No science behind Bharti’s claim on Gangetic dolphins:Ministry

New Delhi, Aug 29 (PTI) Union Water Resources Minister UmaBharti might have claimed in Lok Sabha that Gangetic Dolphinsgot blind because of pollution but her ministry does not haveany scientific basis to buttress the claim. Bharti, Minister for Water Resources, River Developmentand Ganga Rejuvenation, had on August 4 told Lok Sabha,"Dolphins got blind because of pollution…Dolphins got blindin Ganga because they could not see in the river because ofpollution so they had to develop other senses to survive. "Once ascertained (of the water quality), we will leavedolphins with eye sight in the river and if they do not getblind, it can be assumed that the river got vitalised," shehad said. An RTI query by Abhishek Shukla sought to know from theministry if it had any scientific study to show that theGangetic dolphins lost their vision because of pollution. The applicant also inquired if the ministry plans to leavesome species of dolphins having vision in Ganga to determineif the river has regained its vitality. The ministry said they "do not have scientific study" toshow that dolphins lost their vision because of pollution inthe river Ganga. "The Ministry does not have any immediate plan to releasedolphins (with eyes or vision) in Ganga," said K P Sapra,Under Secretary in the Ministry of Water Resources, RiverDevelopment and Ganga Rejuvenation and National Mission forClean Ganga. The mammal species has no eye lens but it uses its eyeto locate itself. It also cannot breathe in the water and mustsurface every 3-120 seconds. The RTI applicant also sought to know if there is aresearch or scientific study to show that survival of dolphinswith vision in river Ganga would mean improvement of waterquality, as claimed by Bharti, to which the Ministry repliedin negative. Independent experts on dolphins, who do not wish to comeon record, have also opined that there is no scientific studyto show how the mammal species lost its vision. They say onereason can be the muddy water of Ganga, which makes itdifficult to see, but these are only assumptions which havenot been tested scientifically. They also say it is not easy to relocate a species fromone ecology to another. The shifting of river dolphins havingvision will require a detailed study of the habitat before anysuch adventure can be planned. PTI ABS KIS ZMN KISSMJ