The First National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC) of India and Asia will be established upon the bank of the Ganges river around Patna University.
Highlights:
About 1,455 dolphins have been sighted during a survey done in 2018-19 in the river Ganga by the teams of experts. The Gangetic dolphin is considered the National aquatic animal of India, but it frequently falls prey to illegal poaching. The presence of dolphins in the Ganga river gives a sign of a healthy ecosystem as dolphins live at least in 5 ft to 8 ft deep water.
Status of the Gangetic dolphin has been declared as an endangered aquatic animal. This is one of the four freshwater dolphins species globally. Another three species are found in the Yangtze River, the Indus River in Pakistan and the Amazon River globally.