Hoogly to get India's first community reserve for endangered Gangetic dolphins

India's first community reserve to protect the endangered dolphins will be set up in the state of West Bengal. The dolphin reserve is proposed to be set up at Hoogly, a 500 km long stretch of the Ganges.

Declared as National Aquatic Animal in 2010, the Ganges River Dolphin, or Susu, has been hunted almost to extinction. Their numbers have dipped to an alarming 2,000 dolphins today.

The decision to set up a community reserve, to protect the endangered Gangetic River Dolphins, was initiated by the West Bengal State Wildlife Board.

A magnificent creature

• The Ganges River Dolphin is found primarily in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
• The mammal is often termed as the Tiger of The Ganges - an indication of their importance to the ecosystem

Proposed reserve

The community reserve is reportedly proposed between Malda and the Sunderbans in the Hoogly River and a committee has been formed to examine how best this can be achieved. All stakeholders will be taken on board in this venture and a framework is expected to be ready within a year.

The Forest Department is also conducting a census to estimate the population of the Dolphins in the Ganges and the Brahmaputra river system.

The river also is the sole source of income for hundreds of fishermen. The forest officials were quick to reassure that every measure will be taken to protect these fishermen and their livelihood.

Potential dangers

The main causes of the decimation of the Dolphin population include indiscriminate killing and a fragmentation of habitat due to unbridled human activities that include construction of barrages and dams.

Many dolphin deaths can also be traced back to an increase in pollution.