No of gharials, dolphins up in Chambal sanctuary

BHOPAL: National Chambal sanctuary in Morena, home to critically endangered gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) and endangered Gangetic dolphins, has witnessed an increase in their numbers during the last year despite reports of unregulated and illegal mining by sand mafia around Chambal river.
Sanctuary is spread across nighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan supports the largest population of gharials in the wild and is one of the last surviving habitats for Gangetic dolphins.
According to Vincent Rahim, district forest officer, Morena, number of gharials has gone up from 1,088 last year to 1,150. Similarly, number of crocodiles went up to 402 this year, up from 390 in 2014.
Similarly, number of dolphins too has gone up from 66 last year to 71 in 2015, Vincent said.
He said a 15-day long exercise to estimate number of aquatic animals was carried out from February 5 to 20 earlier this year. Analysis of data is just over," he said.
For last few years, the river is under pressure from sand mafia. In 2013 total number of Ghariyal was 948, said Raju Sharma, a Gwalior-based advocate, who filed a petition in Gwalior bench of the high court pleading a ban on illegal mining and quarrying in Chambal.
Gharials lay egg on the bank of river and bury eggs under the sand. It also hatches eggs on river side sand, his petition said. Approximately 400 to 500 tractor- trolleys besides dumpers and truckloads of sand is mined illegally from the banks of the river daily disturbing its habitat and damaging the eggs.
Petition states, "If illegal sand mining continues, survival of these species will become impossible and very soon they will extinguish."