The
status and distribution of major aquatic fauna in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary in Rajasthan with special reference to
the Gangetic Dolphin Platanista gangetica gangetica (Cetartiodactyla: Platanistidae)
Anil
K. Nair
81,
Shopping Center, Kota, Rajasthan 324007, India
Email: crane_anil@rediffmail.com
Date
of publication 26 March 2009
ISSN 0974-7907
(online) | 0974-7893 (print)
Editor: Rajah Jayapal
Manuscript
details:
Ms # o1615
Received 10
August 2006
Final received
03 December 2007
Finally accepted
03 February 2008
Citation: Nair, A.K.
(2009). The status and distribution of major aquatic fauna in the National
Chambal Gharial Sanctuary in Rajasthan with special
reference to the Gangetic Dolphin Platanista gangetica gangetica (Cetartiodactyla: Platanistidae). Journal
of Threatened Taxa 1(3): 141-146.
Copyright: © Anil K. Nair
2009. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 UnportedLicense. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article
in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by
providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.
Author Details: Anil K. Nair is a conservationist
working in Hadothi region of Rajasthan. Honorable Secretary of HadothiNaturalists Society and Hobby Nature Club, Kota. A member of BNHS, IBCN, OBC, his latest work
is on community involvement for conservation of SarusCranes in Hadothi region.
Acknowledgement: I am extremely thankful to the Indian Army, Forest
Department Rajasthan and Hadothi Naturalists Society
for nominating me for conducting the Chambal River Expedition; to Mr. R. Vyas for prompting me to write this paper; to B.C. Choudhury of the Wildlife Institute of India for his
critical comments and suggestion in improving the earlier manuscript; to Jatinder Kaur for her great help
while preparing this paper; and to the Indian Army, Kota Division for
supporting this study.
Abstract:This paper records observation on the status and distribution ofGangetic Dolphin, Gharial, Mugger and other aquatic animals, and birds in the National
Chambal Gharial Sanctuary in Rajasthan during the
Chambal river expedition conducted with the Indian Army in May 1998. A total of five GangeticDolphins, nine Gharials, 14 Indian Mugger crocodiles
and 118 species of birds were sighted during the survey of 350km-long stretch
of the river Chambal from Keshoraipatan-Bundi to Dhaulpur. The
current status of the riverine habitat in view of
disturbance and other anthropogenic factors is discussed and suggestions made
to safeguard the sanctuary from various threats.
Keywords:Aquatic fauna, birds, Chambal river, Crocodylus palustris,
distribution, Gangetic Dolphin, Gharial,
Rajasthan
For
Tables & Figures – click here
Chambal is one of the few Indian rivers which
flow from south to north. The Chambal
valley between the Vindhyan and Aravallihill ranges was the cradle of civilization in central India in the historical
past. The river finds a mention as Charmanyawati in most of the ancient Sanskrit texts
belonging to the Vedic period. Chambal
is a perennial river having its origin in the Vindhyanrange near Mhow in Madhya Pradesh. It flows in a northeastern direction through
Rajasthan state to meet with its major tributary Parbati river near Pali in Sawai Madhopur district of
Rajasthan. Along its northern course it
forms the boundary first between the states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh,
then between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and joins with river Yamuna at Pachnada in Uttar Pradesh.
The Gharial(Gavialis gangeticus),
Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), Gangetic Dolphin
(Platanista gangetica gangetica), and Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata)
are some of the rare aquatic animals found in the Chambal river. Bustard (1974), who estimated the number of gharials in the Indian rivers to be meager 60-70
individuals, had opined that the Chambal River was one of their last
strongholds in India. Whitaker &
Daniel (1978) recorded a wild population of less than 200 individuals, which
rose to around 500 in 1981 (Whitaker & Basu 1982)
largely owing to the captive breeding and release of gharialsin the rivers.
