Kota (Raj), Jan 3 (PTI) The Rajasthan government has issued a notification altering the boundaries of the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, freeing from restrictions 732 hectares of land on both sides of the Chambal river, a decision welcomed by homeowners and traders in the area but which has also sparked environmental concerns.
According to the notification, issued by order of the Governor and signed by the state Principal Secretary, the Gharial sanctuary area will now include the Chambal River stretch from Jawahar Sagar Dam to Hanging Bridge, which, before the de-notification, extended to Kota Barrage.
The de-notified area includes forest land, riverine areas and uninhabited land from the Hanging Bridge up to the Kota Barrage.
The revised boundary notification is aimed at clearly defining protected areas of the National Chambal Ghariyal Sanctuary while excluding specified revenue regions, ensuring better administrative clarity and conservation management, officials said.
Located on the Chambal River near the tri-point of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the sanctuary is known for its rich biodiversity, including endangered species such as the gharial, red-crowned roof turtle and Ganges river dolphin, and several species of migratory birds and is also home to slothbears, leopards, etc.
Addressing an event at Chambal Riverfront in Kota on Friday night, Lok Sabha Speaker and Kota-Bundi MP Om Birla, had also announced the official denotification of the sanctuary land, noting that the long-pending demand for a cruise on the Chambal River would now soon be fulfilled with this step.
“Notification on the Gharial Sanctuary has been issued today. Now, the Chambal Cruise will also start here soon,” Birla had said.
Kota Vyapar Mahasangh president Kranti Jain welcomed the denotification of land, saying it will provide relief to over one lakh residents and opportunities for industrial development.
The stretch from Jawahar Sagar Dam to Kota Barrage was earlier declared a Gharial Sanctuary, with the restricted zone extending up to one kilometre on both sides of the river.
Densely populated localities such as Gumanpura, Kishorpura, Shivpura, Sakatpura and Nayagaon, along with their surrounding areas, fell within the sanctuary limits, and the residents there were unable to get land leases, buy and sell property, and undertake new construction or even renovation of existing houses.
The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) first approved the de-notification of the stretch, following which the Centre gave its nod for the de-notification of the land. The proposal received the governor’s approval on December 23, 2025, and the formal notification was issued thereafter.
Meanwhile, environmentalists and wildlife lovers expressed concern that the decision will harm local ecology and plan to move the court against the alteration of the sanctuary’s boundary.
Brijesh Vijayvargiya, who is associated with NGO Jal Biradari, claimed that it will lead to further pollution in Chambal and harm aquatic life.
Vijayvargiya said the Akhelgarh water filter plant that supplies drinking water to the city is situated in the area, and the decision could lead to water pollution as well as the possibility of contaminated water-related deaths like in Indore.
Sudhanshu Sharma, a geologist in Jaipur, said the de-notification of Gharial Sanctuary land will harm Rajasthan and that they would approach the court if the government does not reconsider it. PTI CORR RT RT
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