Photo by Shekar Dattatri. All rights reserved
November 27-30, 2006
I remember looking out the window of the train from Madras to Delhi a long time ago, and seeing the Chambal ravines streak by – a stark but fascinating landscape notorious for it’s dacoit gangs. The Chambal River that runs through the ravines is home to the critically endangered gharial, the Indian sub-continent’s unique, long snouted fish-eating crocodilian. It is also a refuge for gangetic dolphins, marsh crocodiles and a large variety of fresh water turtles. Having always wanted to explore the river, I was pleased to get an opportunity to do so recently. Rom Whitaker, Chairman of the Gharial Multi Task Force, was attending a workshop on gharial conservation, which was being conducted in collaboration with the Jiwaji University of Gwalior and the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, and I went along to provide video support during the field visits.
It takes about an hour and half by road from Gwalior to Rajghat, where the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has 3 small boats moored for taking visitors on the river. The first thing that meets your eye as you board the boat is the rampant sand mining taking place on the opposite bank; dozens of tractor-trailers and huge trucks filling up with sand as quickly as possible and taking off on the highway to Delhi. The huge construction boom that India is witnessing means that demand for river sand is at an all time high. Sand mining is a highly lucrative business, and is apparently controlled by ruthless mafias who follow no quotas and brook no interference.
As you head downstream on a pleasantly chilly winter morning you start seeing crocodiles straightaway. A silhouetted gharial here, an open-mouthed mugger there, and fresh water turtles on either side, all basking on the banks to soak in the heat of the sun. A bed of reeds on the left provided glimpses of beautiful brahminy ducks, whose calls carried loud and clear across the water. As the boat forged ahead, a flock of over a hundred bar-headed geese took off, to alight further down the river on the bank away from us. There were also a few painted storks and a couple of sarus cranes. Just past the railway bridge, a lone gangetic dolphin surfaced for air.
Travelling downstream, the riverbank to the left comprises agricultural fields extending virtually down to the waterline. In places, the ravines slope right into the river and both the gradient of the bank and the human presence in the fields makes the left bank quite unattractive to the crocodiles, particularly the shy gharial. The right bank however has large expanses of flat and gently sloping sand banks that are perfect basking sites.
An hour into the journey, we reached a point known as Tigriratora, where half a dozen gharial and a few mugger could be seen basking. The gharial slipped into the water when the boat approached, but most of the mugger continued to bask unperturbed. Over the next couple of days we returned to this area and were rewarded with the sight of several large gharial (estimated size up to 16 feet for some), including a couple of mature males with a large gharas (the earthen pot-like protuberance on the snout that distinguishes mature males from females).
Tigriratora is one of the few traditional gharial nesting spots along the 420 km Chambal River. Yet, even here, the sand mining has started. We were told that it is not uncommon for the earth-moving machines to scoop up gharial eggs along with the sand at times. With large portions of the river banks naturally unsuitable for nesting by gharial, areas like Tigriratora are extraordinarily valuable and must be protected at all costs.
The Chambal River, even the little I saw of it, is absolutely bewitching. The ravines along its flanks lend it a unique, rugged beauty that I haven’t seen elsewhere. While other stretches of the river are apparently overrun by intense fishing activity, the 30 km stretch that we traversed was thankfully devoid of fishing nets. But I’m told that even here the fishing will start as the water level goes down. The Chambal may be remote to most of us, but close inspection revealed that human pressures are intensifying by the day.
Returning to Rajghat on the last evening, we were in for a surprise. On the steep slope of a ravine, a silver gray fox suddenly came into view. At first I thought he was looking for prey, but his purposeful trot had another reason. He made his way quickly to the top, to where a den seemed to be hidden, and suddenly pounced on another, smaller, male fox. A brief skirmish later, the smaller fox sprinted away. Janaki Lenin, who was also on the boat, managed to get some clear pictures of the first male. I’m pretty sure that this was the desert subspecies of the red fox, but someone more knowledgeable about foxes has to confirm this.
