The National Aquatic Animal Of India is the Gangetic River Dolphin. It is also known as “susu”. The Gangetic River Dolphin is one of the National Symbols of India. They are found in the Ganga, Brahmaputra, Meghna, and Karnaphuli- Sangu river systems in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. According to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Ganges River Dolphin has been named India's official aquatic animal. The Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna, and Karnaphuli river systems in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh are home to dolphins. Their overall population is thought to be around 2,000, and Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972). lists them as "highly endangered." 

The National Aquatic Animal Of India is one of the most important topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the Environment subject in the General Studies Paper-3 syllabus and current events of national importance in UPSC prelims. 

In this article, we shall study interesting facts, unique features and conservation practices of the National Aquatic Animal Of India for the UPSC exam.

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About National Aquatic Animal Of India

The Ganges river dolphin is the national aquatic animal of India. The scientific name for the Ganges river dolphin is Platanista gangetica gangetica, and its common name is Susu. The taxonomy hierarchy of the Ganges river dolphin is given below:

• Animalia
• Chordata
• Mammalia
• Cetacea
• Platanistidae
• Platanista
• Platanista gangetica

The Ganges dolphin is an endemic species of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna River systems, which span from the foot of the Himalayas to the tidal zone in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, as well as the Karnaphuli-Sangu river system of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. Ganges river dolphin only inhabits freshwater environments. Most of its locations are in and near the confluence of two or more rivers in deep water. The largest city in Assam, Guwahati, has designated the Ganges river dolphin as its official animal. It is also India's national aquatic mammal.

Study the Himalayan and Peninsular Rivers here.

Unique features of the National Aquatic Animal of India

• The body of the Gangetic dolphin, National Aquatic Animal Of India is sturdy and flexible and has large flippers and a low triangular dorsal fin. Their dorsal fin is undeveloped.
• They have a long, pointed snout that thickens towards the end. They catch the shrimp and fish by rooting around with their long beak.
• They have teeth in both upper and lower jaws, visible even when the mouth remains closed.
• They usually weigh between 150 to 170 kg.
• Since the eyes of the Gangetic river dolphins lack a lens, they are generally blind, and they catch their prey by emitting an ultrasonic sound reflected on reaching the prey (echolocation). With the help of this reflection, they visualize the image and position of the prey and thereby catch it.
• The females are usually larger than the males. The maximum size of a female river dolphin is about 2.70 m, while that of a male river dolphin is 2.12 m.
• The male dolphin attains maturity earlier when compared to the female ones, who attain sexual maturity only after 10 to 12 years from birth.
• One of the unique features of the Gangetic river dolphin is that they swim on their sides, unlike other cetaceans.
• The gestation period is approximately 9 to 11 months, and the females gestate once in 2 to 3 years. At a time, a female dolphin gives birth to only one calf.

Also, check the Highest peaks in states of India from the linked article.

Threats To National Aquatic Animal Of India – Ganges River Dolphin

Following are some major threats to the Gangetic dolphin, the national aquatic animal.

The conflict between humans and dolphin

• The oil and meat of the Gangetic dolphin are used as a liniment, aphrodisiac and bait for catfish. The species is poached and deliberately killed in its distribution range for all these purposes. Poaching is widely recorded in the state of Bihar.
• As the riverine areas have a rich fish community, it attracts dolphins and fishermen. To reduce the competition, fishermen often kill the dolphins, affecting the river dolphin population.
• Accidental killing is another major threat to the existence of river dolphins. Since their preferred habitat is often in the exact location as the primary fishing grounds, they get entangled in the fishing gear, which causes significant damage to the population of the species.

