scholarly journals Status of the Ganges river dolphin or shushuk Platanista gangetica in Kaptai Lake and the southern rivers of Bangladesh

Oryx ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian D. Smith ◽  
Benazir Ahmed ◽  
Muhammad Edrise Ali ◽  
Gill Braulik
Keyword(s):  
Bay Of Bengal ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Encounter Rate ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
Marine Waters ◽  
Conservation Measure ◽  
Freshwater Plumes ◽  
River Mouths ◽  
The Ganges ◽  
Persistent Contaminants

AbstractSurveys for shushuks Platanista gangetica were conducted during January to April 1999 in Kaptai Lake and the southern rivers of Bangladesh. A population of at least 125 dolphins was recorded in the Karnaphuli and Sangu rivers and connecting canal. The overall encounter rate was 0.76 dolphins per km. Density was highest in the lower reaches of the Sangu, where we recorded 1.36 dolphins per km. These rates are fairly high when compared with other areas of shushuk distribution. Dolphin movements in the Sikalbaha–Chandkhali Canal were consistent with it being used as a corridor for migration and dispersal between the Karnaphuli and Sangu. Shushuks were also sighted in marine waters of the Karnaphuli and Sangu river mouths, adding credibility to the hypothesis that dolphins move along the coast between the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna and Karnaphuli–Sangu systems, perhaps during the monsoon when freshwater plumes extend into the Bay of Bengal. No dolphins were nobserved in Kaptai Lake, a dam-created reservoir of the upper Karnaphuli, despite reports of occasional sightings by local fishermen. No shushuks were observed in the Bagkhali and Matamuhuri rivers, possibly because of seasonal-closure dams present near the mouths of both rivers. The main threats to dolphin survival in the Karnaphuli-Sangu system are probably accidental entanglement in monofilament gillnets, bioaccumulation of persistent contaminants and possibly collisions with motorized vessels and a decline in prey as a result of over fishing. The most significant conservation measure that could be taken would be to establish a protected area for dolphins in the Sangu River below the Dohazari Bridge.

scholarly journals Message in a bottle: Open source technology to track the movement of plastic pollution

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0242459
Author(s):  
Emily M. Duncan ◽  
Alasdair Davies ◽  
Amy Brooks ◽  
Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury ◽  
Brendan J. Godley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Bay Of Bengal ◽  
Animal Movement ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
River System ◽  
Educational Outreach ◽  
Source Tracking ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
The Ganges

Rivers worldwide are now acting as major transport pathways for plastic pollution and discharge large quantities of waste into the ocean. Previous oceanographic modelling and current drifter data have been used to predict the movement and accumulation of plastic pollution in the marine environment, but our understanding of the transport and fate through riparian systems is still largely unknown. Here we undertook a proof of concept study by applying open source tracking technology (both GPS (Global Positing System) cellular networks and satellite technology), which have been successfully used in many animal movement studies, to track the movements of individual plastic litter items (500 ml PET (polyethylene terephthalate) drinks bottles) through the Ganges River system (known as the Ganga in India and the Padma and Meghna in Bangladesh, hereafter known as the Ganges) and the Bay of Bengal. Deployed tags were successfully tracked through the Ganges river system and into the Bay of Bengal marine system. The “bottle tags” were designed and built (e.g. shape, size, buoyancy) to replicate true movement patterns of a plastic bottle. The maximum distance tracked to date is 2845 km over a period of 94 days. We discuss lessons learnt from the development of these plastic litter tags, and outline how the potential widespread use of this open source technology has the ability to significantly increase understanding of the location of accumulation areas and the timing of large inputs of plastic pollution into the aquatic system. Furthermore, “bottle tags” may act as a powerful tool for stimulating social behaviour change, informing science-based policy, and as valuable educational outreach tools for public awareness.

scholarly journals Metal Distribution and Short-Time Variability in Recent Sediments from the Ganges River towards the Bay of Bengal (India)

Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Estefanía Bonnail ◽  
Rocío Antón-Martín ◽  
Inmaculada Riba ◽  
T. Ángel DelValls
Keyword(s):  
Bay Of Bengal ◽  
Drainage Basin ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Industrial Effluents ◽  
Vertical Gradient ◽  
Element Distribution ◽  
Time Variability ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
Monsoon Period ◽  
The Ganges

