CHANDIGARH: Only four of the 18-35 Indus River dolphins have been located in the Beas following a drastic cut in the water flow to enable de-siltation and repair of canal gates at the Harike barrage. This has set alarm bells ringing among the wildlife lover and experts as some of the dolphins could have been swept into the canals or the Satluj downstream of the barrage posing a high chance of mortality for them.Several teams of the Punjab forests and wildlife department, assisted by personnel of the WWF-India, have been scanning the Beas upstream of the barrage and the Harike Wildlife Sanctuary (a Ramsar site) for a week. Water levels were brought down to enable maintenance work of the irrigation complex, which sends waters to Rajasthan , by the canals wing of the Punjab irrigation department.Indus River dolphin (Platanista minor) is one of the world's rarest mammals and the second most endangered freshwater river dolphin. The tiny population on the Beas is the only one surviving in India."Two dolphins were spotted in the area of village Munda on April 4, while two others were spotted by wildlife guard Tejinder Singh at village Dhundha near Goindwal Sahib. We are searching for the dolphins and even on Thursday I was in the field searching for them. We did not see even single one on Wednesday or Thursday," divisional forest officer (wildlife) at Ferozepur, Baljeet Singh, told TOI."A census estimate of the dolphins by WWF-India in the stretch between Beas town and Harike established that the dolphin population was a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 35. Due to the reduced water flow for dredging, I expect that dolphins have either got dispersed in the different channels of the Beas or got swept downstream into the deeper pools. Since the flushing took place in the dry season, some dolphins could have got sucked into the canals or the Satluj. That would lead to mortality. I suggest that intensive monitoring is undertaken so that if any dolphin is marooned downstream, it is rescued and relocated on the upstream stretches of the Beas where water levels are high," senior project officer at WWF-India Mohd Shahnawaz Khan said.Khan, who served for many years at Harike as a field researcher, has authored two research papers on the dolphin, 'Factors affecting survival of Indus River Dolphin and species tolerance towards anthropogenic pressure', and 'Abundance and distribution modelling for Indus river dolphin, Platanista gangetica minor in River Beas, India'. Khan's studies showed that during periods of low flows, dolphins tend to migrate downstream in search of suitable habitat and deep pools.As water levels plunged after supply was cut off on March 27, senior wildlife officials led by conservator (wildlife) Mahavir Singh rushed to Harike. This was followed by a field visit by the chief engineer and superintending engineer for canals, who then decided to increase water flows on the plea by wildlife officials that the dolphin was in danger."We contacted the canal officers and got the water level raised. The water levels are at the moment satisfactory. Our main concern is the dolphins and the smooth-coated otters and the prey base in the form of fish. We have found some dolphins, the otters are fine, but the fish has suffered mortality," chief wildlife warden Dhirendra K Singh told TOI.

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