Population Assessment and Conservation Strategies of the Indus River Dolphin, Platanista gangetica Minor, in Indus River Sindh, Pakistan

Indus Blind Dolphin is endangered species sighted in the Indus River from the Indus delta upstream to the Himalayan foothills prior to building barrages but the maximum number of this mammal is found in Guddu to Sukkur reach and lowest number at upstream of Guddu barrage and downstream of Sukkur barrage. Driving forces for water and dolphin reserve conservation are an agriculture-environmental trade-off, water use and alteration of rivers for irrigation and agriculture and inadequate consideration on the habitat of highly valuable species such as Platanista gangetica minor, water demand increase with urban development and industrial activities, water pollution from Industries and agriculture wastewater, fishery-dolphin conflict causes physical damage to dolphins by boat and unintended dolphins/fish catch by gillnet.This paper presents the assessment of threats to Indus dolphin population growth, water quality, and other risk activities in stretch Guddu to Sukkur barrages. The total 1419 Indus dolphin was counted during a survey of dolphin in 2019, while918 in2011 respectively between Guddu and Sukkur Barrages. As result, 501 Indus dolphin number has increased in a period of 8 years. The analyzed results reveal that all the tested parameters ie. pH; Cond, TDS; Cl, TH, Alk, SO₄, and NO₂ are within the permissible limits as per standards NEQS and WHO. Moreover, the Standard Deviation of all parameters shows low deviation at different locations. The correlation matrix of all parameters of collected samples. The pH has a very strong correlation with NO₂, and SO₄ has a strong relation with conductivity and total hardness, and alkalinity.