The GangeticDolphin was once abundant in the major rivers of the Indo-Gangeticplain, and its presence in Chambal River was noted only by Jones (1982). Singh & Sharma (1985) reported 44 and 47 Gangetic Dolphins in the Chambal River between Batesura and Pachnada. They concluded that the shrinkage of suitable
habitat stretches of the river posed an immediate threat to their continued
survival and called for sustained monitoring of the Chambal populations. In response the State Forest Departments of
Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have taken several measures, including the
periodic monitoring of the numbers of GangeticDolphins in the Chambal River.
The Smooth-coated Otter is another
threatened species of aquatic mammals of Indian rivers, and habitat destruction
due to increased human activities along the river-banks is a major cause for
their rarity. Chambal River holds a
small yet significant population of smooth Indian otters and was surveyed by Hussain in 1992.
In a most welcome gesture, the Indian
Army approached the Wildlife Wing of the Rajasthan State Forest Department to
conduct an expedition of the river for studying the flora and fauna of National
Chambal Gharial Sanctuary between Keshoraipatanand Dhaulpur, a stretch of about 350km. A team of five wildlife enthusiasts including
the author was nominated by the Wildlife Wing of Rajasthan to conduct this
expedition. The team carried out the survey between 7-13 May 1998, and compiled
detailed records of all major aquatic and riverinefauna including the rare and endangered species. The results of the expedition
are reported in this article.
The National
Chambal Gharial Sanctuary in Rajasthan extends along
the Chambal river from Jawaharsagardam to Kota barrage, and again after a gap of 18km of free zone from Keshoraipatan to Pachnada at the
confluence of Chambal and Yamuna rivers (Fig. 1). The geographical limits of the sanctuary
include the river bed and land area that falls within 1000m distance from both
banks of the river. The sanctuary lies
between 25030’-26052’N & 76028’-79001’E. In its physiography, the deep and fast flowing
Chambal river varies considerably. The substrate ranges from mud and silt to
sand and rock. During the dry season
(April-June), the river is 100-250m wide and has a maximum depth of 20m. During the monsoon (July-September), the
river floods naturally and high extents of erosion and deposition of silt takes
place. The maximum depth during this
period is around 50m.
The Chambal river is
relatively shallow in most parts between Kota and Pali. However, the sheet rock and the shallowness
of the river give rise to a number of rapids, which are extremely difficult to
pass. The rapids at Nimoda,Dharampura-Sewanti, Paliand then between Mandrel and Sewar and onwards are
very rough. The river is fairly deep at
the confluence of Kali Sindh at Batawadaand Parbati at Pali and Rameshwar. Along the
entire stretch of the expedition, rampant human activities were noted in the
form of illegal fishing, mining of rocks and sand. Sand mining was being carried out openly at Balita 5km downstream of Keshoraipatanand near Dhaulpur. The river is also used by commuters between villages on either side and
for their daily needs. In a few places,
cash crops were also grown besides the traditional farming of summer vegetables
and fruits, and we even observed lift-irrigation at some places. A notable feature of the river banks was the
absence of any vegetation; in fact, there wasn’t a single long stretch where
one could find the banks covered by vegetation. The only plants recorded include Tamarix,Azadirachta indica, Dalbergia sisoo and Prosopis juliflora,which occur in small numbers.
A stretch of about 350km was chosen for
survey in consultation with the Indian Army authorities. The expedition originated from Rangpur on the western bank of the river right opposite to Keshoraipatan. It
was decided to cover at least 50km on each day and the following stopovers were
planned at the beginning of the expedition.
Stretch I Rangpur-Mandawara(Night halt)
Stretch II Mandawara-Gainta (Night halt)
Stretch III Gainta-Pali(Night Halt-Sheopur)
Stretch IV Maharajpur-Mandrel
(Night Halt)
Stretch V Mandrel-Sewar(Night halt)
Stretch VI Sewar-Dhaulpur(End)
Depending upon the depth of the river,
presence of rapids and the terrain, the earlier researchers Singh (1985) and
later followed by Hussain & Choudhury(1997) had divided the river stretch into seven zones between Keshoraipatan and Pachnada (Fig.
