On Friday, the ministry of environment announced that October 5 will become National Dolphin Day from this year as part of its conservation campaign for the species and to generate awareness.
The announcement was made on Twitter by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. He said, “Happy to inform that the Standing Committee of National Board of Wildlife in its 67th meeting has decided that Oct 5 from this year will be celebrated as National Dolphin Day.”
He further added that aim of the government is to raise awareness and community participation in our efforts for the conservation of whales.
The majority of Gangetic dolphins, a species of freshwater dolphin, are spotted in deep river reaches in Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal in India. In 2010, the Ganges river dolphin has designated a national aquatic species.
The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ‘Project Dolphin’ in August 2020 to conserve both freshwater and marine dolphins. According to official data, there are about 3,700 Gangetic dolphins in the Indian River system.
