The second rangewide estimation of riverine and estuarine dolphins in India was launched on Saturday from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh under Project Dolphin, marking a renewed push by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to strengthen the conservation of the country’s riverine ecosystems.
The survey follows the release of population estimates from the first nationwide assessment by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting of the National Board for Wildlife at Gir in March last year. The second round aims to update population figures, assess habitat conditions and identify emerging threats to dolphin species across India’s major river systems.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav had formally launched the second pan-India dolphin population estimation and its scientific protocol at Dehradun during Wildlife Week last year. The exercise is being coordinated by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, in collaboration with State Forest Departments and conservation partners including WWF India, Aaranyak and the Wildlife Trust of India.
As part of the rollout, a regional training workshop for forest staff from 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh was held in Bijnor on Friday. Similar training sessions will be conducted periodically for forest personnel from every 10 to 15 districts as the survey advances, ensuring standardised methods and field capacity across regions.
The survey has commenced with teams of 26 researchers operating from three boats. Field teams are recording ecological and habitat parameters and using advanced tools such as hydrophones for underwater acoustic monitoring of dolphins. In its first phase, the survey will cover the main stem of the Ganga from Bijnor to Ganga Sagar, along with the Indus River. The second phase will extend to the Brahmaputra, major tributaries of the Ganga, the Sundarbans and river systems in Odisha.
In addition to the Ganges River Dolphin, the exercise will assess the status of the Indus River Dolphin and the Irrawaddy Dolphin. It will also evaluate habitat quality, threats and associated conservation-priority species, generating scientific data to support evidence-based policy and conservation planning for India’s river ecosystems.
The previous nationwide dolphin survey conducted between 2021 and 2023 estimated the population at around 6,327 riverine dolphins. This included Ganges River Dolphins across the Ganga, Yamuna, Chambal, Gandak, Ghaghara, Kosi, Mahananda and Brahmaputra river systems, as well as a small population of Indus River Dolphins in the Beas. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar recorded the highest numbers, followed by West Bengal and Assam, underscoring the critical importance of the Gangetic basin for long-term dolphin conservation.
While the ongoing survey will follow the same standardised methodology as the earlier exercise, it will expand its spatial coverage to include new stretches and operational areas. For the first time, the estimation will also include the Irrawaddy Dolphin in the Sundarbans and Odisha. This expanded scope is expected to provide updated population estimates, improved understanding of threats and habitat conditions, and stronger scientific support for conservation efforts under Project Dolphin.
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