Brief

          The Chambal River originates in the Vindhyan ranges in the district of Indore, Madhya Pradesh, and flows for 960 km through Madhya Pradesh (M.P.), Rajasthan (Raj.) and Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) and joins the Yamuna in the district of Etawah, UP. The Chambal River is a tributary of the Yamuna and forms part of the greater Gangetic drainage system.

           Government of India launched a Crocodile Breeding and Management Project in partnership with the UNDP/FAO, in 1975. The presence of Gharial prompted the government to establish a protected area to secure the future of the species. Thus the National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS) was established covering nearly 610km across the three states. About 435 km of the NCS, notified in 1978, which includes about 60km of the Parvati River, is a part of Madhya Pradesh. The NCS in M.P. also includes one of the first gharial rearing centres in India; the Deori Gharial Rearing Centre (DGRC), set up under the guidance of Dr. H. R. Bustard. This centre was created with the sole purpose of assisted recovery of the gharial population in the Chambal river, as well as contributing to gharial releases elsewhere in India. The DGRC has been a pioneering centre for research on aquatic reptiles, ever since its inception in 1978.

         The NCS is among the most important riverine habitats where several globally threatened faunal elements still survive. Its rich biodiversity is evident from the presence of Gharial, Mugger, 10 species of freshwater turtles, Smooth-coated otter, Gangetic river dolphins, Indian Skimmers and Black bellied terns amongst others. The Chambal River is one of the cleanest rivers in India, and one of the few rivers of the Gangetic river system to have retained significant conservation values.