India has always been a land of diversity, all in all. Being home to several cultures, ethnicities and rich flora and fauna often reflects an ideology of ‘live and let live’ to the rest of the world. In the past, Indian thought has even managed to influence movements like Transcendentalism in the West too. It is saddening to see the legacy of the such a culture slowly die at the hands of capitalism today. In times like this, few communities and individuals are doing their bit to conserve the country’s biodiversity. The residents of Guwahati undertook one such initiative.
The Kamrup Metropolitan district of Assam decided to chose the Gangetic Dolphin be the mascot for the city in June, 2016. It won the title of ‘The Animal of Guwahati’ after a three-month-long voting process that was conducted both online and offline and saw participation of the people of city and students of 76 schools and colleges. The title is the first of its kind to be established in the country. The nominees for the same included the Black Softshell Turtle and Greater Adjutant Stork both of with are species whose lives are threatened by urbanisation. The purpose of this was to raise awareness regarding the animals and their threatened ecosystems.
The Gangetic Dolphin, locally known as Shishu resides in one of most populated regions of the country, and is majorly found in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. Unfortunately, It is now counted under the list of endangered species of the region because of its dwindling numbers over the years. The mammal faces loss of habitat due to the building of dams and other irrigation projects on the rivers and death by getting caught in fishing nets, pollution due to industrial waste and sewage discharge. These dolphins are also hunted by many for their oil which is used to attract fish and for medical purposes. This sea animal, known for its sensitivity to ultrasonic waves, is often troubled by the noise from the vessel traffic on the rivers.
Help Earth is an NGO that joined hands with the local authorities in order to systematically carry out conservation measure and make awareness programmes about the urban wildlife in the region. “The rationale behind this was to raise awareness and conserve urban biodiversity. I feel that the organisms living around us are equally important if not more and a common man’s effort can go a long way in protecting them,” said Jayaditya Purkayastha, general secretary of Help Earth in an interview with Down to Earth.
Feature Image Courtesy : Eisamay India Times
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