The Ganges River receives inputs from highly populated cities of India (New Delhi, Calcutta, among others) and a strong influence of anthropogenic activities until reaching the Bay of Bengal. It is a seasonal river with 80% of discharges occurring between July and October during monsoon. The land-based activities next to the shore lead to discharges of untreated domestic and industrial effluents, inputs of agricultural chemicals, discharges of organic matter (cremations), and discharges of chemicals from aquaculture farms. In spite of the UNESCO declaring Human Patrimony the National Park Sundarbans, located in the delta, contamination has increased over time and it dramatically intensifies during the monsoon period due to the flooding of the drainage basin. Vertical element distribution (Cd, Co, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) was studied in sediments collected in different stations towards the Hügli Estuary. Results determined no vertical gradient associated with the analyzed sediment samples, which informs about severe sediment dynamic in the area that probably relates to tidal hydrodynamics and seasonal variation floods. The multivariate analysis results showed different associations among metals and in some cases between some of them (Co, Zn, Pb, and Cu) and the organic carbon. These allow the identification of different geochemical processes in the area and their relationship with the sources of contamination such as discharge of domestic and industrial effluents and diffuse sources enhanced by the monsoons. Also, an environmental risk value was given to the studied area by comparing the analyzed concentrations to quality guidelines adopted in other countries. It showed an estimated risk associated with the concentration of the metal Cu measured in the area of Kadwip.

Size characteristics and mineralogy of suspended sediments of the Ganges river, India

1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 192-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. Chakrapani ◽  
V. Subramanian ◽  
R. J. Gibbs ◽  
P. K. Jha
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediments ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
The Ganges

Taking the pulse of Mother Ganga - Revealing the visible and invisible water pollution crisis along the Ganges River

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Krause ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Water Pollution ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
River Network ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
Sediment Samples ◽  
Water And Sediment ◽  
The Ganges ◽  
Water And Sediment Samples

<p>It is probably hard to overestimate the significance of the River Ganges for its spiritual, cultural and religious importance. As the worlds’ most populated river basin and a major water resource for the 400 million people inhabiting its catchment, the Ganges represents one of the most complex and stressed river systems globally. This makes the understanding and management of its water quality an act of humanitarian and geopolitical relevance. Water quality along the Ganges is critically impacted by multiple stressors, including agricultural, industrial and domestic pollution inputs, a lack and failure of water and sanitation infrastructure, increasing water demands in areas of intense population growth and migration, as well as the severe implications of land use and climate change. Some aspects of water pollution are readily visualised as the river network evolves, whilst others contribute to an invisible water crisis (Worldbank, 2019) that affects the life and health of hundreds of millions of people.</p><p>We report the findings of a large collaborative study to monitor the evolution of water pollution along the 2500 km length of the Ganges river and its major tributaries that was carried out over a six-week period in Nov/Dec 2019 by three teams of more than 30 international researchers from 10 institutions. Surface water and sediment were sampled from more than 80 locations along the river and analysed for organic contaminants, nutrients, metals, pathogen indicators, microbial activity and diversity as well as microplastics, integrating in-situ fluorescence and UV absorbance optical sensor technologies with laboratory sample preparation and analyses. Water and sediment samples were analysed to identify the co-existence of pollution hotspots, quantify their spatial footprint and identify potential source areas, dilution, connectivity and thus, derive understanding of the interactions between proximal and distal of sources solute and particulate pollutants.</p><p>Our results reveal the co-existence of distinct pollution hotspots for several contaminants that can be linked to population density and land use in the proximity of sampling sites as well as the contributing catchment area. While some pollution hotspots were characterised by increased concentrations of most contaminant groups, several hotspots of specific pollutants (e.g., microplastics) were identified that could be linked to specific cultural and religious activities. Interestingly, the downstream footprint of specific pollution hotspots from contamination sources along the main stem of the Ganges or through major tributaries varied between contaminants, with generally no significant downstream accumulation emerging in water pollution levels, bearing significant implications for the spatial reach and legacy of pollution hotspots. Furthermore, the comparison of the downstream evolution of multi-pollution profiles between surface water and sediment samples support interpretations of the role of in-stream fate and transport processes in comparison to patterns of pollution source zone activations across the channel. In reporting the development of this multi-dimensional pollution dataset, we intend to stimulate a discussion on the usefulness of large river network surveys to better understand the relative contributions, footprints and impacts of variable pollution sources and how this information can be used for integrated approaches in water resources and pollution management.</p>

scholarly journals On the water hazards in the trans-boundary Kosi River basin

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 795-808 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Sh. Chen ◽  
G. Sh. Hu ◽  
W. Deng ◽  
N. Khanal ◽  
Y. H. Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flows ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Site Investigation ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Glacial Lake ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
Landslides And Debris Flows ◽  
Water Hazards ◽  
The Ganges ◽  
Basin Area

