride over the counter
oral flagyl 200mg buy metronidazole generic purchase bactrim generic
diflucan over the counter purchase diflucan for sale sildenafil 150mg
cephalexin 125mg drug order generic erythromycin order erythromycin 250mg
brand viagra 100mg cheap viagra for sale purchase tadalafil generic
cefuroxime 250mg tablet order generic methocarbamol brand robaxin 500mg
online casino roulette viagra cialis oral tadalafil 20mg
purchase desyrel pills sildenafil 100mg uk aurogra medication