For the first time, the government will carry out a comprehensive census of endangered Gangetic dolphins, ghariyals and turtles across the entire Ganges river system to get their official count.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) will carry out the exercise through Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an autonomous institution under Union Ministry of Environment and Forest, by February-end or early March.
"This is for the first time, a proper comprehensive and scientific study of Gangetic dolphins will be carried out across its entire Ganges river system to establish an official count," Consultant (Biodiversity centre), NMCG, Sandeep Behera told PTI.
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He said that it will also be for the first time that the abundance and species composition of ghariyals and turtles will be figured out during the survey to be carried out under Aqua Life programme.
The study, to be carried out by NMCG under the Centre's ambitious Namami Gange programme, is crucial because populace of the freshwater animals reflect quality of the river water (more the populace, better the water quality).
All the efforts of counting the number of dolphins in the Ganga until now were carried out in bits and pieces or in particular stretches of the river.
The WII scientists will co-ordinate with states and NGOs for the study, he added.
Unlike the previous such efforts, the fresh census will not be a rapid survey and will be conducted over a period of one month.
This, Behera said, will give the scientists the authentic figure as far as population of the national aquatic animal, dolphin, is concerned.
Uttar Pradesh government had in October 2015 had conducted a census for over a period of three days in Ganga's stretch in the state.
"The UP census was a three-day rapid survey with not many experts onboard. In 2012, I had conducted a study in UP and found 670 dolphins. The 2015 UP government survey had suggested that there were around 1300 dolphins.
"The dolphin population is very unlikely to double in just three years. So, there were gaps in that study. The new attempt will be a proper, scientific study," he added.
A dolphin on an average breeds once in every three to four years.
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To ensure further accuracy in counting the number and abundance of the animals, the survey is being conducted during the February end or early March, when the water level in the 2525-km long Ganga mainstream, besides its tributaries will be minimum and the weather too will be conducive for such exercise.
When water level is low, the concentration of animals in the rivers water pockets will be higher, helping wildlife scientists to avoid miscount or double count of the animals, Behera said.
The NMCG, which is executing the Namami Gange programme, mulls to conduct the study every two years.
Once the first survey is completed, it will give NMCG a baseline information for future studies, Behera added.
Meanwhile, sources in the Ministry said that the NMCG wanted to undertake the survey under its biodiversity restoration plan two years ago. However, it could not be launched due to lack of co-ordination among states.
UP carried out the survey, but adjacent Bihar did not.
Hence, the WII has been roped into co-ordinate with states and go ahead with the counting, a source said.
During the survey conducted in Uttar Pradesh between October 5 and October 8, 2015, as many as 1,263 dolphins were sighted in 3350-km stretch of Ganga and its tributaries in the state.
That census, a collaborative effort by the states Forest Department and WWF-India supported by NMCG, was done under the state government's "My Ganga, My Dolphin" campaign in 2015.
According to that study, stretches downstream Varanasi registered 269 dolphins and the 125-km stretch upstream of Fatehpur saw 175 dolphins.
Stretches of Ganga's tributaries Ghaghra, Rapti, Gandhak and Chambal had recorded an increase in their population whereas Ramsar site Brijghat to Narora recorded a decrease.
