**4. Results and discussion**

**3. Methodology**

288 Biological Resources of Water

during the survey.

accuracy of their best estimates [18].

To know the status of key aquatic fauna in the Girwa River, a vessel-based visual survey from Indi-Nepal border to Girijapuri Barrage (N 28° 33′.875; E 81° 12′.981) including the section of Kauriala River (N 28° 28′.640; E 81° 08′.308) in Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (**Figure 1**) was conducted in a ca.18 km of the river during 8th to 9th February 2013. The survey was conducted by using a motorized boat with an average speed of 4-5 km−1 both in upstream and downstream directions. A single transect line close to one river bank only was followed

**Figure 2.** Gangetic dolphin \_2A, Gharial\_2B, Mugger \_2C, and Red Crested Pochard\_2D.

Methods for dolphin survey, estimation of absolute and relative abundance and study of Asian river dolphins, have been considered and described in detail by [2]. In these method two primary observers, one each on the right and left sides of the vessel searched accurately in a 90° one in front of the vessel. Two independent observers positioned behind the primary observers recorded dolphin sightings missed by the primary team. A Global Positioning System was used to record the distance traveled and the geographical coordinates of dolphin sightings. Group sizes were evaluated with a best, high, and low estimate of numbers to incorporate a degree of uncertainty [3]. The low group size estimate was considered a minimum count and the high estimate a maximum count. Estimates of the total number of individuals and of group size were calculated from the "best" estimates of group size, while the high and low estimates were used to evaluate the uncertainty of the observers about the

#### **4.1. Present and past estimates of key aquatic fauna in Girwa river**

All sections of the Girwa River were searched both in up and downstream. Certain sections affected by water storage due to the barrage however comprised wide channel. A single transect line close to one river bank only was followed during survey of these sections. The population estimates in these sections could therefore be biased downward. All published and unpublished counts of Crocodile and Dolphin populations are presented in **Table 1**. [21] have reported the numbers of dolphins sighted in two detailed surveys of the Girwa River, one upstream and one downstream, conducted in 19 to 25 February 1994. The low-best-high figures totaled 20-24-29 and 13-15-16 for the two surveys respectively. Basu and Sharma, (Unpublished Report 2000) estimated a population of 25 dolphins for the entire river in the Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary. During 2001, the encounter rate of dolphins in the river based on "best" estimate of 30 dolphins was 1.67dolphins/ km river length. Low-best-high estimates in the river were 23-30-44 (WWF-India unpublished Report 2001). In 2006, the encounter rate of dolphins based on best estimate of 39 dolphins was 1.95 dolphins/ km. The Low-best-high estimate of dolphin in the river was 31-39-54. Based on best estimate in 2009, a total of 49 dolphins with an encounter rate of 2.22 dolphins/km of river length are estimated. The Low-Best-High estimate was 40-49-62 (WWF-India unpublished Report 2009). In 2012, the encounter rate of dolphins was 1.56 dolphins/ km. The Low-Best-High estimate was 29-39-44 [9]. During present survey, the encounter rate of dolphins based on "best" estimate of 35 dolphins was 1.94 dolphins/km river length where the boat was moving at a speed of 4–5 km−1. The Low-best-high estimates totaled 27-35-41 (**Table 1**).

Evaluation of status of dolphins in the Girwa River, compared to the best estimates of [21], indicates that in the 23 year period following their work, the encounter rate of dolphins is higher than the earlier population record. During the present survey, dolphins were encountered along the entire length of the Girwa with the exceptions of ca. 1.5 km section immediately below the international border entirely of boulder bed riffles and too shallow (< 0.5 m depth) to be habitable by dolphins and a 2 km section just above the barrage. The effect of water storage by the barrage that became operational in 1975–1976, is perceivable up to ca. 10 km upstream of the barrage (WWF-India unpublished 2001).

Earlier count of crocodile in Girwa river was 49 gharial and 14 mugger in 2006, 70 gharial and 16 mugger in 2009 and 65 gharials and 20 mugger in the year 2013 (**Table 1**). The first gharial population survey in Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary was in 1975–1976 followed by [22, 23] 105 individual in 2008 by [24], WWF-India unpublished (2006, 2009) and present survey in 2013 (**Table 1**).


**S.No. Common name Scientific name Status** Asian open billed Stork *Anastomus oscitans* LC Black-necked Stork *Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus* NT Black Stork *Ciconia nigra* LC Black-Bellied Tern *Sterna acuticauda* EN Black-headed Ibis *Threskiornis melanocephalus* NT Black-tailed Godwit *Limosa limosa* NT Black-winged Stilt *Himantopus himantopus* LC Brahminy Kite *Haliastur indus* LC Bronze-winged Jacana *Metopidius indicus* LC Brown-headed Gull *Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus* LC Comb Duck *Sarkidiornis melanotos* LC Common Coot *Fulica atra* LC Common Greenshank *Tringa nebularia* LC Common Kingfisher *Alcedo atthis* LC Common Moorthen *Gallinula chloropus* LC Common Pochard *Aythya ferina* VU Common Redshank *Tringa totanus* LC Common Sandpiper *Actitis hypoleucos* LC Common Teal *Anas crecca* LC Cotton Pygmy-Goose *Nettapus coromandelianus* LC Darter *Anhinga melanogaster* LC Egyptian vulture *Neophron percnopterus* EN Eurasian Curlew *Numenius arquata* NT Eurasian Spoon bill *Platalea leucorodia* LC Eurasian Wigeon *Mareca penelope* LC Ferruginous Pochard *Aythya nyroca* NT Gadwall *Mareca strepera* LC Garganey *Spatula querquedula* LC Great cormorant *Phalacrocorax carbo* LC Great thick-knee *Esacus recurvirostris* NT Green Sandpiper *Tringa ochropus* LC Gray heron *Ardea cinerea* LC Indian Skimmer *Rynchops albicollis* VU

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**Table 1.** Distribution of dolphin and crocodile in Girwa River.


