Advertisement

Mammalian Biology

, Volume 95, Issue 1, pp 102–111 | Cite as

The endangered Ganges river dolphin heads towards local extinction in the Barak river system of Assam, India: A plea for conservation

  • Nazrana Begam Choudhury
  • Muhammed Khairujjaman MazumderEmail author
  • Himabrata Chakravarty
  • Amir Sohail Choudhury
  • Freeman Boro
  • Imrana Begam Choudhury
Article
First Online:

Abstract

The Ganges river dolphin (GRD) is an obligate freshwater cetacean that inhabits the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM), and Karnaphuli-Sangu river basins of India, Bangladesh and Nepal. The other sub-species, Indus river dolphin, is distributed in the disjunct lower Indus basin of India and Pakistan. The global population and distribution range of the GRD has declined in the recent past, and thus the sub-species has been listed ‘Endangered’ by IUCN since 1996. In Assam (India), the Ganges sub-species occurs in the Barak and the Brahmaputra river systems. The Barak river is a tributary of the Meghna river, and is the upstream distribution range of the sub-species in this branch of the GBM river basin. The dolphin inhabits meanderings and confluences of rivers, with prevalence of eddy counter-current and the resultant high aquatic diversity, including prey fish abundance. In the 1970 s–1980 s, the cetacean used to be fairly common in the Barak river system. Of late, it has been extirpated from the tributaries of the Barak river, and currently no longer occurs in any part of the main channel as well. However, it continues to occur in the downstream Kushiyara river (a distributary of the Barak river) which suggests a decline in the upstream distribution range by approximately 135 km. The major factors which affected the decline and the extirpation of the cetacean from the Barak river system include poaching, by-catches and interactions with fisheries including prey-fish depletion, and habitat destruction and fragmentation due to construction of sluice gates, embankments, siltation of rivers, dredging, extraction of water for irrigation and domestic uses, aquatic pollution, and lack of awareness. Thus, for effective conservation of the dolphin, these threats need to be eliminated or managed. This article provides an exhaustive review of the distribution (past and present), population, ecology, threats and conservation recommendations of the GRD in the Barak river system of Assam, India. Further, the article includes data obtained from the recent surveys conducted by the authors in the Barak river system.

