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Mean landing of Hilsa in Allahabad, Buxar and Bhagalpur centers during pre-and post Farakka barrage period.
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This paper briefly describes the current status of ecology, fisheries and biodiversity of the River Ganges. Apart from being the original abode of the most prized Indian major carps, viz., Catla catla, Labeo rohita, Cirrhinus mrigala and Labeo calbasu, the river sustains fisheries of large catfish, mahseers, hilsa and other miscellaneous fishes. Ov...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... Farakka barrage, commissioned during 1971 at Farakka obstructed the migration of hilsa, col- lapsing the fishery in the river above the barrage. The mean landing of hilsa along Allahabad, Baxur and Bhagalpur stretches, upstream of Farakka de- clined to negligible levels (Figure 4), a glaring ex- ample of impact of river modifications. The fish- ery now thrives only downstream of the barrage. ...
Context 2
... gradual decline in fish catch, both quantitative and qualitative is clearly evident in the freshwater zone of the river above Farakka barrage (Figures 2- 4). Environmental aberrations in the form of high rate of sedimentation (586 million tons annually, UNEP, 2001), increased water abstraction and river course modifications, coupled with excessive fish- ing, appear to be the main factors for this situation. ...
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The growth performance of carps with silver barb, Barbonymus gonionotus in the polyculture with two major Indian carps, viz., Labeo rohita and Catla catla and another species mirror carp Cyprinus carpio var. specularis has been studied in seasonal ponds over a period of 5 months from March 2018 to July 2018. In polyculture of silver barb with India...
Citations
... Degradations in the forest cover areas in the Aceh Tamiang Regency watersheds that might be responsible for sedimentation and water quality changes. The shrinking of fish composition due to the high level of sedimentation has been reported in other rivers, including the Ganges, India (Vass et al. 2010), Sironko (Turyahabwe et al. 2022), and rivers in the Alpine (Scheurer et al. 2009). ...
... The fish diversity in West Bengal is contributed by several important habitats, which can be categorized into four main parts. Firstly, the Ganga River basin supports over 140 economically significant fish species across its various stretches [152]. Secondly, the Sunderban Biosphere Reserve, located in the southernmost part of West Bengal, plays a crucial role. ...
An updated systematic inventory of the fish faunal variety from the state of West Bengal,
comprising 894 species represented by 36 orders and 152 families, has been produced following
an extensive review of the literature. Diversity-wise, order Acanthuriformes, has 19 families and 120
species, is the top order of both freshwater and marine fishes. Cypriniformes, which has 7 families
and 117 species, is the second most diverse order and the most diverse order in freshwater.
Cyprinidae, makes up 6% of the entire fish population in West Bengal, is the family with the most
diversity. Marine fishes showed the highest diversity in Gobiidae and Carangidae with 5.6% and
4.8% respectively. 221 species are fully freshwater species, whereas 297 species are marine. The
rest of the species are associated with fresh water, brackish and marine habitats. According to the
IUCN red list status, 8 species belong to the critically endangered category, 18 belong to the
endangered category, 30 species belong to the vulnerable category and 37 species belong to the
near threatened category. The conservation status of 239 fish species found in West Bengal has
not yet been determined by IUCN. The present study is the first attempt to provide a comprehensive data of fish faunal diversity occurring from all the habitats present in West Bengal,
which will ultimately help in the management of the prospects of fisheries resources from West
Bengal as well as provide support for the effective conservational planning process.
... These activities are essential for meeting the nutritional requirements and improving the economic status of millions of households. The entire course of the Ganga River from Gangotri to the Bay of Bengal is divided into three major sections, i.e., the upper section from Gangotri to Haridwar, the middle section from Haridwar to Varanasi and the lower section from Varanasi to the Bay of Bengal (Tare et al., 2003;Vass et al., 2010). The Ganga flows for about 250 km through the Sustainability sagens.org/journal/agens ...
... Haridwar, Bijnaur, Naraura, and Kanpur ( Figure 1 and Table 1). The basin of Ganga is more fertile and the sediment contains 0-12% of clay and the rest of 79-100% of sand (Vass et al., 2010). The river sediment helps in creating hydro-geo-morphological complexities in the river system and plays an important role in maintaining the ecological productivity and biodiversity of the river. ...
The Ganga River, a lifeline for millions of people in the Indian subcontinent, is facing significant environmental challenges due to the construction of barrages and various anthropogenic activities along its course. This review paper examines the effects of barrages and human interventions on the ecological integrity of the Ganga and explores current issues surrounding its deteriorating ecosystem. Furthermore, it discusses the restoration efforts undertaken to mitigate the ecological impacts and restore the river's health. The construction of dams and barrages can aggravate the situation in the context of the Ganga, which is already suffering from the discharge of industrial and agricultural wastes. The construction of various dams, barrages, and hydroelectric projects is affecting the water flow of the Ganga. These affect the water flow, resulting in the accumulation of solid waste on the river bed. Barrages not only affect the water flow but also restrict the migration of aquatic fauna. This affects the hydrological balance of the Ganga as well as the survival and existence of several fish species. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects of barrages and anthropogenic activities on Ganga's ecological integrity, sheds light on the current issues plaguing the river, and highlights the ongoing restoration efforts. By understanding the complex interplay between human activities and ecosystem dynamics, stakeholders can work towards safeguarding Ganga's ecological health and ensuring its sustainable future.