Abstract. The Kosi River is an important tributary of the Ganges River, which passes through China, Nepal and India. With a basin area of 71 500 km2, the Kosi River has the largest elevation drop in the world (from 8848 m of Mt Everest to 60 m of the Ganges Plain) and covers a broad spectrum of climate, soil, vegetation and socioeconomic zones. The basin suffers from multiple water related hazards including glacial lake outburst, debris flow, landslides, flooding, drought, soil erosion and sedimentation. This paper describes the characteristics of water hazards in the basin, based on the literature review and site investigation covering hydrology, meteorology, geology, geomorphology and socio-economics. Glacial lake outbursts are a huge threat to the local population in the region and they usually further trigger landslides and debris flows. Floods are usually a result of interaction between man-made hydraulic structures and the natural environment. Debris flows are widespread and occur in clusters. Droughts tend to last over long periods and affect vast areas. Rapid population increase, the decline of ecosystems and climate change could further exacerbate various hazards in the region. The paper has proposed a set of mitigating strategies and measures. It is an arduous challenge to implement them in practice. More investigations are needed to fill in the knowledge gaps.

Bangladesh–India: Treaty on Sharing of the Ganges Waters at Farakka

1997 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 519-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Sands
Keyword(s):  
Water Discharge ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
Water Flows ◽  
The Ganges

The Bangladesh–India Treaty on sharing the waters of the Ganges River and the India–Nepal Treaty on sharing the waters of the Mahakali River [36 I.L.M. 531 (1997)] are intended to bring to an end long–running differences between India and her neighbors over the entitlement to water flows following the construction by India of barrages on the Ganges and Mahakali Rivers. The treaties establish long–term water discharge regimes of 30 and 75 years respectively, focusing on the utilization of waters rather than their conservation.

scholarly journals First record of roving coral grouper Plectropomus pessuliferus (Fowler, 1904) from Saint Martin’s Island, Bangladesh based on Morphology and DNA Barcoding

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-301
Author(s):  
MD JAYEDUL ISLAM ◽  
SHARMIN AKTER ◽  
PROVAKOR SARKAR ◽  
MOHAMMAD RASHED ◽  
IREEN PARVIN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Barcoding ◽  
Bay Of Bengal ◽  
New Record ◽  
First Record ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Marine Waters ◽  
First Report ◽  
Saint Martin ◽  
Northern Bay Of Bengal

A new record of Plectropomus pessuliferus (Serranidae: Epinephelinae) wasdocumented based on morphological characters and DNA barcoding. The species was collectedduring a regular survey for making an inventory of reef associated fishes in Saint Martin`sIsland, Bangladesh. This is the first report of roving coral grouper from the marine waters ofBangladesh validated by morpho-meristic analysis and DNA barcoding. This is also the firstreport from the northern Bay of Bengal.

scholarly journals Remembering Nepal Earthquake of 2015 and Updating Post-earthquake Reconstruction

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ganesh Dangal ◽  
Ojash Dangal ◽  
Dharana Gelal
Keyword(s):  
Ganges River ◽  
Nepal Earthquake ◽  
Northern India ◽  
Central Nepal ◽  
Northwestern Bangladesh ◽  
River Plain ◽  
The Ganges ◽  
The City ◽  
Earthquake Reconstruction

Nepal earthquake of 2015, a massive earthquake that struck near the city of Kathmandu (Gorkha) in central Nepal on April 25, 2015. Nearly 9,000 people were killed, many thousands more were injured, and more than 600,000 structures in Kathmandu and other nearby 31 districts were either damaged or destroyed. The earthquake was felt throughout central and eastern Nepal, much of the Ganges River plain in northern India, and northwestern Bangladesh, as well as in the southern parts of the Plateau of Tibet and western Bhutan.

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