Knowledge Nugget: Why is Chambal River in focus?
Why does sand mining in the Chambal frustrate the Supreme Court? What makes the Chambal river system unique among India's rivers? What is the major conservation challenge it faces? Here's all you need to know. Also, go 'Beyond the Nugget' to learn about one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world.
The indiscriminate sand extraction has severely disrupted the Chambal’s riverine ecosystem, damaging aquatic habitats and threatening environmental flows. (Image: Representational/AI-generated) Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your UPSC Current Affairs knowledge nugget for today on Chambal river system and National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary.
Knowledge Nugget: Chambal river system and National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary
Subject: Geography and Environment
(Relevance: In this UPSC Prelims 2026, a question was asked on rivers. Previously, the UPSC has also asked questions on various river systems; thus, knowing about them in detail becomes important.)
Why in the news?
The Supreme Court’s latest indictment of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh over illegal sand mining in and around the inter-state National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary reflects years of judicial frustration with persistent administrative apathy, leading to an environmental and governance crisis.
In this context, it becomes important to know about the Chambal river system and National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary in detail.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Chambal River, a tributary of the Yamuna River in central India, forms part of the greater Gangetic drainage system. It originates at Janapav, south of Mhowtown, near Indore, on the south slope of the Vindhya Range in Madhya Pradesh.
2. The river flows north-northeast through Madhya Pradesh, running for a time through Rajasthan, then forming the boundary between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh before turning southeast to join the Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh.
3. The Chambal and its tributaries drain the Malwa region of northwestern Madhya Pradesh, while its tributary, the Banas, which rises in the Aravalli Range, drains southeastern Rajasthan. It ends a confluence of five rivers, including the Chambal, Kwari, Yamuna, Sind, Pahuj, at Pachnadan near Bhareh in Uttar Pradesh state, at the border of Bhind and Etawah districts.
4. The Chambal River hosts an amazing riverine faunal assemblage including 2 species of crocodilians – the mugger and gharial, 8 species of freshwater turtles, smooth-coated otters, gangetic river dolphins, skimmers, black-bellied terns, sarus cranes and blacknecked storks, amongst others.
5. The Chambal is a rainfed catchment with a total drained area up to its confluence with the Yamuna of 143,219 square kilometres (55,297 sq mi).
6. On its south, east and west, the Chambal basin is bounded by the Vindhyan mountain ranges and on the north-west by the Aravallis.
7. The tributaries of the Chambal include Shipra (Kshipra), Choti Kalisindh, Shivna (Sivanna), Retam, Ansar, Kalisindh, Banas, Parbati, Seep, Kuwari, Kuno, Alnia, Mej, Chakan, Parwati, Chamla, Gambhir, Lakhunder, Khan, Bangeri, Kedel and Teelar.
8. Notably, the indiscriminate sand extraction has severely disrupted the Chambal’s riverine ecosystem, damaging aquatic habitats and threatening environmental flows, putting at risk the survival of endangered gharials, freshwater dolphins and turtles.
National Chambal Sanctuary
1. National Chambal Sanctuary, also called the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, is a tri-state protected area in northern India home to critically endangered gharial (small crocodiles), the red-crowned roof turtle and the endangered Ganges river dolphin.
2. Located on the Chambal River near the tri-point of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, it was first declared as a protected area in Madhya Pradesh in 1978 and now constitutes a long narrow eco-reserve co-administered by the three states.
3. Within the sanctuary the pristine Chambal River cuts through mazes of ravines and hills with many sandy beaches along its banks. It is one of the most important wetland sanctuaries of the country as it harbours worlds largest population of gharial and act as last refuge for it.
4. It is also a suitable habitat for several other aquatic species of conservation significance. These include mugger crocodile, fresh water turtles and two prominent aquatic mammals -the otter and the gangetic dolphin.
5. Illegal sand mining has become a big threat to the sanctuary. Notably, sand mining was prohibited in the Chambal sanctuary in 2006, but illegal extraction has continued and flourished over the years under organised syndicates.
BEYOND THE NUGGET: Aravallis
1. The Supreme Court has set up a five-member high-powered committee (HPC) with the director general of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) as the ex-officio chairperson to examine the definition of Aravallis, which limits the hills to landforms at an elevation of 100 metres or more.
The Aravallis provide priceless ecological services. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons).
2. At over a billion years old, the Aravallis are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, formed during the Precambrian Era due to the collision of tectonic plates of the earth’s crust.
3. The 700-odd-km range stretches across four states (Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi) and 37 districts, with 560 km lying in Rajasthan. The highest peak of the Aravalli mountain range is Guru Shikhar, located in the Sirohi district of Rajasthan.
4. The present-day range, however, is much eroded compared to what the Aravallis were at their birth. Their degradation is due to both natural factors and human activities.
5. Yet, the Aravallis provide priceless ecological services. If the Western Ghats are considered the water tower and climate regulator of peninsular India, the Aravalli range is an ecological shield for the plains of Northwest and North India.
6. The range acts as a shield for the northern plains against the incursion of sand from the Thar desert in the west. This also protects air quality in the North. Any rising incursion of sand would be disastrous for the Delhi-NCR Region, which is already struggling to contain local sources of pollution.
7. Moreover, the hills also bring in a healthy amount of rainfall, which is essential for agriculture and drinking water needs of settlements that are located around them
Post Read Questions
(1) Consider the following statements:
1. The Chambal and its tributaries drain the Malwa region of northwestern Madhya Pradesh.
2. National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary is a tri-state protected area in northern India.
3. The Chambal river joins the Yamuna in Madhya Pradesh.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
(2) With reference to the Aravalli ranges, consider the following statements:
1. These are one of the world’s oldest ranges.
2. It lies in western and northwestern India.
3. It acts as a natural barrier against desertification.
4. The highest peak of the Aravalli mountain range is Arma Konda.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
| Answer Key |
|---|
| 1. (b) 2. (c) |
(Sources: Why sand mining in Chambal frustrates Supreme Court, upforest.gov.in, mppcb.mp.gov.in, NGT Chambal, Why the Aravallis matter for the climate, air, and water of north India plains)
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