Abstract: Gangetic Dolphin once found in teeming numbers in the Ganges and its tributaries is now fighting a battle for survival. It is the most threatened cetacean and among the world's most threatened mammals. The Government of India has declared Gangetic Dolphin as the National Aquatic Animal but threats in the form of poaching, rising pollution in the rivers and obstruction in the flow of rivers due to the construction of a series of dams, barrages etc. still exist. Dolphins keep a watch on the state of freshwater. The worrying decline in the population of Gangetic Dolphins (Platanista Gangetica) signals a decline in freshwater for all. Captive breeding is not possible for Gangetic Dolphins so concerted efforts should be made not only to reduce river pollution and to ensure adequate river flow to maintain health of the Ganges and its tributaries but also to involve people in the conservation efforts by making them stakeholders in the conservation campaign.
Keywords: Gangetic dolphin, Threatened mammal, Poaching, River pollution, Conservation efforts.
Title: Environmental Impact on Freshwater Ecosystem: A Case Study of Gangetic Dolphin
Author: Dr. Parul Rana
International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations
ISSN 2348-1218 (print), ISSN 2348-1226 (online)
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