Q. Consider the following statements:
1. The Gharial reintroduction in the Beas Conservation Reserve is an ambitious programme of the Himachal Government.
2. The Beas Conservation reserve hosts the only known population in India of the endangered Indus River dolphin.
Which of Statements given above is/are correct?
About Gharial Reintroduction in Beas River
The Gharial reintroduction in the Beas Conservation Reserve is an ambitious programme of the Punjab government. The reptiles were commonly sighted in the Beas River till the 1960s, but later became extinct.
Now, as part of the programme, 94 gharials have been released in the reserve since 2017.
Reason behind their extinction in Beas River
Gharials may have gone extinct due to a) change in the hydrology due to the construction of dams and barrages b) significantly reduced water flow c) rapid land-use change of floodplains and d) rampant overfishing that slowly led to the extinction of the gharial from the Beas.
About Beas Conservation Reserve
It is located in Punjab and spreads over a 185-km stretch of the Beas River. The reserve has been notified as a Ramsar Site in January 2020.
The reserve hosts the only known population in India of the endangered Indus River dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor).
Further, threatened species in the reserve include the endangered masheer (Tor putitora) and hog deer (Axis porcinus) as well as the vulnerable smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata).
Source: Important Environmental Initiatives – International and Domestic