1). Out of the seven zones, we covered
four zones fully and the fifth one partially. The zones covered during the present expedition were:
Zone 1 Keshoraipatan-Chhiparda 29km
Zone 2 Chhiparda-Pali 113km
Zone 3 Pali-Rahu Ka Gaon 110km
Zone 4 Rahu ka Gaon-Bassi Dang 60km
Zone 5 Bassi Dang-Dhaulpur 40km
The zone 5 is up to Pureini,which is about 25m ahead of Dhaulpur. The zones 1 and 2 are not considered suitable
for deep-dwelling animals like Gharial, Mugger
Crocodile and Gangetic Dolphins.
During the survey, information on all the aquatic and terrestrial flora were recorded. A line transect census lasting fifteen
minutes was conducted from the moving boat at an interval of every one
hour. During the census, the numbers of
all animals present on either side of the bank and in the river waters were
noted. A fixed-point survey was also
done at mid noon and stopover points. In
addition, observations were made on fauna and flora along with habitat features
wherever the boats were stopped.
I. GangeticDolphin:
The first sighting of a GangeticDolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica) was on 11 May at 1215hr at village Bharra, which is about 20km from Sewaron the upstream. It was seen five times
surface leaping within a gap of 4-5 minutes each. The second dolphin was sighted at 1525hr the
same day downstream of village Bharra. On 12 May at 0805hr about 10km downstream of Sewar at Girwa village, two more
dolphins were observed surface leaping every 5-6 minutes close to each other at
village Girwa. They remained about 5m apart while doing the surface leaps. The last dolphin was sighted on the same day
at 1835hr near Dhaulpur at Barollivillage (Table 1). All the sightings
were made in river stretches where the water was calm and deep. An earlier survey in 1984-85 (Singh &
Sharma 1985) did not record any dolphins before Batesura.
The survey revealed that maximum concentration of the GangeticDolphin was found from Bassi Dang to Bharra, where one animal could be found for every
6.5km. The area of its distribution in
Chambal has not changed drastically in the last 12 years. With limited data in hand, we agree with
Singh & Sharma that the surfacing interval of the dolphin to breathe is
about five minutes and not one minute as mentioned by Prater (1988).
II. Crocodilians:
We had our first sighting of the Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) at Dharampura-Sewanti(Table 2), about 5km upstream from Pali. Two Gharialwere seen close to the causeway and reportedly there were four Gharial and two Mugger Crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris) in that stretch of about 2km
length. The presence of Gharial and Mugger at Pali and Rameshwar is undisputed. In this deeper section of water, a variety of river terrapins were also
seen. Both the crocodilian species were
seen at regular intervals from Pali to Dhaulpur. We were
informed by the local people that muggers are to be found up to 60km upstream
from Pali at the confluence of Kali and Sindh at Batawada when the river
waters swell. Gharial do not seem to
venture as far, and are seen at Nimola, about 30km
upstream from Pali (Fig. 2)
III. Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata)
We did not have any first-hand sighting
record of Smooth -coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) during this expedition. But local people informed us that they have
often seen these animals active between Dharampuraand Pali during floods.
Seven species of freshwater turtles are known
to exist in Chambal river. We sighted five of them, while evidence for
occurrence of other two species was obtained from villagers who recognized them
from the photographs shown. A Monitor
Lizard (Varanus bengalensis)
was seen basking on a small rocky island and a dead Russell’s
Viper (Daboia russelli)
was once observed floating in the river.
V. Bird Species
During the survey 118 bird species were
sighted of which 16 were migratory.
The
highest ever congregation of 323 Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) was seen during the survey between Keshoraipatanand Pali. Ten
bird species were observed nesting on the banks and islands of the river (Table
3). Sharma & Singh (1986), on the
basis of their field study in Chambal during October 1983 to 1986, reported the
occurrence of 86 resident and 33 migratory bird species.
VI. Other Fauna
Besides Gangetic Dolphin,
one Jackal (Canis aureus)
and a Jungle Cat (Felis chaus)
were seen at Pali and Sewar. Rao (1988) mentions
a variety of terrestrial mammals, which were seen in the sanctuary area. With the possible exception of Fox (Vulpes bengalensis),
Common Langur (Semnopithecus achates), Indian Crested
Porcupine (Hystrix indica),
Indian Hare (Lepus nigricollis)
and Wild Boar (Sus scrofa),
it is highly unlikely that the deer and carnivores have survived the human
disturbance and habitat degradation.
