Why gharials are endangered, how MP has emerged the leader in their conservation

What are gharials, and why are they important? What threats do they face, and what is MP doing to protect them?

What are gharials?

The gharial is a species of Gavialis gangeticus—long-snouted, fish-eating crocodilians. The name ‘gharial’ comes from the Hindi word ghara, meaning pot or vessel, referring to the bulbous snout tip of adult males, which resembles an inverted pot. In Indian mythology, gharials hold sacred significance, often depicted as the divine mount of the goddess Ganga. Their slender snouts, lined with numerous sharp, interlocking teeth, are adapted to trap fish, the mainstay of their diet.

Males grow from 3-6 meters, and females 2.6–4.5 meters. Gharials mate during November, December, and January. Sandbanks, sandbars, and islands are critical to their ecology, serving as preferred sites for basking and nesting. From March to May, as river levels recede, female gharials climb onto exposed sandbanks and islands to nest communally, with many laying eggs in the same area. Females provide parental care for the first few days after hatching.

Gharials are important for a river’s ecosystem, as they clean up carrion.

Why did the CM release the crocodiles into the river?

CM Yadav released nine males and one female into the Chambal on February 17 to bolster the population of gharials and reinforce Madhya Pradesh’s leadership in crocodile conservation.

The state boasts the highest number of gharials in India, with a 2024 census recording 2,456 individuals in the sanctuary. This is a feat attributed to decades of conservation work, following a national decline of over 80 per cent in gharial population between the 1950s and 1960s, MP wildlife officials said.

Globally, Gharial populations saw a steady recovery until 1997, but between 1997 and 2006, numbers plummeted by 58%, dropping from 436 adults to 182, according to a 2007 research paper.

Wildlife researchers have said the species is likely extinct in Myanmar and Bhutan, with only small, uncertain populations remaining in Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh’s upper Brahmaputra.

What threats do gharials face?

Historical threats included overhunting for skins, trophies, eggs, and traditional medicine. Modern challenges—dam construction, irrigation canals, siltation, river course changes, embankments, sand-mining, pollution, and fishing—continue to devastate populations. Gill nets, in particular, kill gharials of all sizes, even in protected areas.

What are the conservation efforts?

Between 1975 and 1982, India established 16 captive breeding and release centers and five gharial sanctuaries. Today, the species survives primarily in five refuges: National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS), Katerniaghat Sanctuary, Chitwan National Park, Son River Sanctuary, and Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary.

Conservation efforts include captive breeding programmes to rear and release hatchlings back into the river, monitoring populations, actively managing threats like sand mining, and engaging local communities in habitat preservation and awareness campaigns

An MP wildlife officer said the biggest measures are “stronger river protection, better environmental management, sandbank restoration and community involvement.”

Why is the Chambal sanctuary crucial?

Spanning three states, the Chambal sanctuary protects a 435-km stretch of one of India’s cleanest rivers. Apart from gharials, the stretch hosts over 290 bird species, including rare Indian Skimmers (80% of the national population).

The sanctuary has also been helpful in reviving gharial populations elsewhere. Gharials had disappeared from the rivers of Punjab around 1960-70. Gharials were sent to Punjab from the Deori Gharial Center of Chambal in 2017. In 2018, 25 gharials were sent to the Sutlej River, and in 2020, 25 gharials were sent to the Beas River.