**S.No. Location Dolphin Crocodile**

I Pathrana-Amba 7 9 12 NA NA II Amba-Bhawanipur 4 7 13 NA NA III Phantoom bridge-Girjapuri barrage 5 7 10 NA NA IV Geruwa-Kauriala Confluence 7 7 9 NA NA

I Bhawanipur to Amba 11 14 20 NA NA II Amba to Pathrana 4 5 5 NA NA III Bhawanipur to Girijapuri barrage 16 20 29 NA NA IV Geruwa-Kauriala Confluence 5 5 7 NA NA

I Katerniaghat to Girija Barrage 9 9 14 NA NA II Kauriala to Katerniaghat 6 7 9 NA NA III Katerniaghat to Amba 20 27 30 NA NA IV Geruwa-Kauriala Confluence 5 6 9 NA NA

I Katerniaghat to Girija Barrage 5 7 9 NA NA II Kauriala to Katerniaghat 7 8 10 NA NA III Katerniaghat to Amba 13 19 20 NA NA IV Geruwa-Kauriala Confluence 4 5 5 NA NA

I Katerniaghat to Girija Barrage 5 7 8 9 10 II Kauriala to Katerniaghat 6 8 8 30 3 III Katerniaghat to Amba 11 14 19 26 7 IV Geruwa-Kauriala Confluence 5 6 6 0 0

**Total 36 44 61 49 14**

**Total 40 49 62 70 16**

**Total 29 39 44 NA NA**

**Total 27 35 41 65 20**

**7th–10th February 2001 (Reference: WWF-India unpublished)**

**11th–12th December 2006 (Reference: WWF-India unpublished)**

**9th–10th December 2009 (Reference: WWF-India Unpublished)**

**5th–7th October 2012 (Reference: Behera** *et al.* **2014)**

**8th–9th February 2013 (Present study)**

Legend: NA = Data not available.

Indo-Nepal border to Katerniaghat pontoon bridge

**Table 1.** Distribution of dolphin and crocodile in Girwa River.

Total **23 30 44**

Indo-Nepal border to Katerniaghat pontoon bridge

290 Biological Resources of Water

**Low Best High Gharial Mugger**


At least sixty-four species of birds, most of them aquatic or semi-aquatic, were observed during the survey. Of the species listed 49 species are least concern (LC), 09 near threatened (NT), 04 vulnerable (VU), 02 endangered (EN) (**Table 2**). The list is not complete because of failure to identify some related species such as ducks, teals, snipes, terns and certain raptors. The only avifaunal record from Girwa and Ghagra river was 57 species by WWF-India unpublished (2001), and 151 species in Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary [25]. Although, comparison of the result of the earlier surveys and the present one though not fully valid due to difference in study site. Also non-aquatic birds were not studied during the present survey. It is felt to

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The major cause of concern about the future survival of the species was gross hydro ecological changes that may occur in the stream characteristics of the Girwa River resulting from the construction of the Chisapani high dam, in Nepal and Girijapuri Barrage in India. Beside this, every year the entire barrage gates of the Girijapuri Barrage on the Girwa River, are opened at once for maintenance. When this is done in summer months of April/May, water flow in the river is at its lowest. The entire stretch of the river within the sanctuary up to (and beyond) the Nepal border is "drained" and there is very little flow left, with much of the river only knee deep or less with large number of fish left stranded and dying. The River dolphins and the gharial and whatever fish that survives have to congregate in the few remaining pools of water. This is not only in the interests of saving the habitats for endangered riverine fauna such as gharial and river dolphin but also for the important fish stocks and other commercially valuable species (WWF-India unpublished). Fishing was observed in the Girwa River at several locations. Also, reports of dolphins being intentionally caught in gill nets being used

To understand the health of river ecosystem available information of important key aquatic resources is urgently needed to effectively understanding the conservation needs. These are reliable indicator species that is threatened by human activities. In light of the results of the present study, conservation management recommendations are suggested. These include highlighting the need for habitat management, control of illegal activities, and long-term monitoring program.

We gratefully acknowledge WWF-India for financial and logistic support during the survey. We express our sincere, thanks to the Chief Wildlife Warden, Uttar Pradesh for permission to undertake the survey and for providing accommodation and other help. We appreciate field assistance of boat men of Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, during the surveys. We thank anonymous reviewer for constructive reviews of the manuscript, which substantially

safely indicate that Girwa River supports great avifaunal diversity.

close to dolphins surfacing (WWF-India unpublished).

**5. Conservation constraint**

**Acknowledgements**

improved the quality of the manuscript.

**Legend**: LC = least concern; VU = vulnerable; EN = endangered; NT = near threatened.

**Table 2.** Checklist of avifauna species recorded in Girwa River.

At least sixty-four species of birds, most of them aquatic or semi-aquatic, were observed during the survey. Of the species listed 49 species are least concern (LC), 09 near threatened (NT), 04 vulnerable (VU), 02 endangered (EN) (**Table 2**). The list is not complete because of failure to identify some related species such as ducks, teals, snipes, terns and certain raptors. The only avifaunal record from Girwa and Ghagra river was 57 species by WWF-India unpublished (2001), and 151 species in Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary [25]. Although, comparison of the result of the earlier surveys and the present one though not fully valid due to difference in study site. Also non-aquatic birds were not studied during the present survey. It is felt to safely indicate that Girwa River supports great avifaunal diversity.
