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Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2020; 8(1): 440-444
E-ISSN: 2320-7078
P-ISSN: 2349-6800
JEZS 2020; 8(1): 440-444
© 2020 JEZS
Received: 11-11-2019
Accepted: 15-12-2019
SR Taigor
(a) Ex-Employee of PEACE
Institute Charitable Trust, Delhi,
India
(b) State Mission for Clean
Ganga-Uttar Pradesh, Urban
Development Department, Govt.
of Uttar Pradesh, India
Corresponding Author:
SR Taigor
(a) Ex-Employee of PEACE
Institute Charitable Trust, Delhi,
India
(b) State Mission for Clean
Ganga-Uttar Pradesh, Urban
Development Department, Govt.
of Uttar Pradesh, India
Observation of fresh water Ganges dolphin
( Platanista gangetica ) in the Hamirpur and
Ekdala stretches of Yamuna river, India
SR Taigor
Abstract
The survey was carried out in 2 stretches of Yamuna River, India in total 10 Km length in toward down
streams where 2 Adult, 1 juvenile in Hamirpur and 6 adult and 3 juvenile sizes in Ekdala River stretches.
Dolphins were reported in surveyed stretches after in long periods. Various threats in stretch; sand
mining, fishing, ferries, cremations, water lifting for irrigation, agricultural cultivation on the river banks
etc. were also recorded during the survey. The present paper deals resulted survey of two stretch of
Yamuna River in presence of Ganges River dolphins and various threats.
Keywords: Grids, Yamuna, Dolphins, Nadi mitra mandali, habitats, Ganga
Introduction
The Ganges River Dolphin locally known as Susu is restricted to the Ganga, Brahamputra,
Karnaphuli-Sangu and Meghna river systems and their tributaries, from the foot hills of the
Himalayas to the limits of tidal zone in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan (Anderson, 1878;
Jones, 1982; Reeves and Brownell, 1989; Reeves et al., 1993; Sinha, 1997 a, b; Sinha, 2000
Taigor and Rao, 2012, 2014,)
[1, 12, 24, 25, 32, 34, 38, 42]
.
Investigations on the ecology and distribution of dolphin have been steadily advancing since
early 1970’s (Pilleri, 1970; Kasuya, 1972; Kasuya and Haque, 1972; Haque, 1976)
[19, 13, 11]
. In
the recent years focus has been given on studies related to the status of dolphin in various
rivers and their tributaries (Jones, 1982; Pilleri and Tagliavini, 1982; Gupta, 1986; Shrestha,
1986; Singh and Sharma, 1985; Rao et al., 1988; Choudhury and Hussain, 1992)
[12, 10, 27, 9]
. In
spite of being a “Flagship” species, representing an ecosystem in need of conservation its
status has become a matter of grave concern over the past few decades (Behera, 2002)
[6]
. Once
believed to be in tens of thousands, their numbers have gradually reduced to 4000-5000
(Jones, 1982; Anon, 2006; Choudhary et al., 2006; Behera et al., 2008, Meena et al., 2017)
[12,
7]
with further decline to a mere 1800 individuals in all the tributaries of its distribution
(Behera et al., 2008, Bashir et al., 2010, Sinha, et al. 2010, Anon, 2010, Anon, 2012, Sulekha
et al. 2014, Singh et al. 2014,)
[7, 4, 3, 5]
.
The Yamuna is the largest tributary of the river Ganges (Ganga) in northern India. Originating
from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height 6,387 metres, on the south western slopes of
Banderpooch peaks, in the Lower Himalayas in Uttarakhand, it travels a total length of 1,376
kilometers (855 miles) and has a drainage area of 366,223 sq km (40.2% of the entire Ganges
Basin), before merging with the Ganga at Triveni Sangam, Allahabad (Anon, 2006, Sharma,
2006, Rao et al. 2013, 2016)
[26, 6]
. Encounters of anthropogenic threats of grids also
highlighted. There is no complete scientific estimate of dolphin note done in Yamuna River
since last decay except few surveys. Recent survey was carried out in two stretches of Yamuna
River for estimate the population and assesses various threats in Ganges river dolphin.
Materials and Methods
Study area
The Present surveys were carried out in Hamirpur and Fatehpur districts in Uttar Pradesh
(Yamuna Bridge to Pathewara village near railway bridge, to down steam of Yamuna-Betwa
Confluence, approximate 7 km) and Ekdala (Patian ghat to Chosath Devi temple, approximate
3 km) in which lie two of the GRIDS (from Yamunotri to Allahabad Yamuna River segmented
14 sites after 100 km long stretches that is known as grids) under consideration as part of the