National Aquatic Animal of India.

Photo taken today by me at Chandannagar

I saw the National Aquatic Animal today.
This was in Bansberia.
I was in course of a day-long tour of inspection of ongoing works under the NGRBA (National Ganga River Basin Authority). We will have a formal review meeting on Monday in Kolkata. Before this, I thought I'll see a few projects myself. I set out with my officers (Mr Chunar De and others) in the morning. Around noon, as I was in the developed riverfront at Bansberia, I spotted a Dolphin. Government of India has recently declared Ganga Dolphin as the National Aquatic Animal. The Ganga Dolphin is greatly under threat from extinction. I quote below some relevant information (the link follows):
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In India, the Ganges River Dolphin is threatened by river water pollution and
siltation, accidental entanglement in fishing nets, and poaching for their oil. In
addition, alterations to the rivers in the form of barrages and dams are separating
populations.

Just as the Tiger represents the health of the forest, just as the Snow Leopard
represents the health of the mountainous regions, and the Cheetah, the health of
grasslands, the presence of the Dolphin in a river system signals its good health and
biodiversity.
http://moef.nic.in/modules/recent-initiatives/NGRBA/Dolphins_press_n.pdf
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