Keywords

Assam Barak river Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river basin Platanista gangetica gangetica 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Ahmed, D., 1992. Impact of Kaptai dam and industries on Karnaphuli River, with special reference to loss of habitat for the river dolphin Platanista gangetica. Proc. Sem. On the Conservation of River Dolphins in the Indian Subcontinent, New Delhi, India, 18-19 Aug. Conservation of Nature Trust. Calicut.Google Scholar
  2. Anderson, J., 1879. Anatomical and Zoological Researches: Comprising an Account of Zoological Results of the Two Expeditions to Western Yunnan in 1868 and 1875; and a Monograph of the Two Cetacean Genera, Platanista and Orcella [sic]. Bernard Quaritch, London.Google Scholar
  3. Baillie, J., Groombridge, B. (Eds.), 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN. Gland, Switzerland and Cambrid, UK, Pp. 378.Google Scholar
  4. Bashir, T., 2010. Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica) seeks help. Curr. Sci. 98 (3), 287–288.Google Scholar
  5. Bashir, T., Khan, A., Gautam, P., Behera, S.K., 2010. Abundance and prey availability assessment of Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica) in a stretch of Upper Ganges River, India. Aquat. Mamm. 36 (1), 19–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. Bashir, T., Khan, A., Behera, S.K., Gautam, P., 2012. Factors determining occupancy of Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica) during differing river discharges in the upper Ganges, India. Mammalia 76 (4), 417–426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Bashir, T., Khan, A., Behera, S.K., Gautam, P., 2013. Time dependent activity pattern of Ganges River Dolphin Platanista gangetica gangetica and its response to human presence in Upper Ganges River, India. Mamm. Study 38 (1), 9–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. Behera, S.K., Rao, R.J., 1999. Observation on the behaviour of Gangetic dolphins in the upper Ganga River. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 96, 43–47.Google Scholar
  9. Biswas, S.P., 1995. Present status of River dolphins in the Barak (in Assamese) in Endangered River Dolphin, Souvenir Published on the Occasion of the Workshop on River Dolphin. River Dolphin Protection Committee.Google Scholar
  10. Biswas, S.P., Boruah, S., 2000. Ecology of River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) in the upper Brahmaputra. Hydrobiologia 430, 97–111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Biswas, S.P., Michael, R.G., 1992. Fishery characteristics and the present status of fisheries of the river Brahmaputra, New Delhi. Proc. Seminar on Conservation of River Dolphin in Indian Sub- Continent, 18-19 August (Abst).Google Scholar
  12. Biswas, S.P., Baruah, A., Mohan, R.L.S., 1997. Current status of River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) in the river Brahmaputra. Int. J. Ecol. Environ. Sci. 23, 357–361.Google Scholar
  13. Blanford, W.T., 1981. The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street, London, pp. Pp 589-591, 1888–91.Google Scholar
  14. Boyce, J.K., 1990. Birth of a megaproject: political economy of flood control in Bangladesh. Environ. Manage. 14, 158–165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. Braulik, G.T., Smith, B.D. and Chaudhry S., 2012. Platanista gangetica ssp. minor. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, e.T41757A17628296. Downloaded on 7th October, 2018.Google Scholar
  16. Braulik, G.T., Arshad, M., Noureen, U., Northridge, S.P., 2014. Habitat Fragmentation and Species Extirpation in Freshwater Ecosystems; causes of range decline of the Indus River Dolphin (Platanistagangetica minor). PLoS One 9 (7), e101657.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  17. Census of India, 1971. Planning Commission. Government of India.Google Scholar
  18. Census of India, 2011. Planning Commission. Government of India.Google Scholar
  19. Choudhury, A., 1997. Checklist of the Mammals of Assam, 2nd ed. Gibbon Books (Assam, India) with ASTE Council (Guwahati, Assam, India).Google Scholar
  20. Choudhury, A., 2013. The Mammals of North East India, 1st ed. Gibbon Books (Guwahati, Assam) and the Rhino Foundation for Nature in North East India (Guwahati, Assam).Google Scholar
