GANGETIC DOLPHIN SURVEY BEGINS

MEERUT: A joint team of forest department and WWF-India has started its annual survey of highly endangered Gangetic dolphins in the 200-km long stretch of Upper Gangetic basin between Narora in Bulandshahar and Bijnor. Divisional forest officer, Bijnor, M Semran flagged off the survey team on Tuesday. It will take five days to complete the manual survey of dolphins which have also been declared the national aquatic animal. The team covered 35-km stretch between Bijnor barrage to Bheekund village in Meerut on the first day of the survey and claimed to have spotted 11 dolphins.