https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The Journey of India’s River Dolphins Through Murky Waters

India’s rivers whisper secrets beneath their waves. A groundbreaking survey, led by IFS officer Virendra Tiwari, unravels the mystery of the elusive river dolphins.
Indian Masterminds Stories

It was a world unseen, a melody unheard by many, where river dolphins danced beneath the rippling waters of the Ganga and Brahmaputra. Their presence, fleeting and mystical, spoke of life in the murky depths. Yet, for the first time, their elusive numbers were no longer a mystery.

Between 2021 and 2023, a monumental survey unfolded across the sprawling river basins of India. It was the first-ever comprehensive population estimation of the Gangetic and Indus river dolphins, conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) under the Union Environment Ministry. The results, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 3, 2024, painted a picture of hope, concern, and the urgent need for conservation.

Leading this ambitious initiative was IFS officer Virendra Tiwari, the Director of WII, who oversaw the survey that delved deep into India’s arterial rivers, uncovering secrets beneath the waves.

In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, he shared details about the same.

REVEALING THE HIDDEN WORLD OF RIVER DOLPHINS

The survey uncovered a fascinating reality: India’s rivers were home to an estimated 6,324 Gangetic dolphins, with numbers ranging from 5,977 to 6,688. The Indus dolphin, however, was a whisper in the vastness; only three were found, all in Punjab’s Beas River.

The findings were not just numbers but reflections of the rivers’ health. Dolphins, the apex predators of these waters, served as indicators of the ecosystem’s well-being. Pollution, habitat destruction, and climate change loomed large, shaping their fate.

The team embarked on a journey that spanned 7,109 kilometers of the Ganga, coursing through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. The Brahmaputra and its tributaries stretched over 1,297 kilometers, while Punjab’s Beas River covered 101 kilometers in this vast exploration.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SEARCH

Counting dolphins in their natural habitat was no easy feat. These creatures surfaced only for 1.26 seconds before vanishing into the depths for 107 seconds, making sightings difficult and unreliable.

To overcome this, the survey combined visual observation with acoustic technology—an orchestra of science capturing the dolphins’ presence. Underwater microphones, or hydrophones, recorded their signature clicks, a form of echolocation that guided them through the river’s labyrinth.

Observers on boats, traveling at 8-10 km/hr, scanned the waters for surfacing dolphins, ensuring minimal chances of counting the same individual twice. Different methods were employed based on the river’s depth and width:

  • Double observer method for deep, wide channels
  • Tandem method for narrower rivers
  • Single boat method for shallower, smaller waterways

“With 267 personnel deployed and 8,507 kilometers covered over 3,150 mandays, the survey was a feat of coordination and endurance,” shared Mr. Tiwari.

WHERE THE DOLPHINS FLOURISH, AND WHERE THEY FADE

While the Ganga bore witness to an abundance of dolphins, there were stretches where silence reigned. In the Narora-Kanpur stretch, a 366-kilometer expanse, dolphins were almost non-existent, with an encounter rate of a mere 0.1 per km. Similar ‘cold spots’ appeared in Kaushambi-Chitrakoot (Yamuna), Pilibhit (Sharda), and Balrampur-Siddharth Nagar (Rapti).

Yet, there were pockets of life, stretches where the dolphins thrived. Bihar emerged as a stronghold, with an encounter rate of 1.62 dolphins/km, far surpassing Uttar Pradesh’s 0.62 dolphins/km. The confluence of rivers—Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi, and Son—provided refuge, with the Chausa-Manihar stretch being the most densely populated at 2.20 dolphins/km. In Jharkhand, the Manihari-Rajmahal stretch recorded an even higher 2.75 dolphins/km.

Assam’s Brahmaputra held promise, but its tributaries suffered from low water depth. The Barak River emerged as a cold spot, while the Subansiri and Kulsi rivers showed a decline in dolphin numbers, signaling trouble ahead.

IFS Virendra Tiwari

A STRUGGLE AGAINST THE TIDE

The journey was not without obstacles. In some stretches, water levels were too low for boats to pass, forcing researchers to carry them to navigable waters. Weather played its tricks – intense rain, fog, and glare disrupted visibility, pausing the survey.

