Sighting of Chambal gharial in Yamuna springs concern
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The sighting took place near the cremation ground when some people observed it and made a video that quickly circulated online.
A team from the Etawah sanctuary swung into action and is continuously monitoring the situation. The authorities have issued clear instructions that no one should go near the river or waterlogged areas.
While crocodiles and gharials are protected in the Chambal, these creatures have begun reaching residential areas close to the river banks, creating an atmosphere of fear.
The sighting of the giant gharial has also raised safety concerns.According to eyewitnesses, after floodwaters recede, such aquatic creatures often appear in areas typically considered far from the rivers. This situation is deemed even more dangerous for those living in rural areas and fields.KC Shekhar, wildlife warden of National Chambal Sanctuary, Etawah, has appealed to citizens to immediately inform the local authorities or the forest department if they spot a crocodile or gharial.
The forest department officials said until the floodwaters recede, such incidents of aquatic creatures appearing in public areas may occur.
The back-to-back sightings of gharials and muggers in the Yamuna river, despite it being one of the most polluted rivers in India, have surprised environmental activists and wildlife officials. Rajiv Chauhan, general secretary of the Society of Conservation of Nature, said that since 2011 he has rescued 6 to 7 gharials from the upstream of the Yamuna. "The astonishing fact is that they have now started nesting in the Yamuna.
In 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdown, a gharial nested upstream in the Yamuna. At that time, it was said that due to reduced human movement during the lockdown, parts of the river became pollution-free," he said.
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