Ecological Crisis in India’s Yamuna-Chambal River Conservation Area

The Indian environmental organization SANDRP has released an urgent report stating that the national Chambal River Conservation Area—which spans Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan and serves as a core habitat for the Ganges river dolphin and the Ganges crocodile—is facing a complete ecological collapse. For a long time, dozens of cities and industrial zones along the riverbanks have been discharging untreated domestic sewage and industrial wastewater (containing heavy metals and chemical toxins) directly into the river. Compounded by upstream dams blocking water flow and illegal sand mining, water levels have plummeted during the dry season, the riverbed has shrunk, dissolved oxygen levels in the water have dropped to near zero, and water quality has become severely contaminated. Habitats for endangered species within the reserve, including the Ganges river dolphin, Ganges crocodile, and spotted-billed pelican, have disappeared on a large scale, and multiple carcasses of Ganges river dolphins and crocodiles have been discovered recently.