By – Nidhi Singh
Once upon a time, in the mighty river Ganges lived a beautiful and mysterious creature Tara – the dolphin. Tara was a Gangetic dolphin, and she lived with her mother. Tara was a very friendly dolphin and loved to play with the children who lived near the river. The children would often throw sticks and stones into the river, and Tara would happily swim around, playing with them. However, Tara’s mother did not approve of this behavior. She often warned Tara, “Those humans are not to be trusted”, and she must make friends with other dolphins instead. But Tara never paid any attention to this concern of her mother’s and continued to play with the children.
One day, a little boy named Raju decided to take a swim in the river. Raju belonged to a fishermen community and he lived in the nearby village. As he was swimming, he suddenly saw something move in the water. It was Tara, swimming right towards him! Raju was scared at first, but as she came closer, he realized that Tara was just being friendly. She began to swim in circles around Raju, playfully splashing him with water. Raju laughed and splashed back, enjoying the dolphin’s company. They played together for a while, and then the dolphin swam away, disappearing into the depths of the river.
From that day on, Raju would visit the river every day to play with his new friend. He read more about the dolphins and learned that this rare and endangered species is famous among the other creatures for its unique physical features, such as its elongated jaw that is furnished with numerous curved, sharply pointed teeth, and its stocky body, which could grow up to 8 feet in length. The Gangetic dolphin is also known for its ability to navigate and hunt for food in the waters of the rivers using echolocation – a technique where the dolphin sends out sound waves and listens for the echoes to locate its prey. Despite its impressive physical abilities, the Gangetic dolphin is facing a grave threat in India due to the rapidly deteriorating health of its natural habitat. He also learned that there were only a few individuals left in the natural ecosystem. He promised himself that he would do whatever he could to help protect them.
Raju and Tara became very good friends over the time. One afternoon when Tara was waiting for Raju near the bank of the river, an unfortunate incident occurred. Tara was playing alone in the water swimming back and forth, when she felt being strangled. A group of fishermen had just cast their nets into the water to catch fishes but it accidently fell on Tara. Suddenly, they heard a loud splash, and when they looked up, they saw a dolphin in the net. Tara was very scared and was trying her best to evade the net. She kept on thinking about her mother and how she had warned her about not trusting humans. She started crying and had accepted her fate that she will never meet her mother and friends again.
But what happened next, surprised Tara.
The fishermen pulled the net out of the water and saw that the dolphin was trapped and unable to move. They knew that they had to act quickly if they were going to save the dolphin’s life. They gently lifted the dolphin out of the water and carefully cut the net releasing the dolphin back into the water. They were relieved to see that the dolphin was still alive, but it had suffered a few cuts and bruises, likely from the struggle to free itself from the net. As they watched the dolphin disappear into the distance, the villagers felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. They had come together to save the life of a beautiful animal, and they knew that their efforts had made a difference.
As soon as Tara got released from the net, she did not waste any time and swam directly to her mother. She was scared, happy and thankful to the humans for helping her.
The fishermen went back to the village and narrated the incidence to everyone in their village, and Raju also got to know about it. He was sure that it was Tara who was captured in the net as she was the only dolphin who used to visit near his village to play with him. Raju felt a little responsible for what had happened to his friend, and on that day, he decided to talk to the village elders about the Ganga River and the creatures that call it home. He started telling his friends and family about the Gangetic dolphin. He also joined a local conservation group that was working to protect the river and the creatures that lived in it. The local community supported Raju in this cause and helped him to raise awareness about the Gangetic dolphin and the importance of protecting its habitat. They worked to reduce pollution and ensure that the river remained clean and healthy for all its inhabitants.
Thanks to the efforts of Raju and the local community, the Gangetic dolphins were sighted near their village once again. And every day, the children of the village would visit the river to see these magnificent creatures.
| The Indian government recognized the importance of conserving this endangered species and declared it as the National Aquatic Animal of India on 18th May 2010. Several programs were initiated to protect the Gangetic dolphin. One such initiative was the “Project Dolphin,” launched in 2020, which aimed to conserve and protect the Gangetic and Irrawaddy dolphins in India. Under this project, several measures are being taken to improve the dolphin’s habitat, including the establishment of protected areas, monitoring of water quality, and regulation of fishing practices in the rivers. In the project the efforts are also being made to conserve the marine dolphins and river associated fauna. Additionally, the government also collaborated with local communities to raise awareness about the importance of conserving these rare creatures. Thanks to these conservation efforts, the population of Gangetic dolphins in India has shown a slight increase in recent years, providing hope that this magnificent species may be able to survive and thrive in its natural habitat for years to come. |
The story of the Gangetic dolphin is one of perseverance and hope in the face of adversity. Through concerted conservation efforts and the collective efforts of governments and communities, it is possible to protect and preserve endangered species such as the Gangetic dolphin, and ensure that they continue to exist in their natural habitat for generations to come.
Illustrations – Kashish Sherdia
Ganga Darpan 
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