Number of Gangetic dolphins on the rise: Dolphin Census 2015
Q. Number of dolphins has risen in Ganga river and its tributaries as per the Dolphin Census 2015 to ________.- Published on 12 Oct 15a. 1261
b. 1262
c. 1263
d. 1264
ANSWER: 1263
Number of Gangetic dolphins has risen to 1263 in the state of UP. Census was conducted by WWF India and other voluntary organisations between October 5 and 8, 2015. The census was conducted in a 3350 km of the river stretch including the Ganga and its tributaries, Yamuna, Chambal, Gerua, Ghaghra, Ken, Rapti, Sharda, Betwa and Son river.Census commenced from the Ganga barrage in Kanpur and boats moved at a speed of 7 to 10 km for every single hour surveying 70 km of the river stretch each day. First census of UP was done in 2012 and found around 671 dolphins across the 2800 km stretch of Ganga and its tributes. In the year 2005, WWF estimated the number of Gangetic dolphins to be 600. The presence of the Gangetic river dolphin is an indication of a healthy river ecosystem. It is a national aquatic mammal which forms the endemic fauna of the Ganga, Meghna and Brahmaputra river and is one of 4 freshwater dolphins across the globe. The growth rate of the species is very low.
