Inactivity at India’s First Dolphin Research Centre

• 21 Nov 2024

Why in News? 

Dolphin conservation in India faces challenges as the National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC) in Bihar, remains non-operational, months after inauguration due to a lack of advanced equipment and skilled manpower.

Key Points 

• Inauguration and Current State: 
  • The NDRC, located near the Ganga in Patna, was inaugurated by Bihar Chief Minister on 4th March 2024. 
  • Despite its opening, the centre remains non-functional, marked by neglect and locked glass doors. 
• Impact on Dolphin Conservation: 
  • The delay has hindered essential research on Gangetic dolphins, India’s national aquatic animal. 
  • RK Sinha, the "Dolphin Man of India," who proposed the NDRC 15 years ago, expressed disappointment over the lack of progress. 
• Official Assurance: 
  • Bihar Forest and Chief Wildlife Warden assured that the NDRC would begin operations within the financial year 2024-25. 
  • The centre aims to conserve dolphins, study their behaviour and habitat, and train fishermen to safeguard dolphins during fishing. 
• Strategic Location and Importance: 
  • The 4,400-square-metre facility is situated on Patna University campus near the Ganga, allowing direct observation of dolphins in their natural habitat. 
• Conservation Challenges: 
  • Bihar, hosting half of India’s 3,000 Gangetic dolphins, faces threats to habitats due to activities like construction and pollution. 
  • The National Green Tribunal recently highlighted the danger posed by bridge debris in Bhagalpur to the dolphin population. 
• Significance of Gangetic Dolphins: 
  • These endangered dolphins, blind and reliant on echolocation, are crucial to the river ecosystem. 
    • Echolocation is a technique used by bats, dolphins and other animals to determine the location of objects using reflected sound. 
  • They thrive in deep waters with minimal currents and are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, and International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines. 
  • The Ganges river dolphin, discovered in 1801, historically inhabits the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. 
  • Recent studies in the Ganga River Basin show their presence in the mainstream and tributaries like Ghagra, Kosi, Gandak, Chambal, Rupnarayan, and Yamuna.