  21. Choudhury, A., 2016. The Mammals of India: A Systematic and Cartographic Review, 1st ed. Gibbon Books and The Rhino Foundation for Nature in NE India (Guwahati, Assam, India), with support from Forest Bureau, COA., pp. Pp. 140–141.Google Scholar
  22. Corbett, G.B., Hill, J.E., 1992. The Mammals of the Indomalayan Region: a Systematic Review. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.Google Scholar
  23. Das, B., Sil, B.S., 2017. Assessment of sedimentation in Barak River Reach using HEC-RAS. In: Garg, V., et al. (Eds.), Development of Water Resources in India, 75. Water Science and Technology Library, pp. 95–102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  24. Dudgeon, D., 2000. Large-scale hydrological changes in Topical Asia: prospects for riverine biodiversity. BioScience 50 (9), 793–806.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Finn, F., 1929. Sterndale’s Mammalia of India. Thacker, Spink & Co., Bombay, India, pp. 125–127.Google Scholar
  26. Freedman, J.A., Carline, R.F., Stauffer, J.R., 2013. Gravel dredging alters diversity and structure of riverine fish assemblages. Freshw. Biol. 58, 261–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  27. Garg, A., Singh, R.K., Gupta, S.L., Singh, V., Siddiqui, Y.A., 2013. The Gangetic dolphins plead for mercy. Curr. Sci. 105 (7), 887–888.Google Scholar
  28. IUCN Conservaion Monitoring Centre, 1988. 1988 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.Google Scholar
  29. IUCN, 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK, 448 pp.Google Scholar
  30. Jain, S.K., Agarwal, P.K., Singha, V.P., 2007. Brahmaputra and Barak Basin. Hydrology and water resources of India. Water Science and Technology Library 57, 419–472.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. Jerdon, T.C., 1874. The Mammals of India: a Natural History of All the Animals Known to Inhabit Continental India. John Wheldon, Great Queen Street, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, pp. Page: 158–159.Google Scholar
  32. Jones, S., 1982. The present status of the Gangetic susu, Platanista gangetica (Roxburgh) with comments on the Indus susu, P. Minor (Owen). FAO Fish. Series. 5 (4), 97–115.Google Scholar
  33. Kannan, K., Sinha, R.K., Tanabe, S., Ichihashi, H., Tatsukawa, R., 1993. Heavy metals and organochlorine residues in Ganges river dolphin from India. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 26, 159–162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  34. Kasuya, T., Haque, A.K.M.A., 1972. Some information on the distribution and seasonal movement of the Ganges dolphin. Sci. Rep 24, 109–115, Whales Research Institute (Tokyo).Google Scholar
  35. Kelkar, N., Krishnaswamy, J., Choudhury, S., Sutaria, D., 2010. Coexistence of fisheries with river dolphin conservation. Conserv. Biol. 24 (4), 1130–1140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  36. Kelkar, N., 2017. A River Dolphin’s Ear-view of India’s Waterways development plans. Sanctuary Asia XXXVII 2, 58–61.Google Scholar
  37. Kelkar, N., Dey, S., Deshpande, K., Choudhary, S.K., Dey, S., Morisaka, T., 2018. Foraging and feeding ecology of Platanista: an interactive review. Mamm. Rev. 48, 194–208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  38. Khanal, G., Suryawanshi, K.R., Awasthi, K.D., Dhakal, M., Subedi, N., Nath, D., Kandel, R.C., Kelkar, N., 2016. Irrigation demands aggravate fishing threats to river dolphins inn Nepal. Biol. Conserv. 204, 386–393.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Mazumder, M.K., 2014a. Diversity, habitat preferences, and conservation of the primates of Southern Assam, India: the story of a primate paradise. J. Asia Pac. Biodivers. 7, 347–354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  40. Mazumder, M.K., 2014b. Annual migration of the Gangetic dolphin and the fish Tenualosa (hilsa) ilisha: correlation or coincidence? A report from the Barak river of Assam, India. Tigerpaper 41 (4), 30–32.Google Scholar
  41. Mazumder, M.K., Boro, F., Barbhuiya, B., Singha, U., 2014. A Study of the Winter Congregation sites of the Gangetic River Dolphin in southern Assam, India, with reference to conservation. Glob. Ecol. Conserv. 2, 359–366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  42. Mohan, R.S.L., 1989. Threatened Gangetic River Dolphin. Whalewatcher 23, 6–8.Google Scholar
