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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →India’s first nationwide, range-wide river-dolphin estimation counted 6,327 dolphins in 28 rivers across eight states. The 2021–23 survey covered more than 8,500 kilometres and required 3,150 person-days of fieldwork, according to the Prime Minister’s Office’s 2025 release. It is a national baseline—not proof that India had no earlier regional counts.
What India’s first national survey found
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), state forest departments and conservation organisations conducted the estimation from 2021 to 2023. Contemporary government reporting describes the total as 6,324 Ganges River Dolphins and three Indus River Dolphins.
| Measure | Reported result | Source and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Total river dolphins | 6,327 | Prime Minister’s Office, 2025; estimate from the 2021–23 cycle |
| Ganges River Dolphins | 6,324 | DD News, 2025 |
| Indus River Dolphins | 3 | DD News, 2025; animals counted in India’s Beas basin |
| Rivers and states covered | 28 rivers in eight states | Prime Minister’s Office, 2025 |
| Distance surveyed | More than 8,500 km | Prime Minister’s Office, 2025 |
| Field effort | 3,150 person-days | Prime Minister’s Office, 2025 |
The published WII report is titled Population Status of River Dolphins in India, 2021–23 (2024). It was issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and WII.
Where India’s river dolphins were counted
Ganges River Dolphins
Most of the dolphins belong to the Ganges River Dolphin population, distributed through the Ganga–Brahmaputra–Meghna river system and its tributaries. The survey included rivers in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and other covered states.
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Indus River Dolphins
The three Indus River Dolphins recorded in India were found in the Beas basin in Punjab. This small Indian population is geographically separate from the Ganges dolphins and should not be merged with them when interpreting conservation results.
States with the highest reported counts
Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number, followed by Bihar, West Bengal and Assam, according to DD News’ report on the estimation. The available national summary does not provide a complete state-by-state numerical table, so those rankings should not be read as exact counts for each state.
How the estimation was carried out
The three-year exercise combined WII coordination with field teams from state forest departments and partner conservation groups. Participating state departments included Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand and Rajasthan. Aaranyak, WWF, Turtle Survival Alliance and Wildlife Trust of India were also named among the partners.
Because this was the first range-wide estimate using a coordinated national approach, its main value is consistency: future surveys can repeat comparable methods across the river network rather than relying only on separate local counts.
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Why the baseline matters for conservation
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s 2024–25 annual report identifies completion of the first range-wide riverine-dolphin estimation as a conservation accomplishment and records financial assistance to states for dolphin conservation. The count gives Project Dolphin and state agencies a reference point for planning protection, monitoring changes and targeting river stretches where threats are greatest.
Satellite tagging under Project Dolphin
On 18 December 2024, the Press Information Bureau reported India’s first satellite tagging of a Ganges River Dolphin in Assam. WII implemented the work with the Assam Forest Department and Aaranyak under Project Dolphin, with funding from the National CAMPA Authority. Tagging can add movement and habitat-use information to the population estimates, although one tagged animal is not itself a population trend.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is happening after the first survey?
A second range-wide estimation began at Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, on 17 January 2026. PIB says WII is coordinating it with state forest departments, WWF India, Aaranyak and Wildlife Trust of India.
The follow-up retains the earlier standardised methodology while adding new stretches and operational areas. It also includes planned estimation of Irrawaddy Dolphins in the Sundarbans and Odisha. Those additions may change geographic representation, so a later total must not be treated as a simple increase or decrease from 6,327 unless coverage and methods are directly comparable.
Quick Recap
How to interpret the 6,327 figure
- It is an estimate for the 2021–23 survey cycle, released in 2025—not a real-time 2026 census.
- It combines two species: 6,324 Ganges River Dolphins and three Indus River Dolphins.
- “First-ever” means India’s first nationwide or range-wide estimation; earlier regional surveys may have existed.
- The number is a baseline for conservation, not by itself evidence of population growth or decline.
- Results from the second estimation may revise understanding of abundance as additional stretches and species are assessed.
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