Bhubaneswar: After emerging as the favourite destination of migratory birds, the Chilika lake in Odisha has also turned out to be a safe haven for rare Irrawaddy dolphins.
This came to the light after the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) conducted an annual survey on the biodiversity of the lagoon, which is the largest lake along the east-coast of India. The population of dolphins has increased to 156 in 2020 against 150 in 2019, an official said.
The Irrawaddy dolphin is the flagship species inhabiting the Chilika Lake. The CDA in a statement said that the present distribution range of this species is only in Asia, from Chilika to Indonesia. Irrawaddy dolphins in India are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, ClTES (Appendix-l) and IUCN Red List.
The CDA has initiated many conservation measures for the protection and conservation of Irrawaddy dolphins in the past in close coordination with the Wildlife Wing of state Forest Department, CDA chief executive…