Context:
The aquatic animal population, including dolphins and gharial, in the Chambal river passing through Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh has increased significantly in the past year due to a decrease in demand for fish and sand amid the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdown.
Relevance:
Prelims, GS-III: Environment and Ecology
Dimensions of the Article:
- About flourishing life in the Chambal river
- Chambal River
About flourishing life in the Chambal river
- Forest department officials said improvement of quality of aquatic life in the Chambal river also caused an increase in the population of gharial (type of crocodile) by 17% and crocodiles by 24%, according to the survey.
- Officials have identified the dolphin pools in 2019 and spotted 25 dolphin calves in Chambal river.
- They have deployed Ghat (bank) in-charge near the pools to check illegal net fishing as it was a major reason behind the death of calves.
- The dolphin population was falling every year between 2016 and 2020 but for the first time in six years the population has increased.
- Experts feel the state government should come up with a plan to maintain this quality of aquatic life and habitat so that net fishing and sand mining does not increase once the lockdown is eased.
Click Here to read About the Ganges river dolphin and Indus river Dolphin
Chambal River
- The Chambal River is a tributary of the Yamuna River in central India, and thus forms part of the greater Gangetic drainage system.
- The river flows north-northeast through Madhya Pradesh, running for a time through Rajasthan, then forming the boundary between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh before turning southeast to join the Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh state.
- The perennial Chambal originates at janapav, south of Mhow town, near manpur Indore, on the south slope of the Vindhya Range in Madhya Pradesh.
- The Chambal and its tributaries drain the Malwa region of northwestern Madhya Pradesh, while its tributary, the Banas, which rises in the Aravalli Range, drains southeastern Rajasthan.
- It ends a confluence of five rivers, including the Chambal, Kwari, Yamuna, Sind, Pahuj, at Pachnada near Bhareh in Uttar Pradesh state.
- The Chambal River is considered pollution free, and hosts an amazing riverine faunal assemblage including 2 species of crocodilians – the mugger and gharial, 8 species of freshwater turtles, smooth-coated otters, gangetic river dolphins, skimmers, black-bellied terns, sarus cranes and black-necked storks, amongst others.
-Source: The Hindu
