No Gangetic dolphin in Ramganga

BAREILLY: Not a single dolphin was found in Ramganga during the recent census of Gangetic dolphin conducted by forest department, WWF-India along with other NGOs and community leaders. After getting reports from few villagers that dolphins were spotted in this river, the agencies had conducted the dolphin census for the first time in Ramganga.
Confirming this, Khem Bahadur, project officer, WWF-India said, “During the Gangetic Dolphin census which was conducted from October 5 to 8, our team did not spot a single dolphin in Ramganga.However in the meantime, we also surveyed nearly 20 local villagers who had informed us that they had sighted the dolphins during the monsoon. It appears that the dolphins spotted by villagers came from Ganga when the depth of Ramganga was high around the time of monsoon. The dolphins later dispersed into Ganga.”
The experts said that river pollution and low water level are the main cause behind dolphins not sighted in Ramganga. “Gangetic dolphins prefer a depth of nearly four metres and clean water. With scanty rainfall reported in this region this year, the water level was low in Ramganga round the year and hence, we could not find dolphin in the river,” said Asghar Nawab, senior manager, biodiversity, WWF-India. He added that there is no dolphin in Ramganga because of river pollution.
TOI had earlier reported that an ongoing research titled "Impact of seasonal variation and pollution load on aquatic environment and fish farming at micro level in different aquatic zones of river Ramganga" by Neelima Gupta of MJP Rohilkhand University stated that the river is most polluted in Bareilly and Moradabad, posing a serious threat to aquatic life. As the river is less polluted beyond Bareilly, the census was conducted in the 370-km stretch of Ramganga from Dabri Bridge (Shahjahanpur) to Terapursoli village (Hardoi-Kannauj border) where the Ramganga merges with the Ganga. According to experts, Gangetic dolphins were found in Ramganga nearly 50 years back but they later diminished from the river due to degradation of river ecosystem.
Apart from Ramganga, the dolphin census was counted in Ganga, Yamuna, Chambal, Ken, Betwa, Son, Sharda, Geruwa, Gahagra Gandak and Rapti that flow in the state. Even no dolphin was found in Son and Ken. As per the recent census, 1,263 dolphins were found in the state stretching 3,350 kilometres against the 671 counted across 2,800 km stretch of the river Ganga and its tributaries in 2012. “With the census count and data gathered on community perceptions, we hope that a robust conservation strategy can be developed in the months to come,” said Suresh Babu, director- rivers, wetlands and water Policy, WWF-India.
The mammal is listed in schedule (I) of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and categorised as "endangered" by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).