Ganges River Dolphin - Let Us Help It To Survive

We need to help the Ganges River Dolphin fight a tough battle for survival, points out Benita Sen.

- Benita Sen

What was once an ideal habitat for the Ganga River Dolphin or Ganges River Dolphin is today one of the most densely populated regions in the world. Little wonder, then, that this dolphin is jostling for survival in a habitat packed with people, factories, and innumerable dams. Its presence on the IUCN list of ‘Endangered Species’ points at the struggle the estimated surviving population is facing. Sometimes, people wonder why the decrease or disappearance in one species should be a cause for concern. Well, cetaceans that include dolphins, whales, and porpoises are treated as a priority. The higher the animal is in the food chain, the more its presence signifies the biodiversity and health of the ecosystem it is found in. Their importance in the ecosystem is high and their presence or absence indicates the health of their habitat and the state of biodiversity in the river system. So, a river teeming with dolphins is certainly a healthy ecosystem with enough fresh water and plenty of prey. The reverse, sadly, is just as true.

Habitat and Features

While these are named after the River Ganges, these grey-brown freshwater dolphins are found in the entire region, including in Bangladesh and Nepal, in the Ganga, Meghna, and the Brahmaputra rivers. They are a subspecies of the South Asian river dolphin (Platanista gangetica). The other subspecies is the Indus river dolphin (P. gangetica minor). The adaptable creature has proved that it can take on the river rapids in higher reaches just as it can live in the relatively slower currents downstream as the river meanders through the Gangetic plains.