Why in the news?

  • A recent study on five deceased Indus River dolphins found hundreds of microplastic particles in each individual dolphin.

Indus River Dolphins

  • Distribution:
    • Historically spread across the Indus River and its tributaries.
    • In India, a small remnant population exists in the Beas River (Punjab), protected as the state aquatic animal of Punjab.
  • Features
    • It is an endangered freshwater cetacean, found mainly in the Indus River system of Pakistan, with a small population in Punjab, India.
    • It is a subspecies of the South Asian river dolphin.
    • Locally known as “Bhulan” in Pakistan and sometimes called the blind dolphin due to its extremely poor eyesight.
    • Due to the poor vision, it relies on echolocation.
    • Well-suited for turbid, silt-laden waters.
  • Threats
    • Habitat Fragmentation: Barrages and dams divide river stretches, blocking migration.
    • Water Extraction: For irrigation and agriculture reduces flow.
    • Pollution: Industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and plastic pollution.
    • Poaching & Bycatch: Sometimes caught accidentally in fishing nets.
    • Noise Pollution: Interferes with echolocation.
  • Conservation Status:
    • IUCN Red List: Endangered.
    • CITES: Appendix I.
    • WPA, 1972: Schedule I.
  • Conservation Efforts:
    • International Efforts:
    • Indian Efforts:
      • Beas Conservation Reserve (2017) for dolphin protection.
      • Community participation through awareness campaigns.
      • Punjab declared it the state aquatic animal (2019).