Habitat Degradation

• With the construction of dams and barrages for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation, the migration of the river dolphins has been prevented, and their population has been fragmented. This, in turn, decreased the gene pool of the dolphins, thereby leading to a loss of genetic diversity.
• For the purpose of irrigation, water is extracted from the river at an excess rate. This human activity has lowered the water levels throughout river dolphins' habitat range and threatened their habitat in the Ganges.
• The heavy river traffic in the Ganges and Brahmaputra has resulted in noise pollution, habitat restriction, depletion of prey base, and changes in the feeding behavior of the Gangetic river dolphins.
• Increased sedimentation due to the loss of vegetation cover in the catchment area and floodplains has resulted in the rising river bed. This affects the river biota, such as fish, which reduces the river dolphins' prey base.

Read the linked article's NCERT notes on the Salinity of Ocean Water.

Conservation Of National Aquatic Animal Of India: Ganges River Dolphin

Due to reasons such as heavy siltation, construction of barrages, poaching, accidental killing, and water pollution, the population of the national aquatic animal has decreased greatly. Following are some steps various organisations took to conserve the Ganges river dolphin.

• The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – India has adopted the Ganges river dolphin as a species of particular concern. It initiated the Ganges river dolphin conservation programme in 1997, intending to build a scientific database of the population status of the river dolphin and study its habitat.
• WWF – India has prioritized the conservation action in the following stretches, which seem to be an ideal habitat for the river dolphin species,
  • Upper Ganga River (Brijghat to Narora) – Uttar Pradesh
  • Chambal River (up to 10 km downstream of Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary) – Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh
  • Ghagra and Gandak River – Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
  • Ganga River from Varanasi to Patna – Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
  • Son and Kosi River – Bihar
  • Brahmaputra River from Sadia (foothills of Arunachal Pradesh) up to the Dhubri (Bangladesh border)
  •  Kulsi River – tributary of Brahmaputra

Also, check out the article on National Fisheries Policy here.

Interesting Facts About Ganges River Dolphin

Let us get to know some interesting facts about the Ganges river dolphin from the following points,

• The Ganges dolphin, National Aquatic Animal Of India is a unique, charismatic megafauna.
• The Ganges river dolphin, the national aquatic animal of India, is recognized as a highly endangered species in schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
• The Ganges River Dolphin is a subspecies of the South Asian River Dolphin.
• In 1996, its status was changed from ‘Vulnerable’ to ‘Endangered’ under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN’s) red list of threatened species.
• It is one of the four obligate freshwater dolphins found in the World. The other three are Baiji (found in the Yangtze River, China), Bhutan (found in the Indus river, Pakistan), and Boto (found in the Amazon river, Latin America).
• Since they can survive only in freshwater, their presence in a river is symbolic of a healthy ecosystem.
• In the early 21st century, their population ranged from 1200 to 1800. Their numbers diminished abysmally in the last century due to the killing, fishing, and pollution of the rivers. In 2020, it was reported that over 3700 Gangetic river dolphins were found in the Indian water.
• The Gangetic river dolphin, National Aquatic Animal Of India is at the apex of the aquatic food chain. Thus, to have greater biodiversity in the river ecosystem, they should be available in adequate numbers

Also, check out the National Emblem of India here.

WWF – India 

WWF – India concentrates on following points:

• Protection and monitoring of dolphins
• Identifying Indian states bordering dolphin populations
• Educating the various stakeholders
• Implementing an action plan for survival.
• The Government of India prepared the Conservation Action Plan for the Ganges River Dolphin 2010-2020, in which it identified various threats to the national aquatic animal and suggested conservation steps.
• Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) is the only dolphin sanctuary in India. It is a 60 km stretch of the Ganga River, from Sultanganj to Kahalgaon in Bihar. About half of the total river dolphin population in the country is found in this sanctuary; thus, it is crucial for the conservation of the national aquatic animal.
• On the 74th Independence day, the Prime Minister of India announced the Government’s plan to launch ‘Project Dolphin’ along the lines of project tiger to increase the population of dolphins. This project focuses on rivers as well as sea dolphins. 
  • This project aims to strengthen the biodiversity of dolphins, create employment opportunities and attract tourism. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change is expected to implement it.

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