  43. Mohan, R.S.L., Kunhi, K.V.M., 1996. Fish oil as alternative to river dolphin, Platanista gangetica (Lebeck) oil for fishing catfish Clupisoma garua in the River Ganges, India. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 93, 86–88.Google Scholar
  44. Mohan, R.S.L., Dey, S.C., Bairagi, S.P., Roy, S., 1997. On a survey of the Ganges River dolphin Platanista gangetica of Brahmaputra River, Assam. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 94, 483–495.Google Scholar
  45. Nair, A.K., 2009. The status and distribution of major aquatic fauna in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary in Rajasthan with special reference to the Gangetic dolphin Platanista gangetica gangetica (Cetartiodactyla: platanistidae). J. Threat. Taxa 1 (3), 141–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  46. Nath, S., Dhar, N., 2015. Riverine dolphin (Platanista gangetica) of Barak and Kushiara river of Assam. Environ. Ecol. 33 (4), 1530–1533.Google Scholar
  47. National Waterways Bill (NWB), New Delhi, pp.22 2015. Government of India, April 29, 2015.Google Scholar
  48. Nowak, R.M., 1999. Walker’s Mammals of the World, 6th ed. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London.Google Scholar
  49. Osmani, A.R., 2017. Tipaimukh multipurpose hydroelectric project: a policy perspective - Indo- Bangla priorities, indigenous peoples’ rights, and environmental concerns. In: Rao, P., Patil, Y. (Eds.), Reconsidering the Impact of Climate Change on Global Water Supply, Use, and Management. IGI Global, Hershey PA, USA, pp. pp: 227–251, Chapter 13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  50. Paudel, S., Pal, P., Cove, M., Jnawali, S.R., Abel, G., Koprowski, K.L., Ranabhat, R., 2015. The endangered Ganges River dolphin Platanista gangetica gangetica in Nepal: abundance, habitat and conservation threats. Endanger. Species Res. 29, 59–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  51. Pilleri, G., 1970. Observations on the behaviour of Platanista gangetica in the Indus and Brahmaputra rivers. Investig. Cetacea 2, 27–59.Google Scholar
  52. Reeves, R.R., Chaudhry, A.A., 1998. Status of the Indus river dolphin Platanista minor. Oryx 32, 35–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  53. Reeves, R.R., Leatherwood, S., Mohan, R.S.L., 1993. Report from a Seminar on the Conservation of River Dolphins of the Indian Subcontinent. 18-19 Aug. 1992, New Delhi, India. Bath Avon. Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society., United Kingdom.Google Scholar
  54. Roxburgh, W., 1801. An account of a new species of Delphinus, an inhabitant of Ganges. Asiatic Res. (Calcutta) 7, 170–174.Google Scholar
  55. Senthilkumar, K., Kannan, K., Sinha, R.K., Tanabe, S., Giesy, J.P., 1999. Bioaccumulation profiles of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and organochlorine pesticides in Ganges River dolphins. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 18, 1511–1520.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  56. Shrestha, T.K., 1989. Biology, status and conservation of the Ganges River dolphin, Platanista gangetica, in Nepal. In: Perrin, W.F., Brownell Jr., R.L., Zhou, K., Liu, J. (Eds.), Biology and Conservation of the River Dolphins. Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission No.3. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, pp. pp. 70–76.Google Scholar
  57. Singha, T.P., 1999. Identification of Location Specific Science & Technology Problems of Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj Districts of Assam. Project Report, p. 35. Assam Science Technology and Environment Council, Assam, Guwahati, P. 317.Google Scholar
  58. Singha, T.P., A thesis submitted to Assam University, Silchar, India 788011. Pp. 297 2009. Habitat Ecology & Conservation Strategy of the Fresh Water Dolphin, Platanista gangetica Roxburgh, in the River Barak in Southern Assam.Google Scholar
  59. Singha, T.P., Biswas, S.P., 2005. A Brief Note on Freshwater Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) in the Barak River, South Assam. Abstracts of Papers- UGC Sponsored Seminar on Germplasm Conservation and Sustainable Development. Dept. Of Life Sciences. Dibrugarh University, Assam, p.14.Google Scholar
