Description

Source: IE

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Context:

Recently, Madhya Pradesh CM has released 10 gharials into the Chambal River at the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary .
This step was taken to strengthen conservation efforts.
Madhya Pradesh now has over 80% of India’s gharial population. It also has leadership in gharial conservation.

Scientific Name: Gavialis gangeticus
Type: A critically endangered crocodilian species with a unique long, narrow snout, adapted for catching fish.
The name gharial comes from the Hindi word ghara.

Primary Habitat:
- - Chambal River (Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan) has Largest population.
  - Other rivers include the Ganges, Yamuna, Son, Gandak, Mahanadi, & Brahmaputra

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.
Legal Protection: Listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. It provides the highest legal protection in India.

Size:
- - Males: they can grow up to 6 m.
  - Females: 2.6 to 4.5 m.
Diet: Primarily fish. They use their slender snout & interlocking teeth to capture prey.
Reproduction:
- - They mate between November & January.
  - They nest on sandbanks & island and then lay eggs between March & May.

Habitat Destruction: Dams, embankments, irrigation canals, & sand mining disturb natural nesting areas.
Overfishing & Bycatch: Gharials get trapped in fishing nets (gillnets). It leads to accidental deaths.
Pollution: Industrial waste & pesticides contaminate river ecosystems.
Historical Exploitation: Gharials were once hunted for their skin, trophies, & use in traditional medicine.

It is tributary of the Yamuna River.
It is part of the greater Gangetic drainage system.
It Flows through 3 Indian states (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, & Uttar Pradesh).
It is Known for being one of the most pollution free rivers in India.
Course:
- - It originates in the Vindhya Range, south of Mhow, in western Madhya Pradesh.
  - It flows north into southeastern Rajasthan.
  - Then it turns northeast, passing through Kota & along the Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh border.
  - Then it Shifts east-southeast, forming part of the Uttar Pradesh Madhya Pradesh border.
  - It flows through Uttar Pradesh & empties into the Yamuna River.
  - Basin boundaries: Vindhyan mountain ranges (south, east, and west) & the Aravalli range (north-western).
Tributaries:
- - Left bank: Banas & Mej rivers.
  - Right bank: Parbati, KaliSindh, & Shipra rivers.
Major Dams:
- - Gandhi Sagar Dam.
  - Rana Pratap Sagar Dam.
  - Jawahar Sagar Dam.
National Chambal Sanctuary: Protects a 435 km stretch of one of India’s cleanest rivers, home to a significant gharial population.
Captive Breeding & Release: Since 1975, hatchlings are raised in breeding centers & released into the wild.

Source:

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Which of the following is true about the gharial conservation efforts in India?

Gharial conservation is primarily focused in the Ganges River.
The Chambal River is one of India’s cleanest rivers and a major gharial habitat.
Gharials are found only in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
The gharial is not listed in the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Select the correct answer:

(A) 1 and 3
(B) 2 only
(C) 4 only
(D) 1 and 4

Answer:
(B) 2 only

Explanation:

●The Chambal River is one of the cleanest and key habitats for gharials.

●The species is found in multiple rivers across India.

●And it is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act.