Study finds rare turtles, gharials in parts of Yamuna

NEW DELHI: The filthy stretch of Yamuna in Delhi is often not acknowledged to be a river at all. But wildlife researchers studying the Yamuna say that the river has immense importance biodiversity wise. A recent study by World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) in collaboration with the Thames River Trust, UK has documented the faunal diversity on a 194km river stretch from Bateshwar Ghat in Agra to Dibholi Ghat in Etawah. Among other significant findings, the team of researchers found gharials nesting near the confluence of Yamuna and Chambal. They also found other threatened species like the ganges dolphin and black-necked stork.

The study was conducted between July 2011 and February 2013 by a team of four researchers including a boatman to record biodiversity, threats to habitat and perception of communities to river biodiversity in the region. "Most reports on Yamuna are related to water quality but there is complete lack of information on biodiversity. The study is going to help develop a 'biodiversity conservation action plan for Yamuna' says Asghar Nawab, project coordinator (River Basin) Freshwater and Wetlands Programme, WWF. The report that is currently being compiled is likely to be published in a couple of months.

According to Asghar, two of the most important things that the team came across were the nesting of gharials near Gohani village, approximately 10km upstream from the Chambal-Yamuna confluence and sightings of small groups of Ganges river dolphins from Hamirpur to Panchnada. "This is the first succesful nesting record of Gharial since 1980's when the species was said to be locally extinct. The sighting is very important because historically there are many references to the Yamuna being a thriving habitat for gharials," adds Asghar. Other species documented by the team included turtles like the chitra indica and soft-shelled turtle; birds like egyptian vultures, pelicans and spoonbills among many others.

The threats to the habitat of these species are different in the stretch studied from that of Delhi. For instance the threats cited the research team was river bed cultivation, overfishing, sand mining and presence of exotic species like the Chinese carp. "Upstream in Delhi and other parts there is huge threat from pollution. Our project can be replicated in other reaches of Yamuna including Delhi to understand possibilities. However, in Delhi it's going to be really difficult to recreate similar biodiversity," explains Asghar.

The research team is also working closely with riparian communities in the region to see if they can have alternative livelihood options. For instance the fishermen are also being trained in spinning of rope and jute material so that the stress on fish extraction is reduced. One of the key recommendations that the team has made is to recognize some parts of the river as conservation units. "Peripheral areas of the National Chambal Sanctuary fall in the Yamuna which are used as seasonal migratory routes by endangered species like gharial need protection measures on an urgent basis," says Asghar.

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