  60. Singha, T.P., Dutta, B.K., Biswas, S.P., 2007. Some observations on the past, present and future of the river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) in the Barak river, Assam. Pp. 52–58. In: Dutta, B.K., Das, A.K., Choudhury, P. (Eds.), Biodiversity Conservation: The Post Rio Scenerio in India. Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India.Google Scholar
  61. Singha, T.P., Dutta, B.K., Biswas, S.P., 2010. Endangered river dolphin Platanista gangetica gangetica roxburgh 1801 and their threatened habitat in the River Barak. Assam Univ. J. Sci. Technol. 6(I), 75–81.Google Scholar
  62. Singha, T.P., Dutta, B.K., Biswas, S.P., 2013. The status of the Ganges River Dolphin Platanista gangetica gangetica in the river Barak, Assam, India. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 110(2), 129–134.Google Scholar
  63. Sinha, R.K., 1997. Status and conservation of Ganges River dolphin in Bhagirathi-Hoogly River systems in India. Int. J. Ecol. Environ. Sci. 23 (343), 355.Google Scholar
  64. Sinha, R.K., 2002. An alternative to dolphin oil as a fish attractant in the Ganges River system: conservation of the Ganges River dolphin. Biol. Conserv. 107, 253–257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  65. Sinha, R.K., 2013. The Gangetic Dolphin and Action Plan for Its Conservation in Bihar. Department of Environment and Forests. Government of Bihar, India, pp.52.Google Scholar
  66. Sinha, R.K., Kannan, K., 2014. Ganges River Dolphin: an overview of biology, ecology, and conservation status in India. AMBIO 43 (8), 1029–1046.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  67. Sinha, R.K., Verma, S.K., Singh, L., 2010. Population status and conservation of the Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica) in the Indian subcontinent, chapter 22. In: Ruiz-Garcia, M., Shostell, J. (Eds.), In Biology, Evolution, and Conservation of River Dolphins Within South America and Asia. Nova Science Publishers. Inc., New York, USA, ISBN: 978-1-60876-633-8.Google Scholar
  68. Smith, B.D., Reeves, R.R., 2000. “Survey methods for population assessment of Asian river dolphins”. In: Reeves, R.R., Smith, B.D., Kasuya, T. (Eds.), Biology and Conservation of Freshwater Cetaceans in Asia. IUCN Species Survival Commission Occasional Paper No. 23., pp. pp. 97–115.Google Scholar
  69. Smith, B.D., Sinha, R.K., Regmi, U., Sapkota, K., 1994. Status of Ganges River dolphins (Platanista gangetica) in the Karnali, Narayani and Saptakosi Rivers of Nepal and India in 1993. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 10, 68–75.Google Scholar
  70. Smith, B.D., Haque, A., Hossain, M.S., Khan, A., 1998. River Dolphins in Bangladesh: conservation and the effects of water development. Environ. Manage. 22, 323–335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  71. Smith, B.D., Braulik, G.T. and Sinha, R.K., 2012, Platanista gangetica ssp. gangetica. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, e.T41756A17627639. Downloaded on 19 March 2019.Google Scholar
  72. Turvey, S.T., Pitman, R.L., Taylor, B.L., Barlow, J., Akamatsu, T., Barrett, LA, Zhao, X., Reeves, R.R., Stewart, B.S., Wang, K., Wei, Z., Zhang, X., Pusser, L.T., Richlen, M., Brandon, J.R., Wang, D., 2007. First human-caused extinction of a cetacean species? Biol. Lett. 3 (5), 537–540.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  73. Turvey, S.T., Risley, C.L., Barrett, L.A, Yujiang, H., Ding, W., 2012. River Dolphins can act as Population Trend Indicators in Degraded Freshwater Systems. PLoS One 7 (5), e37902.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  74. Wakid, A., Braulik, G., Pp. 44 2009. Protection of Endangered Gangetic Dolphin in Brahmaputra River, Assam, India. Final Report to IUCN-Sir Peter Scott Fund.Google Scholar
  75. Wasson, R.J., 2003. A sediment budget for the Ganga-Brahmaputra Catchment. Curr. Sci. 84 (8), 1041–1047.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Deutsche Gesellschaft für Säugetierkunde 2019

Authors and Affiliations

  • Nazrana Begam Choudhury
    • 1
  • Muhammed Khairujjaman Mazumder
    • 1
    • 2
    Email author
  • Himabrata Chakravarty
    • 2
  • Amir Sohail Choudhury
    • 1
  • Freeman Boro
    • 3
  • Imrana Begam Choudhury
    • 1
  1. 1.Centre for Environmental StudiesUday Educational TrustAssamIndia
  2. 2.Department of ZoologySrikishan Sarda CollegeHailakandiIndia
  3. 3.Institutional Biotech HubChaiduar CollegeBiswanathIndia

Personalised recommendations

Cite article

Buy options