Students told about types of dolphins

PATNA: The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) on Wednesday started a 15-day ‘River dolphin conservation training programme’ under the National Green Skill Development programme. Altogether 22 selected students from Kerala, West Bengal, Jharkhand and various districts of Bihar would be briefed about the types of dolphins, their habitats, food habits and translocation.
ZSI officer incharge (Patna) Gopal Sharma said, “Gangetic dolphins are our national aquatic animals. After training, the students will pass on the knowledge to local fishermen so that they won’t kill them. The training programme is about the conservation of this species. A total of 165 students applied for the training programme out of which 22 were selected after interview.”
Following the training, two of the best students will be selected as master trainers to further teach local fishermen how to translocate dolphins in the river whenever required. Besides, 20 students will become dolphin trainers.
Nalanda Open University vice-chancellor R K Sinha, who is known as the ‘Dolphin Man’, said, “To save the king you first need to save the kingdom. If you want dolphins to be protected, you need to protect your rivers from pollution.”
He said Bihar State Pollution Control Board should file a case against the government, if needed, because of its negligence towards river pollution.