Kendrapara: For the last three years, the count of dolphins in Bhitarkanika National Park of Kendrapara district dropped. However, its population has gone up this year.
This was revealed in the dolphin count conducted by the forest department. The count found that there are 342 dolphins belonging to three sub-species inhabiting the coastal waters of Bhitarkanika.
In the current year, the forest department conducted a dolphin counting in January. However, it triggered a big controversy over the timing of the dolphin count.
Some environmentalists raised reliability of the counting data, pointing out that the timing and the prevalent weather condition were not favourable for enumerators to ensure proper sightings of the mammals. So, the census was conducted again in February.
The wildlife division of Rajnagar deployed nine teams for dolphin counting under the supervision of DFO Bikash Ranjan Das, dolphin expert Dr Mumtaz Khan and Shiba Prasad Parida.
In the counting held from Dhamra to Devi river mouth, the enumerators found 281 humpback dolphins, 22 bottle nose dolphins and 39 Irrawaddy dolphins.
In 2018, the census found 307 dolphins in the area. In 2019, their number plunged to 126 which further came down to 62 in 2020.
In the 2020 census, not single Irrawaddy dolphin was found. The number of humpback dolphins has gone up unexpectedly, the forest department said.
Environmentalists like Hemanta Kumar Rout, Ashok Kumar Swain and Biraja Kumar Pati expressed happiness over the rise of dolphin population in the Bhitarkanika national park.
It was stated that due to Covid-induced lockdown and restrictions, transportation and illegal prawn farms/gherries and marine fishing activities were in doldrums last year. The undisturbed marine environment had ensured sufficient food for the mammals.
Toxic water being released from prawn farms though creeks and the river system is said to be a major repellant for the dolphins. Unabated fishing posed another danger to the dolphins.
Notably, Irrawaddy dolphins are known to prefer estuaries and brackish water systems. They can have a thriving habitat at Bhitarkanika, it was said.
