On the Brink of Extinction

Water scarcity and the discharge of contaminated water pose a serious threat to the Indus blind dolphin population

SUKKUR: In recent days, a three-and-a-half-foot female blind dolphin was discovered dead in the Dadu Canal near the Sukkur Barrage on the Indus River. Local residents saw the dead dolphin and reported it to the Wildlife Department’s concerned officials, after which the Wildlife Department team removed the dead dolphin from the canal and shifted it to their office.

The dead dolphin appeared to be completely healthy, with no marks on its body, indicating that it could not have survived in the Dadu Canal’s shallow water because dolphins are deep-water mammals. Because the water in the canals coming out of the Sukkur Barrage becomes very low in the winter, its death was thought to be due to a lack of water. The Indus Blind Dolphin is a rare animal because it is completely blind, hence its name. In addition to the Indus River, blind dolphins can also be found in the Ganges River in India, the Brahmaputra River in Nepal, and a river in China. There are around 1419 blind dolphins in the Indus River from Sukkur Barrage to Guddu Barrage, although threats to their survival are continuously increasing.

Bol News investigates the source of the threat to the lives of these mammals. Most of the dolphins in the Indus River can be found near the Sukkur Barrage, where this mammal gets its food. The dolphin found in the Indus River is completely blind but possesses a highly sophisticated sonar system, which it uses to find food and protect itself from dangers. Polluted water is the most serious threat to the Indus blind dolphin’s survival. Chemically contaminated water and sewage from factories and mills are poured into the Indus River without treatment from cities all along the river. Toxic water from factories and sewage is polluting the Indus River, killing small fish and insects found in the river, which are the primary source of food for the blind dolphin.

When the river’s food supply runs out, the dolphins migrate to the canals that exit the Sukkur Barrage, where they perish due to low water levels. The wildlife department’s staff is attempting to save the lives of these blind dolphins, but when the water level in the Indus River drops, the risks to their lives increase because contaminated water from factories and sewage in Sukkur, Ghotki, Kashmore, and other areas is constantly poured into the river. Moreover, the river’s water level drops dramatically during the winter months, in which case chemical water from factories or sewage water contaminates the river water, making it more polluted.

Speaking to Bol News, Mir Akhtar Hussain Talpur, in-charge of the Dolphin Care Center in the Sukkur Wildlife Department, said, “We have been aware for a long time that the life of this rare breed of Indus-blind dolphin is being destroyed by the chemicalized water of factories or sewage.”

“The fact is that this water is discharged into the river without treatment or filtration, which poses a threat to aquatic life,” he explained.

“What will happen to the blind dolphin’s diet when small fish, shrimp, and other small insects die from this toxic water?” he asked, adding, “And this is the reason why the Indus blind dolphin goes out into the canals in search of its food. In such a case, if we do not receive timely information, their lives are in jeopardy.”

The Sukkur Wildlife Department, Mir Akhtar Hussain Talpur said, has rescued hundreds of blind dolphins from canals or low water and transported them to the Indus River via rescue operations. “We understand that this rare breed of blind dolphin found in the Indus River differs from those found in the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and China rivers,” he insisted. He went on to say that the dolphin found in the Ganges is similar to the blind dolphin, but the latter is much better in terms of health and fitness.

According to Mir Akhtar Hussain Talpur, the number of dolphins in the Indus River from Sukkur Barrage to Guddu Barrage is not increasing as it should, citing the continuous shortage of water in the Indus River and the discharge of polluted water from sewage and factories into the Indus River as the reasons. “Previously, if a dolphin was caught in a fishing net in the canals, local people would often kill it, but the wildlife department raised awareness among the people that this is a rare animal and it is our responsibility to protect it,” said the Dolphin Care Center in-charge.

“On the other hand,” he stated, “the government also enacted legislation to save the lives of dolphins. As a result, people stopped killing this rare mammal; instead, if locals saw one trapped in a canal, they would contact the wildlife department immediately, and the dolphin would be rescued.” However, he added that polluted water is still being dumped into the river, which is why the number of blind dolphins is not increasing.

Mir Akhtar Hussain Talpur also stated that the Indus blind dolphins are a source of pride for Pakistan, as is the beauty of the Indus River. “We must take steps to protect them, make their lives safer, and provide a safe environment for these dolphins to thrive,” he concluded.