Source: www.ndtv.com
KARNAVAS, INDIA, October 29, 2010: In Karnavas in Uttar Pradesh, street plays make frequent and reverent references to the dolphins in the Ganga. “What’s known as the dolphin in English is important to our ecosystem, our culture, but we are harming it,” says one of the performers.
At another performance on a street corner, students chant excerpts from Valimiki’s Ramayan. “With tremendous force, Ganga emerged from Lord Shiva’s locks and along with it came several species of fish, animals and the Shishumaar (dolphin).
Religion is playing a huge role in helping to save the Gangetic dolphin along a 100 mile stretch In UP, by engaging the population and raising awareness of the problem. Since the conservation effort began in 1990, the dolphin population has doubled. There are about 56-60 Gangetic dolphins now, as compared to about 20 in 1990, says Dr. Sandeep Behera, Senior Coordinator of the Fresh Water Program for the World Wildlife Fund in India.