CHAMBAL RIVER -
GEOGRAPHY
News: Book Excerpt: An ancient
legend explains why the Chambal is India’s cleanest river
What's in the news?
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The Chambal provides habitat for an array of
aquatic species as well as various creatures that live on its banks.
Key takeaways:
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King Rantideva performed a sacrifice in which thousands of
animals were slaughtered and their blood turned the river red, making it
‘unclean’ in popular belief, thus saving it from pollution
Chambal River:
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It as a principal tributary of the Yamuna River within the greater Gangetic drainage
system and an important river in the Malwa plateau
States Flowing Through: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
Source of the River:
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Rises in the Vindhya
Range just south of Mhow, in western Madhya Pradesh.
Direction of Flow:
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Travels north into southeastern Rajasthan, then
turns northeast, passing Kota and along the Rajasthan–Madhya Pradesh border.
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Shifts east-southeast, forming a part of the Uttar
Pradesh–Madhya Pradesh border, before emptying into the Yamuna.
Length: Total length of 960 km.
Drainage Basin:
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Rainfed river with a drainage basin covering an
area of 143,219 sq. km. Bordered by the Vindhya mountain ranges to the south,
east, and west, and the Aravalli range to the northwest.
Tributaries:
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Left Bank - the Banas and Mej rivers.
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Right Bank - the Parbati, Kali Sindh, and Shipra rivers.
Major Dams:
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Gandhi Sagar Dam
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Rana Pratap Sagar Dam
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Jawahar Sagar Dam
Uniqueness:
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It is considered one of the most pollution-free rivers in India.
National Chambal
Sanctuary:
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It encompasses a significant segment of the Chambal
River, from the Jawahar Sagar Dam in Rajasthan to the Chambal-Yamuna confluence
in Uttar Pradesh.
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It aims to restore ecological balance to the river
system and provide protection to the highly
endangered gharial crocodile.