Pesticides poisoning Ganges river dolphins

R.K. Sinha, an expert on Ganges river dolphins, told reporters that heavy use of pesticides in agricultural fields is dangerous for the existence of dolphins because of low metabolism capacity in their bodies. According to Sinha, who has been researching freshwater dolphins for over two decades, rivers are major repositories of pesticides. "The toxins of pesticides enter the river system through agricultural run-off, domestic sewage and industrial effluents," he said.

He said since dolphins are at the apex of the food chain in rivers, their condition would help assess whether the steps taken to clean the  Ganges were working. "If the number of dolphins increases in the river, it will be a positive sign of a clean Ganges but if the number decreases, it is a negative sign of increasing pollution," he said.

Sinha, a professor of zoology at Patna University, asserted that immersion of idols in rivers also poses a grave threat to aquatic life. He suggested that "manmade water bodies"  be used for immersing idols. "The Ganges is already highly polluted and its ecosystem is under pressure. Untreated sewage, rotting carcasses and industrial effluents that find their way into the Ganges during its 2,500-km-long journey from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal have also affected the dolphins," he said.

Experts estimate the current population of Ganges river dolphins at around 2,000. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) says that in the 1980s, there were around 3,500 in the delta region alone. According to the WWF, Ganges river dolphins are found in seven states -- Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

The Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) is found in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. In appearance, it is identical to the Indus river dolphin. It is one of four freshwater dolphin species in the world. The other three are found in the Yangtze river in China, the Indus in Pakistan and the Amazon in South America.

According to WWF, Ganges river dolphins prefer deep waters, in and around the confluence of two or more rivers. They share their habitat with crocodiles, fresh water turtles and wetland birds. It has a sturdy, yet flexible, body with large flippers and a low triangular dorsal fin. It weighs up to 150 kg. The Ganges river dolphin is blind. It finds its way and its prey in the turgid rivers waters through echo-location.