10 stranded Indus blind dolphin sighted

KARACHI:

At least 10 more endangered Indus blind dolphins have been sighted at different spots in the canals emerging from the Sukkur Barrage, while five have already been rescued in the last 10 days, The Express Tribune learnt on Monday.

The rescue and release team of the Dolphin Conservation Centre in Sukkur spotted at least 10 dolphins stranded in various canals last month. The first rescue operation began on October 1 and conservation staff successfully rescued two dolphins from a canal near Naudero of district Larkana.

One more was rescued on October 3 from City Point located near Sukkur city, while in the third rescue operation, two more mammals were rescued from Chal Sarfo Pattan near Kalhora Goth in the limits of Shikarpur district.

According to Sindh Wildlife Department's (SWD) officials, they spotted five more dolphins stranded at different locations. "So, we have to rescue 10 more in coming days," disclosed SWD Sukkur division's head Adnan Khan.

Locations of stranded dolphins

The rescue team, during surveillance, found one dolphin in Rohri Canal near Bahria Town, two more in the same canal near Bhutta Fall, another in the Kherthar Canal, one near Nara Canal, two more were seen in the Rice Canal near Naudero, one in the Rice Canal near Warah, one in Balochistan-Sindh Feeder and one in Dadu Canal near Larkana.

In the first week of September, SWD issued a 'Red Alert' asking all the department's officials to continuously monitor the dolphins. "We spotted 10 and it was a big number," Khan said.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Khan said that after rescuing the five stranded mammals, his team found there were 10 more at different spots. "So the total number of stranded dolphins was 15 so far," he said, adding that the rescue operation was expected in coming days.

"It is not an easy operation," Khan explained. "We have never seen before such a big number stranded at different canals," he added.

Short of budget

Sources told The Express Tribune that apart from challenges during the operation, the rescue team has been facing short of funds. "We do not have funds to continue the rescue operation," a senior official disclosed.

"The operation to bring back these stranded dolphins will need about Rs03 million," the official said, adding that the Sukkur office still needed over Rs01 million for fuel that had already been used during previous operations.

According to the budget book of 2021-2022, the total funds allocated for Sukkur district was Rs440,000. Last year, it was Rs320,000.

"Yes, there is short of funds but we will not halt the operation," Khan said. He continued that all efforts were being made to rescue the dolphins, an endangered species colloquially called andhi bulhan.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2021.