Guwahati, Dec. 3: The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Assam government for developing a conservation action plan for river dolphins.

The MoU is part of a five-year project on Gangetic dolphin under the endangered species recovery programme of the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change.

The project aims to develop recovery plan for Gangetic dolphins and their habitats in India and engage stakeholders in the conservation of river ecosystems in India. The project is being implemented in the Ganges and Brahmaputra river system, covering Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh.

A stakeholder workshop on the project for Assam was held here today.

Director of WII V.B. Mathur said the goal of the endangered species recovery programme is to maximise the long-term survival rate of these species in the wild through a planned and logical framework. "If we do not take steps to save these species now, we will be held responsible," he said.

Principal scientist of the programme Qamar Qureshi said the Gangetic river dolphin project is a critical conservation initiative, which will develop a holistic conservation approach through key scientific and technological inputs. "At a time when the pressure on rivers is increasing, the project is a timely intervention for its conservation. Since the Gangetic dolphin is a flagship species, many other aquatic species will also benefit from its conservation," he said.

Project scientist from Assam Abdul Wakid said the need of the hour is to chalk out mitigation measures for conservation of Gangetic dolphins as the river habitat is under pressure from development activities.