Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day Speech this year, announced the government’s plan to launch a Project Dolphin. The proposed project is aimed at saving both river and marine dolphins.
- As the Gangetic dolphin is at the top of the food chain, protecting the species and its habitat will ensure conservation of aquatic lives of the river.
- Project Dolphin will be on the lines of Project Tiger, which has helped increase the tiger population.
- Such an initiative got in-principle approval in December last year itself, at the first meeting of the National Ganga Council (NGC), headed by the Prime Minister.
- Till now, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), which implements the government’s flagship scheme Namami Gange, has been taking some initiatives for saving dolphins.
- Project Dolphin is expected to be implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- The Gangetic dolphin is national aquatic animal .
- The Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica) is one of five species of river dolphin found around the world.
- It is found mainly in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems.
- The Conservation Action Plan for the Ganges River Dolphin, 2010-2020, describes male dolphins as being about 2-2.2 metres long and females as a little longer at 2.4-2.6 m.
- An adult dolphin could weigh between 70 kg and 90 kg.
- The breeding season of the Gangetic dolphin extends from January to June.
- They feed on several species of fishes, invertebrates etc.
(Source: The Indian Express)
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