Pan-India River Dolphin Survey Enters Second Phase
Estimation Resumes Under Project Dolphin
New Delhi/Bijnor: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change today launched the second nationwide estimation of riverine and estuarine dolphins under Project Dolphin, with field operations commencing from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. The exercise follows the release of population estimates from the first rangewide survey by the Prime Minister at a meeting of the National Board for Wildlife at Gir in March last year and is aimed at strengthening long-term conservation planning for India’s river ecosystems.
The second round of the pan-India dolphin population estimation had earlier been formally launched by Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav at Dehradun during Wildlife Week, along with the survey’s standardised estimation protocol. The programme is being coordinated by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, in collaboration with State Forest Departments and conservation organisations, including World Wildlife Fund (WWF) India, Aaranyak and the Wildlife Trust of India.
As part of preparatory activities, a regional training workshop for forest staff from 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh was held in Bijnor on January 15, 2026. The Ministry said similar training sessions would be organised intermittently for every 10 to 15 districts as the survey progresses, to ensure uniform field capacity and consistent data collection across regions.
The survey has begun with teams of 26 researchers deployed across three boats, recording ecological and habitat parameters and using technologies such as hydrophones for underwater acoustic monitoring. In the first phase, the estimation will cover the main stem of the Ganga from Bijnor to Ganga Sagar, along with the Indus River. The second phase will extend coverage to the Brahmaputra, tributaries of the Ganga, the Sundarbans and river systems in Odisha.
In addition to the Ganges River Dolphin, the survey will assess the status of the Indus River Dolphin and Irrawaddy Dolphin. The exercise will also document habitat conditions, threats and associated conservation-priority fauna, with the Ministry stating that the data generated would support evidence-based conservation planning and policy action for riverine ecosystems.
The previous nationwide dolphin survey conducted between 2021 and 2023 estimated around 6,327 riverine dolphins in India. These included Ganges River Dolphins across river systems such as the Ganga, Yamuna, Chambal, Gandak, Ghaghara, Kosi, Mahananda and Brahmaputra, as well as a small population of Indus River Dolphins in the Beas. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar recorded the highest numbers, followed by West Bengal and Assam, underscoring the central role of the Gangetic basin in dolphin conservation.
The Ministry said the ongoing survey would follow the same standardised methodology as the earlier exercise, while expanding spatial coverage to include new river stretches and operational areas. For the first time, the estimation will also formally include Irrawaddy Dolphins in the Sundarbans and Odisha. Officials said the expanded scope would help update population estimates, assess threats and habitat conditions, and strengthen conservation measures under Project Dolphin.
– global bihari bureau
