If you want to see gharials in their natural habitat, which one of the following is the best place to visit?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) Chambal River
The Chambal River is the best place to see gharials in the wild. A 600 km stretch of it is the National Chambal Sanctuary, set up in 1978 mainly to protect the gharial, and it has the world's largest population of the species.
- ✓ (b) The National Chambal Sanctuary, on the Chambal, was created in 1978 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 for the conservation and management of the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus).
- ✗ (a) Bhitarkanika is a coastal mangrove area of Odisha, not a river stretch protected for gharials.
- ✗ (c) Pulicat is a brackish-water lagoon shared by Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, better known as a bird-watching site than for gharials.
Remember · Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus): the National Chambal Sanctuary, a 600 km stretch of the Chambal River protected since 1978, has the world's largest wild population.
Sources
- Wildlife Institute of India (MoEFCC): National Chambal Sanctuary ↗ “has been protected since 1978 as National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS), for conservation and management of the gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) under section 18(1) of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. … This is one of the most important wetland sanctuaries of the country as it harbours worlds largest population of gharial”
- Government of Tamil Nadu, Wildlife Warden Chennai: Pulicat Lake ↗ “Pulicat Lake is a large brackish water lagoon lying partly in Tamil Nadu and partly in Andhra Pradesh State.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2017, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·