National Dolphin Research Center (NDRC) will open in Patna
The construction work on India’s first ‘National Dolphin Research Center’ (NDRC) in Patna will start after the monsoon.
The center will be located on a 4,400 square meter in the campus of Patna University on the banks of Ganga. This will enhance the conservation efforts of river dolphins and provide an opportunity for in-depth research on them.
India’s first Ganga Dolphin Sanctuary at Vikramshila is also located in the Bihar itself.
About Ganges River Dolphin
- Ganges river dolphin has been declared as the national aquatic animal of India. It is listed in Schedule ‘I’ of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, The IUCN has listed it as an endangered species.
- The Ganges dolphin is one of the four freshwater dolphin species in the world. The other three are found in the Yangtze River in China, the Indus River in Pakistan, and the Amazon River in South America.
- It is found in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. About half of the estimated dolphin population of the country is found in Bihar.
- It is blind and it finds its way in the river water through echolocation and hunts. It lives in an area where the current has little or no velocity, which helps them conserve energy.
- The Ganges River Dolphin is facing existential threats due to direct hunting, habitat destruction by tigers and barrages and indiscriminate fishing.
Source – The Hindu
