Ganjam: Carcass of a dolphin was found near a sea beach along the shores of Bay of Bengal in Kantiagada village of Ganjam district today. While the carcass was spotted by some local residents, the reason behind the death of the aquatic mammal is yet to be ascertained.
Frequent occurrence of such incidents is raising concerns among people. Earlier in February this year, carcass of a dolphin belonging to the rare Irrawaddy species was found floating near Ghatapenta in Chilika Lake.
The rise in number of dolphin deaths in Chilika lake had raised grave concerns among the locals, social workers and forest department officials and was described as “alarming”. Experts inferred that the movement of high-powered boats, dumping of petroleum products into the lake water and a considerable drop in the water level of the lake could be reasons behind the death of dolphins.
According to dolphin census statistics, there were 134 dolphins in the year 2015 which went down to 121 in 2017. Considering the death rate, eight dolphin deaths were registered in 2015, six in 2017, five in 2018 and four deaths within the first two months of 2019.
The annual dolphin census conducted by wildlife divisions in Odisha slated a count of around 113 dolphins in Chilika Lake. Nearly 450 dolphins were sighted in the Odisha coast, including 162 in the Chilika Lake in 2018.