Summary:
Chennai: The Ganges river is yet again in danger- this time it is its wildlife that has been threatened. The resulting plastic pollution from the discarded fishing gear is a threat to the critically endangered three-striped roofed turtle and the dolphin according to an international team including researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India. Probing into the reasons for such high levels of pollution the study found that the fishing equipment is being disposed into the river mostly due to short gear lifespans and lack of appropriate disposal systems. Most fishers told us they mend and repurpose nets if they can but if they can't do that the nets are often discarded in the river. Many also held the view that the river 'cleans it away' so one useful step would be to raise awareness of the real environmental impacts” she noted..