The Madhya Pradesh government recently proposed the opening of 292 hectares for mining in five stretches on the Chambal and Parvati rivers. This step is aimed at reducing the burden on the forest department, which dedicates significant resources to combatting illegal mining within the National Chambal Sanctuary.
National Chambal Sanctuary: A Brief Overview
Established in 1979, the National Chambal Sanctuary is a riverine sanctuary stretched over approximately 425 km along the Chambal River. This sanctuary features ravines extending 2-6 km wide along the river, near the tri-point of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. It has been listed as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and proposed as a Ramsar site.
What are Important Bird Areas (IBAs)?
IBAs are key indicators of ecosystem health. Birdlife International’s IBA program aspires to identify, monitor, and safeguard a global network of IBAs to protect the world’s birds and associated biodiversity. Presently, 554 IBAs have been identified in India by the Bombay Natural History Society and Birdlife International, 40% of which fall outside the Protected Area network, thus playing a crucial role in landscape-level conservation planning.
Criteria for IBA Designation
Birdlife International designates IBAs based on standardized criteria, including:
1. Global A1: Species of Global Conservation Concern
2. A3: Biome-Restricted Species
3. A4: Congregations
Ecological Significance of the National Chambal Sanctuary
The National Chambal Sanctuary serves as a sanctuary for critically endangered species such as Gharials (small crocodiles), the red-crowned roof turtle, and the endangered Ganges River dolphin. It supports the largest population of Gharials in the wild and is the only known place where nesting of Indian Skimmers is recorded in large numbers.
Economic Support by the Sanctuary
The sanctuary also provides economic support to locals who depend on its resources for farming, irrigation, fishing, and sand quarrying.
Madhya Pradesh’s Other Sanctuaries and National Parks
Madhya Pradesh is home to 9 National Parks and 25 Sanctuaries, which constitute 11.40% of the total forest area and 3.52% of the geographical area of the state. The state also houses 5 Project Tiger areas and has been dubbed the ‘Tiger State’ due to its hosting around 19% of India’s Tiger Population and 10% of the world’s tiger population.
About the Chambal River
The Chambal River, one of India’s most pollution-free rivers, originates at the Singar Chouri peak in the Vindhya mountains (Indore, Madhya Pradesh) and flows through Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh before joining the Yamuna River in Etawah District. It supports a diverse range of wildlife and is critical to the ecosystem of the region.
An Overview of the UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ)
In 2010, a question in the examination looked at matching protected areas with the species they are well-known for. The correct matches were Bhitarkanika National Park for SaltWater Crocodile and Desert National Park for the Great Indian Bustard. Eravikulam was inaccurately paired with Hoolak Gibbon as it is actually home to the endangered Nilgiri Tahr