Group of Scientists and wildlife conservationists has shown concern related to the impact of National Waterways project on Gangetic River Dolphins.
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| Context: | Group of Scientists and wildlife conservationists has shown concern related to the impact of National Waterways project on Gangetic River Dolphins. |
| About Gangetic Dolphins | The Gangetic River dolphin is primarily found in the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers and their tributaries in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. Ganga dolphins can live only in Fresh water. Gangetic Dolphins are blind and they also known as Susu and shushuk because of the sound it produces when breathing. Gangetic Dolphin has been recognised as the National aquatic animal by the Government of India. |
| Laws for Protection of Gangetic Dolphins | These are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (endangered) and International trade is prohibited by the listing of the South Asian river dolphin on Appendix I of the CITES (convention on international trade in endangered species). |
| Importance of Gangetic Dolphin | These dolphins indicate the water pollution (river water as they thrive on fresh water only) as it plays a vital role in river food-chain. |
| Threats due to National waterways project and other reasons for their decline | 1. The development of the Ganga for shipping is seen by wildlife conservationists as the single-largest threat to the survival of the species, whose numbers are declining in most parts of their natural habitat, according to the scientists of Wildlife Institute of India. This is mainly due to construction of dams and barrages on the river.
2. Anthropogenic threats include direct killing for oil or over fishing. 3. River water pollution due to the industries and many other cultural events. High levels of pollution can directly kill prey species and dolphins, and completely destroy their habitat. As the top predator, river dolphins have been known to have high levels of persistent toxic chemicals in their bodies, which is likely to adversely affect their health. 4. The dolphins also suffered due to depletion of prey base, accidental mortality in fishing nets and accidents with vessel propellers. |
| About National Waterways project | The Government is developing National Waterway-1 (NW-1) under the Jal Marg Vikas Project, with assistance from the World Bank. NW-1 refers to 1620 km Haldia-Allahabad stretch of River Ganga. The project would be completed over a period of six years at an estimated cost of Rs. 4,200 crore. Phase-I of the project covers the Haldia-Varanasi stretch. The project includes development of fairway, multi-modal terminals, strengthening of open river navigation technique, conservancy works, modern River Information System (RIS), Digital Global Positioning System (DGPS), night navigation facilities, modern methods of channel marking, construction of a new navigational lock at Farakka, etc.
The first phase of the project spanning 1300 km, now under implementation, is from Varanasi to Haldia. It envisages improving the navigability of the river as it passes through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The NW1 is seen to have a potential to emerge as the logistics artery for northern India, while reducing the congestion on this high-traffic transport corridor, project documents say. However, this stretch is also home to the endangered dolphin. |
| Government’s response after IUCN expressing the concern | 1. The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest Conservation launched in 2016 the Endangered Species Recovery Plans.
2. The West Bengal government decided to establish India’s first Dolphin Community Reserve in the state at Hooghly River between Malda and Sundarbans. World Bank suggested that by restricting the cargo vessels movement through the protected habitat areas threat can be minimized as these dolphins are blind and rely on bio-sonar method to move around and catch their prey. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) stated that nesting grounds, breeding and spawning grounds of dolphins would be identified and project activity minimized in those areas. |