A Gangetic dolphin in Sahebganj. (Ravindra Kumar Sinha)

Rajmahal, Jan. 5: The friendly Gangetic dolphin is on the verge of extinction in Sahebganj, one of the few pockets in the country having maximum density of this fresh water mammal.

A 30km stretch of the Ganga in Sahebganj and the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS), spread over 50km in Bhagalpur in neighbouring Bihar, are home to more than 110 dolphins out of the total 2,000 found in south Asia.

According to environmentalists, pollution and poaching are taking a heavy toll on Gangetic dolphins, declared endangered by WWF in October 2004. This particular species has a long beak, a stocky body, round belly and large flippers. One of the oldest surviving mammals, it measures 4.9 to 8.2ft in length and can weigh up to 90kg.

“We have a little over 20 dolphins left in the Sahebganj waters, and the number is fast falling. There is not much we can do until the state declares the area as a sanctuary on the lines of Vikramshila,” said DFO Sahebganj J.P.N. Sinha.

The blueprint of a dolphin sanctuary at Sahebganj was prepared by VGDS director S.K. Choudhury and forwarded to the state in 2003. But nothing has moved since.

Choudhury said: “I had a session with then chief minister Arjun Munda regarding the dolphin sanctuary at Sahebganj. He had promised to take the matter forward. But governments changed, so changed their priorities. If the state shows interest in setting up the sanctuary, I will be more than happy to offer my expertise and other logistical suuport necessary.”

Vikramshila, the only fresh water dolphin sanctuary in the country, has 83 dolphins now. Elsewhere, the number of the endangered Gangetic dolphins has doubled due to innovative measures taken by Choudhury since last year.

The VGDS director, who recently returned from the US after training for three months in dolphin conservation, said: “There is no quick-fix solution to this problem. You have to take the stakeholders into confidence and convince them how the survival of dolphins ensures their well-being. These mammals are bio-indicators of a healthy waterbody from which fishermen eke out a living.”

Dolphins at Vikramshila may have found a saviour in Choudhury, but their counterparts in Sahebganj are not so lucky yet. “There were days when you could see schools of dophins or even encounter these coy and friendly creatures while swimming or boating. Forget about that thrilling experience, now you have to wait for hours and days to catch a glimpse of this wonderful aquatic animal,” said lawyer and dolphin conservator Anant Roy.

Asked what is the status of the sanctuary proposal, conservator of forest (wildlife) Kazhmi first misunderstood dolphins as fossils. Later, he said: “Yes, the file is with us. I remember seeing it somewhere in my cabin cupboard. If something significant happens in this regard, we shall let you know.”

When the file is gathering dust at Kazhmi’s office, a Centre government intervention can work wonders for the proposed dolphin sanctuary. Patna University professor S.K. Sinha, a member of National Ganga River Basin Authority chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said: “We will soon start surveying the stretch from Kahalgoan to Farakka barrage as we are planning for a larger sanctuary, covering the entire stretch from Bhagalpur to Farakka.” Sinha has been made the chairman of working committee responsible for formulating action plans to conserve dolphin in Ganga basin.

The postal department had brought out a commemorative stamp, considering the threat faced by Gangetic dolphins, in 1991. “The aquatic animals, once found in abundance in the Ganga-Brahmaputra river system, are now on the brink of extinction. If the government does not take proper action, days are not far when we will have commemorate susus and only see on the Rs-4 postal stamps,” summed up Sinha.