River Dolphins of India: They are BLIND but are we also?

The Blind River Dolphins, Platanista gangetica, found in Brahmaputra and Ganges rivers. They are also locally known as Hihu and Susu in Brahmaputra and Ganges respectively because of the sound they make while breathing as they are aquatic mammal and need to come out in the surface of the water every 30- 120 second for breathing.

The reasons for loosing their vision are not known but they have highly developed sonar senses.

There are other river dolphins in Yangtse river of China, Indus river of Pakistan and Amazon river of South America.

Though few years back there were many of them, but recent survey conducted in 1993 states that there are only about 600 left in Ganges and 400 left in Brahmaputra and its tributaries like Kulsi and Subansiri. Present number is not known but expected to be much lesser.

The main reasons for such depletion in the number of this unique creature are fishing, poaching and sand mining. Other reason in Ganges is also the damming like Farakka dam.

But, the sad story is that even today not much is done for conservation of this creature and we have also lost our vision just like the Blind River Dolphins. Strict measures are needed immediately.
My Friends, Let us save our Planet!