During the current survey, we also
undertook an exercise to assess the threats that face the sanctuary and its
wildlife. The major threats are listed below:
1.
Extensive human activity:
a.
Excavation and mining of sand from river-bed
b.
Stone quarrying
c.
Extension of agriculture on the banks
d.
Cattle movement and grazing
e.
Illegal fishing
2. Soil erosion, gully formation and
formation of ravines
3. Deforestation
4. Weed infestation
The human activity on the riverbanks has
increased manifold over the past few years. Major sand excavation activity was seen at Balita near Kota, where 15 boats were seen operating and a
number of motorized vehicles and camel carts were being loaded. Similar activity was again observed on a massive
scale near Dhaulpur.
Stone quarrying is rampant on the rocky banks
of the river near Nimoda. Besides, a big industrial house of Kota has
its limestone quarrying facility on the banks of Chambal riverat Nimoda. The
blasting of the stone continues till late in the night.
We could not find a continuous stretch of
even 1-km which was free from human activity. The muddy slopes, sandbars, mud banks and alluvial deposits are all
under the plough. Though the cultivation
of summer vegetables and fruits is a traditional practice, the recent trend of
cultivation of crops like wheat and mustard is worrying. The increased cattle movement is basically
fallout of the increased human interference with nature. The compaction of the mud banks can be seen
at a number of places. The frequent
movement of the cattle herd inside the sanctuary disturbs breeding
animals. We feel that immediate measures
need to be undertaken to ensure enough undisturbed stretches of river bank for
successful breeding and long term survival of the Gharial,
Mugger, terrapins, terns, plovers, pratincoles and
skimmers.
The remaining four disturbance factors are
interrelated. The deforestation has led
to extensive soil erosion and gully formation, which is leading to formation of
ravines in some parts. The precious top
soil is taken away by the floodwaters and gets deposited as alluvium on the
banks. The loss of the soil from the
riverbank further leads to deforestation and weeds like Prosopis,Parthenium and Tamarix have taken over. This problem also
needs to be tackled on priority.
1. Illegal
fishing has been observed and mainly reported from Batawada,Gainta, Nimoda, Mandrel,
and Sewar. The
problem needs immediate attention from forest authorities, as this may pose the
gravest danger to the Gangetic Dolphin, crocodiles
and other aquatic fauna of the Chambal Sanctuary in Rajasthan.
2. In view of ecological and biological
importance of the present Sanctuary, it is necessary to enhance protection to
the riverine ecosystem in general and its flora and
fauna in particular.
3. All
commercial activity must be immediately stopped within the limits of the
Sanctuary.
4. The
encroachment of the riverbank has to be stopped and agriculture should be
regularized, so as not to interfere with the nesting activity of birds.
5. Planting of native trees and
grasses along the river banks should be taken up to stop the erosion of top
soil and to stabilize the sand bank. In
this regard, ravine reclamation work on watershed must also be taken up on
priority. Along the stretch of 350km
covered by this survey, at least 300km is at immediate risk of soil erosion and
gully formation.
6. The
critical habitat for feeding and nesting of aquatic fauna should be identified
and protected. It may be done on the
basis of suggestions put forward by Singh & Sharma (1985), Rao (1988), Hussain (1992) and
the present survey. Forest guards and
other frontline staff should be posted in sufficient numbers at vulnerable
places.
7. Meticulously planned population
monitoring of keystone species must be done on a yearly basis.
8. It is
practically not possible to manage a sanctuary stretched over 400km. The responsibility may be divided among two
or three wildlife divisions in each of the states namely Rajasthan, Uttar
Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. For example,
the 150km stretch between Jawaharsagar and Pali in Rajasthan can be brought under the Kota Wildlife
Division and the stretch between Pali to Sewar under the jurisdiction of KailadeviWildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary guards
are needed to be posted at Nimoda, Gainta, Dharampura, Rameshwar, Maharajpur, Mandrel, Sewar, Dhaulpur and Pureini.
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