WHAT AILS GHARIALS?

These crocodilians face many threats in the regions where they occur.

STRUCTURES ACROSS RIVERS Gharials cannot cross dams and barrages that block rivers. They also avoid disturbed areas, such as bridge construction sites.

SAND MINING

Sand excavated from the Chambal is in high demand for making mortar. Fleets of tractors and lorries remove entire sandbanks for transport to distant urban construction sites.

WATER EXTRACTION

In summer, when the Chambal is at its lowest, water is diverted for agriculture. With barely any water flowing, gharials escape the heat by diving into the few remaining deep pools.

RIVER POLLUTION

Toxic chemicals and sewage kill off fish prey and, as the 2007 die-off illustrated, may also harm the gharials.