But the biggest challenge lay beyond the riverbanks. Human activity continued to reshape the dolphins’ world. Unregulated fishing, sand mining, riverbed modifications, and pollution all posed threats, yet the extent of their impact remained unknown.

“Currently, no empirical data exists to quantify how human actions are affecting dolphins. However, unsustainable fisheries and habitat destruction will certainly have consequences. Long-term monitoring will reveal more,” the officer told Indian Masterminds.

GUARDIANS OF THE RIVERS

As the survey concluded, it left behind not just data but a call to action. The dolphins’ survival depended on the rivers’ health, and the rivers, in turn, relied on those who shared their banks.

“This is more than just a count—it is a mirror to our rivers,” Mr. Tiwari reflected. “If the dolphins thrive, so does the ecosystem.”

The whispers of the dolphins echoed a simple truth: to save them was to save the lifeline of a nation. And in the waters of the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Beas, their presence—however fleeting—was a reminder that the river still had life left to give.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
HPCL_logo_HIndustan Petroleum
HPCL Signs MoU with IIM Jammu to Foster Academic and Leadership Collaboration
Indian_Army_
Boosting Battlefield Logistics: Indian Army Signs Rs 223 Crore Deal for Next-Gen Tank Transporter Trailers
Matri Van
Green Vision for NCR: Bhupender Yadav and Manohar Lal Inaugurate Theme-Based Urban Forest ‘Matri Van’ in Aravallis
Sajad Mufti Kashmir
Who Is Former IFS Officer Sajad Mufti? He Returns to Politics, Reconnecting with People
SP Goyal
Loyalty, Central Ties, Clean Image: How Senior IAS SP Goyal Rose to Become Uttar Pradesh's Chief Secretary?
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Govt Posts 9 Newly Trained IPS & 1 HPS Officer Across the State After Training Completion at SVPNPA, Hyderabad
Modi Varanasi
Varanasi Leads UP's Development March as PM Modi Unveils ₹2,200 Cr Projects, PM-KISAN Funds Released
Bombay High Court
Decentralising Justice: Bombay High Court Bench Set to Start Functioning in Kolhapur from August 18
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
How IAS Karn Satyarthi Transformed Gumla Through Empathy and Innovation
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi’s Take on Corruption, Reform, and Duty
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
What Most Indians Don't Know About Jim Corbett
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
BPSC Bihar police
From Lantern Light to Police Uniform: How Praveen Kumar from a Small Bihar Village Cracked BPSC to Become SDPO
From a lantern-lit village in Bihar to becoming an SDPO, Praveen Kumar's journey is a testament to resilience,...
IAS Priyansha Garg
Why Mindset Matters: IAS Priyansha Garg’s Mental Health Mantra for UPSC
After two failed prelims, Priyansha Garg cracked UPSC with AIR 31 in her fourth attempt, proving how...
Ashish Akshat
From Setback to State Topper: How Ashish Akshat Topped JPSC While Working Full-Time
Ashish Akshat from Dhanbad topped JPSC 2023, proving that resilience, discipline, and family support...
Social Media
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve: From India’s First Sanctuary to a Tiger Conservation Success Story | International Tiger Day Special
IAS Supriya Sahu Hails Mudumalai's Role in Tiger Conservation on Tiger Day. Declared in 1940, Now Among...
Mangroves
Mangroves: Nature’s Shield Against Disasters, Says Officer Parveen Kaswan on Mangroves Day - Watch His Post Here
Mangroves, with their dense, interlaced root systems, form a mesh-like structure that serves as a buffer...
Retired IPS Inderjit Singh Sidhu
Purpose Doesn’t Retire: How 88-Year-Old Retired DIG Becomes Chandigarh’s ‘Quiet Warrior’ of Cleanliness
Inderjit Singh Sidhu’s Dawn Patrol Earns Applause, Mahindra’s Praise for a Man Who Chose Action Over...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
HPCL_logo_HIndustan Petroleum
HPCL Signs MoU with IIM Jammu to Foster Academic and Leadership Collaboration
Indian_Army_
Boosting Battlefield Logistics: Indian Army Signs Rs 223 Crore Deal for Next-Gen Tank Transporter Trailers
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT