Echoes Beneath the Surface

“When the last dolphin falls silent,

the river will have no song.

And when the river has no song,

civilisation itself will weep.”

India is a land of rivers. From the icy Himalayan streams to the meanders of the Indo-Gangetic plains, rivers have nurtured civilisations, economies, and cultures for millennia. Among them, the Ganga stands apart—not only as a lifeline for over 500 million people but as a pulsating artery of biodiversity. Its plains form one of the most fertile regions on Earth, sustaining agriculture, fisheries, and countless settlements. Hidden within these muddy currents lives a creature both ancient and fragile: the Gangetic River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica). Known locally as susu, it has navigated these waters for millions of years, blind but guided by sound. Today, it is India’s National Aquatic Animal and a global symbol of freshwater health. Yet, like the river itself, it is under siege.

An Ancient Hunter in Peril

The Gangetic River Dolphin is endemic to South Asia, found in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems. In India, it inhabits rivers across seven states—Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. The latest national survey (March 2025) estimated 6,324 individuals, including 3,275 in the main Ganga, 2,414 in its tributaries (Ghaghra, Gandak, Kosi), and 996 in the Brahmaputra system. West Bengal remains one of its strongholds, with around 300 individuals recorded along the Bhagirathi-Hooghly stretch—most thriving in meandering zones and confluences where fish abound.

Unlike their oceanic cousins, Gangetic dolphins live in constantly shifting freshwater channels. Their tiny, sightless eyes are concealed beneath opaque skin. They “see” through echolocation, sending sound pulses and reading their echoes to navigate turbid waters. As apex predators, they feed on fish and crustaceans, maintaining balance within the riverine ecosystem. But their survival depends on deep pools, confluences, and steady flows—conditions now vanishing under human pressure.

Threats Beneath the Surface

Listed as Endangered by the IUCN and protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the dolphin continues to face relentless threats. The Farakka Barrage, built in the 1970s, fragmented habitats, cutting populations into isolated groups and restricting breeding. Pollution remains a silent killer. Untreated sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents contaminate the Ganga’s waters. Dolphins, surfacing every few minutes to breathe, accumulate heavy metals and toxins in their tissues.

Fishing is the most immediate danger. Dolphins often die as bycatch in nylon gillnets, drowning silently. A few are still hunted for oil, used as catfish bait or in traditional medicine. Sand mining destabilises riverbeds and destroys breeding pools, while mechanised boats increase noise pollution and collision risks. The cumulative effect is grim—annual mortality outpaces natural recovery, pushing the species toward local extinction in some stretches.

Yet, saving the susu is not merely about wildlife—it is about water, people, and shared survival. As an indicator species, its presence reflects the river’s health. Where dolphins thrive, rivers breathe. Its decline signals ecological collapse: loss of fish, declining water quality, and livelihoods under threat. To protect the dolphin is to safeguard the river itself—and the millions who depend on it.

Conservation and Hope

India’s conservation response has evolved over the past decade. Declared the National Aquatic Animal in 2009, the species gained momentum with the launch of Project Dolphin in 2020, modelled on the success of Project Tiger. The Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in Bihar covers a 60-km stretch of the Ganga, while West Bengal and Assam have launched monitoring programmes. The establishment of the National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC) at Patna University in 2024 marked a milestone—the first dedicated research institute for river dolphins in South Asia.

Conservation, however, has moved beyond sanctuaries. Across riverine states, NGOs and local communities are now the first line of defence. Fishermen are being trained to modify nets and release entangled dolphins safely. Awareness drives in schools and villages are changing perceptions—turning dolphins from competitors into co-inhabitants. Corporate groups, through CSR initiatives, are funding river clean-ups, eco-tourism, and scientific research.

West Bengal: Between Hope and Challenge

West Bengal’s stretch of the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta is among the dolphins’ last bastions, where they navigate both freshwater and the brackish reaches of the Hooghly. But threats remain acute: altered river flows due to the Farakka Barrage, pollution from Kolkata’s effluents, and relentless fishing pressure. Ghost nets and sand mining remain chronic dangers.

Yet the state offers lessons in resilience. In Murshidabad, local fishermen serve as “dolphin guardians,” paid to patrol rivers and report entanglements. Universities in Kolkata collaborate with the Forest Department to study underwater noise and pollution. Eco-tourism in the Sundarbans and Hooghly now trains boat operators as interpreters of biodiversity, making the dolphin a symbol of a living river rather than a relic of the past.

The Forest Department’s new conservation plan places communities at its heart. Through Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) and Self Help Groups (SHGs), villagers are involved as protectors, not bystanders. Recognising that conservation cannot succeed without livelihoods, the initiative promotes alternative income—handicrafts, aquaculture, and eco-friendly enterprises—so that those who once depended on the river’s depletion can now earn by protecting it. The story of the susu in Bengal is thus not just ecological—it is human. It speaks of how empowerment and ecology can coexist when people see themselves as stewards, not intruders.

A Shared Responsibility

Saving the Gangetic Dolphin demands coordinated action.

* Communities must be empowered through awareness and incentives.

* Fishermen need sustainable gear and fair compensation for losses.

* Governments must ensure ecological flows, curb pollution, and expand protected zones.

* Corporations can contribute through funding, innovation, and mass outreach.

* Researchers must strengthen monitoring and policy guidance.

* Law enforcement must crack down on poaching, illegal sand mining, and industrial violations.

Most importantly, citizens must realise that dolphin conservation is river conservation. Every act—reducing plastic use, supporting clean-up drives, choosing sustainable consumption—ripples outward. A living river sustains more than fish or fauna; it sustains faith, culture, and continuity.

Listening to the River’s Whistle

If the Ganga is India’s soul, the dolphin is its heartbeat. To lose it would be to silence the river itself. The fate of the Gangetic River Dolphin mirrors our relationship with water—revered in prayers, neglected in practice. Its struggle is not distant; it flows through every tap, every field, every life drawn from these rivers.

On a misty dawn along the Hooghly, a curved back breaks the surface—a flash, a ripple, a fleeting whistle. In that moment, the river feels alive again. The sound is ancient, but its message is urgent. It tells us that the health of our rivers, our communities, and our civilisation are one and the same.

The whistle of the dolphin is more than a call for survival—it is a call to conscience. Saving it is not an act of charity but of self-preservation. The future of India’s rivers depends on whether we can listen, truly listen, to the voice that rises from their depths.

Views expressed are personal. The writer is the Chief Conservator of Forests, Government of West Bengal