KOLKATA: The Ganges river dolphin — India's national aquatic animal — is set to get more protection in Bengal. The stretch of river Hooghly between Malda and Sagar is likely to be developed as a dolphin community reserve.
Confirming the development, state chief wildlife warden Azam Zaidi said that the proposal would be placed for approval at the tenth meeting of the state wildlife board at Nabanna on October 8. Bengal is home to both the species of dolphins found in India, Irrawaddy dolphin and the Ganges river dolphin.
"The habitat of the Irrawaddy dolphins is comparatively protected since its part of the Sunderbans. But, the distribution range of the Ganga river dolphin here — Hooghly — is not a part of any protected area network in the state. Hence, our focus is on Hooghly and the Ganges river dolphin," Zaidi added.
The dolphin is often considered as a bio-monitoring tool of river health. Hence, conservation of the Ganges river dolphin will also ensure protection of the ecology of river Hooghly, said a source.
"Fishing and other rights must have been existing in various parts of river Hooghly. The declaration of the area as community reserve won't adversely impact such activities. The focus will be on conservation of the Ganges river dolphin and its habitat. This needs to be discussed with various stakeholders," states the agenda item No. 5 under which the proposal has been listed.
Zaidi refused to divulge much about the project. However, a source said that a survey on the status and extent of the dolphin habitat would be taken up prior to the declaration of the area as a dolphin community reserve.
A dolphin census has already been proposed under the state government's dolphin action plan. The state will conduct a census of the endangered Gangetic dolphins and the Zoological Survey of India, and NGOs such as WWF-India and Aranyak will help the state in the process. The survey area will cover the Ganga main stream from Malda to South 24-Parganas. The total cost of the project has been pegged at Rs 85 lakh.
The prime threat to the species is loss of habitat triggered by irrigation projects and pollution. The Ganges river dolphins are found in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. It was declared as the national aquatic animal of India in 2010. Sources said that less than 2,000 such dolphins were left in the country now.
Among the other proposals to be taken up for discussion at the meet are declaration of six conservation reserves in the state, establishment of East Kolkata Wetland Species Community Reserve, expansion of Teesta Wildlife Sanctuary in north Bengal and formation of a standing committee for state wildlife board.
State wildlife advisory board member Biswajit Roy Chowdhury said: "We have done census of animals in protected areas. But, what about the animals outside these areas and their protection? Now, the thrust is on animals outside the protected areas."
Taking a cue from the recent alleged poaching of a gharial in north Bengal, another member of the board Joydip Kundu said: "Such incidents prove that there's immediate need to shift the focus on areas outside the protected ones."
