Gharials

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister has recently released 10 gharials, a critically endangered species, into the Chambal River at the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary in Morena.

• MP hosts over 80% of India’s gharials (80% decline in the 1950s-60s), earning it the title of a “gharial state.” In 2024 census, 2,456 gharials recorded in the Chambal sanctuary.

• About Gharials Breeding & Nesting:

o Mating: November – January.

o Nesting: March – May on sandbanks, sandbars, and islands.

o Females provide parental care for a few days after hatching.

• Chambal River:

o Important River of the Malwa Plateau and a principal tributary of the Yamuna River.

o Part of the greater Gangetic drainage system.

o Flows through Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

o Considered one of the most pollution-free rivers in India.

• Course & Geography:

o Origin: Vindhya Range, south of Mhow, Madhya Pradesh.

o Flow Direction: Northward into southeastern Rajasthan.

o Northeastward past Kota, along the Rajasthan-Madhya Pradesh border.

o East-southeast, forming a part of the Uttar Pradesh-Madhya Pradesh border.

o Merges with the Yamuna River in Uttar Pradesh.

o Rainfed river, enclosed by Vindhyan mountain ranges (South, East, West), and Aravalli range (Northwest).

• Tributaries: Banas River, Mej River (Left Bank) & Parbati River, KaliSindh River, Shipra River (Right Bank).
• Major Dams: Gandhi Sagar Dam, Rana Pratap Sagar Dam, and Jawahar Sagar Dam.
• About National Chambal Sanctuary: Encompasses a significant segment of the Chambal River.

o Stretches from Jawahar Sagar Dam (Rajasthan) to the Chambal-Yamuna confluence (Uttar Pradesh). Established to restore ecological balance and protect endangered gharials.