In March 2025, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi released India’s 1st ever riverine dolphin estimation report during his visit to Gir National Park (NP) in Gujarat, where he chaired the 7th meeting of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). The report was released on the eve of World Wildlife Day (WWD) observed annually on March 3 worldwide.
- As per the report, India has 6,327 riverine dolphins across 28 rivers in 8 states. 6,324 dolphins found across the Ganga and Brahamputra river basins and remaining 3 Indus river dolphins in the Beas river basin in Punjab.
- Assam, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh(MP), Punjab, and Lakshadweep are identified as the key dolphin hotspot states.
About the Report:
i.The survey was conducted between 2021 and 2023 by Dehradun, Uttarakhand based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in partnership with state forest departments of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, Rajasthan; and Non-Profit Organisations(NPOs) including Aaranyak, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Turtle Survival Alliance and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).
ii.This inaugural survey was conducted under Project Dolphin, which was initiated by PM Narendra Modi on August 15, 2020.
iii.It has surveyed a total of 28 rivers across 8 Indian states by boat which included 3,150 man-days and 30 river stretches were surveyed by road.
iv.It has covered a total of 8,500 kilometers (kms) which included 8,406 km long-stretches of Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins, inclusive of its tributaries and 101 km long stretch of Beas river.
v.A total of 7,109 km long stretch was surveyed in Ganga, which included the main stem of Ganga as well as its tributaries including Chambal, Yamuna, Rapti, Sharda, Kosi, Gandak, among others which has covered states like: UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, WB, MP, and Rajasthan.
Key Findings:
i.UP with 2,397 dolphins, has topped among the 8 states with highest number of dolphins in the country, followed by Bihar (2,220); WB (815) and Assam (635).
ii.Number of dolphins found in other states: Jharkhand (162), Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh (MP)(95) and Punjab (3).
iii.Among 6,324 Gangetic dolphins, 3,275 were found on the Ganges river main stem, 2,414 were found in its tributaries, while, 584 were in the main stem of Brahamputra river.
Note: The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has designated the Chambal River Conservation Zone as a Dolphin Conservation Zone to implement targeted protection efforts.
Other Key Highlights of 7th meeting of NBWL:
i.PM emphasized the significance of awareness on dolphin conservation by involvement of local population and villagers in the areas.
- The meeting also reviewed various wildlife initiatives led by the Government of India (GoI), including, Project Tiger, Project Elephant, and the establishment of the International Big Cats Alliance.
iii.PM also announced the expansion of Cheetah introduction to others areas including the Gandhisagar Sanctuary in MP and Banni Grasslands in Gujarat.
About National Board for Wildlife (NBWL):
It is a statutory body established under sub-section (1) of section 5A of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. It advises the government on wildlife conservation and comprises of 47 members.
Chairperson- PM Narendra Modi
Vice-Chairperson- Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