I remember looking out the window of the train from Madras to Delhi a long time ago, and seeing the Chambal ravines streak by – a stark but fascinating landscape notorious for it’s dacoit gangs. The Chambal River that runs through the ravines is home to the critically endangered gharial, the Indian sub-continent’s unique, long snouted fish-eating crocodilian. It is also a refuge for gangetic dolphins, marsh crocodiles and a large variety of fresh water turtles. Having always wanted to explore the river, I was pleased to get an opportunity to do so recently. Rom Whitaker, Chairman of the Gharial Multi Task Force, was attending a workshop on gharial conservation, which was being conducted in collaboration with the Jiwaji University of Gwalior and the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, and I went along to provide video support during the field visits.
It takes about an hour and half by road from Gwalior to Rajghat, where the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has 3 small boats moored for taking visitors on the river. The first thing that meets your eye as you board the boat is the rampant sand mining taking place on the opposite bank; dozens of tractor-trailers and huge trucks filling up with sand as quickly as possible and taking off on the highway to Delhi. The huge construction boom that India is witnessing means that demand for river sand is at an all time high. Sand mining is a highly lucrative business, and is apparently controlled by ruthless mafias who follow no quotas and brook no interference.
As you head downstream on a pleasantly chilly winter morning you start seeing crocodiles straightaway. A silhouetted gharial here, an open-mouthed mugger there, and fresh water turtles on either side, all basking on the banks to soak in the heat of the sun. A bed of reeds on the left provided glimpses of beautiful brahminy ducks, whose calls carried loud and clear across the water. As the boat forged ahead, a flock of over a hundred bar-headed geese took off, to alight further down the river on the bank away from us. There were also a few painted storks and a couple of sarus cranes. Just past the railway bridge, a lone gangetic dolphin surfaced for air.
Travelling downstream, the riverbank to the left comprises agricultural fields extending virtually down to the waterline. In places, the ravines slope right into the river and both the gradient of the bank and the human presence in the fields makes the left bank quite unattractive to the crocodiles, particularly the shy gharial. The right bank however has large expanses of flat and gently sloping sand banks that are perfect basking sites.
An hour into the journey, we reached a point known as Tigriratora, where half a dozen gharial and a few mugger could be seen basking. The gharial slipped into the water when the boat approached, but most of the mugger continued to bask unperturbed. Over the next couple of days we returned to this area and were rewarded with the sight of several large gharial (estimated size up to 16 feet for some), including a couple of mature males with a large gharas (the earthen pot-like protuberance on the snout that distinguishes mature males from females).
Tigriratora is one of the few traditional gharial nesting spots along the 420 km Chambal River. Yet, even here, the sand mining has started. We were told that it is not uncommon for the earth-moving machines to scoop up gharial eggs along with the sand at times. With large portions of the river banks naturally unsuitable for nesting by gharial, areas like Tigriratora are extraordinarily valuable and must be protected at all costs.
The Chambal River, even the little I saw of it, is absolutely bewitching. The ravines along its flanks lend it a unique, rugged beauty that I haven’t seen elsewhere. While other stretches of the river are apparently overrun by intense fishing activity, the 30 km stretch that we traversed was thankfully devoid of fishing nets. But I’m told that even here the fishing will start as the water level goes down. The Chambal may be remote to most of us, but close inspection revealed that human pressures are intensifying by the day.
Returning to Rajghat on the last evening, we were in for a surprise. On the steep slope of a ravine, a silver gray fox suddenly came into view. At first I thought he was looking for prey, but his purposeful trot had another reason. He made his way quickly to the top, to where a den seemed to be hidden, and suddenly pounced on another, smaller, male fox. A brief skirmish later, the smaller fox sprinted away. Janaki Lenin, who was also on the boat, managed to get some clear pictures of the first male. I’m pretty sure that this was the desert subspecies of the red fox, but someone more knowledgeable about foxes has to confirm this.
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1 comment:
Your article on the Chambal sends me right back into my memory. It is most undoubtedly the most beautiful aquatic habitat I have ever been to and studied. The Gharials, the Mugger, it's all so nostalgic. I love the description of the banks, and the way you've mentioned what kind of impact sand mining has on the wildlife. Very glad I came across your blog. Been hearing about you for over 3 years now, would love to converse with you some lucky day. Also, the film on Kudremukh is stunning! Saw it at Agumbe recently while we were at ARRS. Ram had it with him. Cheers to your efforts!! All the best! Regards- Apoorva Joshi.
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