... These rivers support the natural populations of the Indian major carp catla, Labeo catla (Hamilton 1822) (Jhingran 1968). The species has high economic importance in the region (Vass et al. 2010), however, their populations are declining fast in these rivers (Payne et al. 2004). Several dams and barrages that act as physical barriers have been built across these rivers. ...
... Similar impacts were reported in Capotes capoeta gracilis (AnvariFar et al. 2011) and Cirrhinus mrigala (Dwivedi 2021). The species, L. catla, being potamodromous, has ample opportunities for the mixing of populations, and the gene flow within the Middle-Stretch of the Ganga, which is free flowing in a continuum and the environment is by and large similar (Vass et al. 2010), results in a high degree of morphometric similarity between the Allahabad and Patna specimens. However, the natural isolation of populations in the Ganga and Narmada rivers and decades of restricted gene flow of the populations among the three stretches within the River Ganga coupled with the consequent difference in hydrology may have resulted in morphometric differentiation among the populations. ...
Morphological differentiation in the Indian major carp, Labeo catla, in the Ganga and
Narmada rivers were studied using image-based morphometric and multivariate analytical techniques. Twenty-three truss-network-based distances connecting 11 anatomical landmarks on the fish were measured from the digital images of the specimens collected from seven stations, four of which were set up along the river Ganga, and the other three stations along the river Narmada. For analysis,
five stations were considered, as the samples from the three stations on the River Narmada were pooled and treated as a composite sample (Narmada). The multivariate analysis of variance showed evidence for significant morphometric differences between samples collected from the Ganga and those from the Narmada rivers. The subsequent Linear Discriminant Analysis explained 86% of the variability between the stations by two discriminant functions. This fact suggested the existence of three morphometrically different populations of the species along the Ganga. These populations were predominantly distributed in the middle stretch of the river (Ganga_Middle), the Bhagirathi-Hooghly stretch, and the Padma stretch, which are isolated by a barrage that does not allow free bidirectional movement of fish. The important discriminating morphometric characteristics were traits from the
head and caudal region as well as the body depth of fish. The relatively narrower angles of snout profiles and lower body depths of the studied fish in populations from the Padma and Bhagirathi-Hooghly stretches of the River Ganga led to more pointed snouts and slenderer bodies. Morphological differentiation can be used as an environmental predictor that, in turn, would be of use in developing effective management strategies for the fish species of stock management concern.
... However, most of the remaining metals detected in the rivers exceeded the standard, and the rivers Ganges and Brahmaputra, passing through India and Bangladesh, showed the highest levels. The Ganges River, named Ganga in India and Padma in Bangladesh, originates from the Gangotri glacier at Gomukh in the province Uttarakhand of India [75]. The water of the Ganges River in India is subject to substantial pollution through the input of untreated domestic and industrial wastes [76,77]; the concentrations of Fe, Mn, Hg, and Cd are high. ...
... The water of the Ganges River in India is subject to substantial pollution through the input of untreated domestic and industrial wastes [76,77]; the concentrations of Fe, Mn, Hg, and Cd are high. The concentrations of Cd, Hg, and Fe detected in the Ganges River in India were the The Ganges River, named Ganga in India and Padma in Bangladesh, originates from the Gangotri glacier at Gomukh in the province Uttarakhand of India [75]. The water of the Ganges River in India is subject to substantial pollution through the input of untreated domestic and industrial wastes [76,77]; the concentrations of Fe, Mn, Hg, and Cd are high. ...
Transition metal pollution in rivers in South Asia is more serious than in other regions because of the lack of adequate freshwater management measures. Water quality criteria (WQC) for South Asia is urgently needed to protect regional aquatic environments because of the occurrence of transboundary rivers. The present study established non-parametric kernel density estimation species sensitivity distribution (NPKDE-SSD) models and then derived the acceptable hazardous concentration for protection of 95% of all aquatic species (HC5) and WQC of six typical transition metals in South Asia. The results showed that the order of acute and chronic WQC was Mn > Fe > Cd > Zn > Cu > Hg and Cu > Fe > Cd, respectively. A risk assessment of these metals in the Indus River, the Ganges River, the Brahmaputra River, the Meghna River, and the Bagmati River was also carried out. Based on the results, these major rivers in South Asia were highly polluted with transition metals, with significant ecological risks for a large number of aquatic species. This study can contribute to a better understanding of ecological risks in South Asia and provide a scientific basis for the updating of water quality standards and the increase in overall water quality.
... Studies on the zooplankton community structure in riverine ecosystems offer opportunities to investigate patterns of responses to recurring variations and episodic disturbances (Hwang et al., 2010). The understanding of plankton dynamics in rivers can also be useful to evaluate the resilience capacity of the ecosystem, which exhibits remarkable variations spatially (Rai et al., 2010;Vass et al., 2010). ...
The Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) covers a 50 km stretch of the main channel of the Ganga River and is protected for the endangered freshwater dolphin (Platanista gangetica). We studied spatio-temporal patterns of zooplankton community structure during January through December 2009, at three sites. A total of 35 species including rotifers, cladocerans and copepods were identified.
Integrating all samples, the top five dominant zooplankton included copepodids, copepod nauplii, B. caudatus, Ceriodaphnia rigaudi and Mesocyclops leuckarti. The zooplankton community was represented
by diverse feeding groups including herbivores, carnivores, detritivores and bacterivores. The hierarchical dendrogram revealed distinct spatiotemporal variations. The Sultanganj community was separated at first hierarchical level, whereas species assemblage of August–October at Kahalgaon was distinguished at second hierarchical level. Top three indicative species at site-I (Sultanganj) were C. reticulata, Daphnia pulex and B. quadridentatus throughout the year. During monsoon the top three indicator species were C. rigaudi, M. leuckarti and B. falcatus at Bhagalpur and copepod developmental stages, B. caudatus and Keratella tropica at Kahalgaon. Adult Mesocyclops sp., copepod developmental stages and D. carinata were dominant in winter, whereas, Moina sp., C. rigaudi and M. leuckarti were the top three indicator species in summer at Bhagalpur and Kahalgaon. Of all the sites studied, Kahalgaon was recorded as having higher species richness.
Keywords: invertebrates, Ganges, multidimensional scaling, rotifers, hierarchical classification, indi�cator specie
... According to Hindu mythology, the Ganga River springs from the Gangotri glacier at Uttarkashi district Uttrakhand which lies in Garhwal Himalayas at about 3800 m altitude over mean sea level. So the Gangotri glacier 'a traditional source' having about 2550 km long main channel Vass et al., (2010). In hy-drology, Devprayag of the Alaknanda river in Uttrakhand is the source because of its largest channel (Rahman et al., 2009). ...
This article puts forward to provide the state of pollution of the Ganga River in India along with its tributaryriver Gomti. A lot of research works for monitoring and assessment ofGanga river water have been doneby many investigators in the past. With its pietism, Ganga River water is considered a great prominentriver in India so that people use the water to perform last rites to their loved ones. It is deteriorated due todischarge of untreated wastes, chemicals, heavy metals and sewage from Industries and Cities. This paperreveals governmental efforts toward river water preservation, not executed properly because of the apatheticapproach of people in our country. In India lack of sanitation in rural areas is also a major contributor ofriver water pollution. In the urban mega cities which are fast-growing- hotspots, pollution levels worsenalong the Ganga River including its tributary rivers. Some studies by CPCB reveal high BOD levels atdownstream, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) levels were high towards downstream at Haridwar,Kannauj, Kanpur and on peak at Varanasi but alarming is that, almost at all the stretches of Ganga riverand its tributaries, level of pollution is getting escalated. Alone Uttar Pradesh contributes 90% of Gangapollution so that it is chosen for further research including Gomti River a significant tributary of Ganga.Although there are many contributions of researchers in cleaning Ganga but structured and stringentmeasures for the environment are to be taken.
... In the selected zones of River Ganga, Cyprinidae were the dominant family. The number of fish species found in River Ganga was similar to those observed by other researchers [23,24]. During the study, more fish individuals were found in Zone A, i.e. non-mining-impacted area than in mining-impacted Zones B, C and D. The Zone A is very suitable for fish diversity because no interference was observed along the catchment basin. ...
... These alterations have direct effect on the dissolved oxygen of the river and also influences the other parameters [5]. Many researchers [1,3,4,11,24] have observed that the hydrological gradients of depth, flow, turbidity and DO affect the fish assemblage structure. Moreover, CCA ordination showed that some fish species such as Barilius barna, Barilius tielo, Puntius phutunio, Puntius ticto, Raiamas bola, Nemacheilus montanus, Wallago attu, Pseudecheneis sulcata, Rita rita and Clarias batrachus were significantly associated with water depth, water velocity and turbidity in the selected zones. ...
This study aimed to investigate the fish diversity in relation to environmental parameters in the mining-im-pacted area of the Ganga River in India. Four zones, i.e. Zone A, Zone B, Zone C and Zone D, were selected for the targeted study, viz. Bairaagi camp, Shyampur Kangri, Bisanpur village and Bhogpur village. Zone A was a non-mining area and hence termed as reference zone, while the remaining zones were areas where river bed mining was carried out. Sampling was carried out twice a month for environmental parameters and once a month for fishes. Overall sixteen environmental parameters were studied and analysed using one-way ANOVA. A total of 5299 individuals associated with 13 families were collected and analysed using two indices, namely the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H 0) and total number of individuals. In addition, canonical correspondence analysis revealed that selected environmental parameters such as water velocity, water temperature, water depth, boulders, sand, gravel, turbidity and dissolved oxygen had significant relationships with fish assemblage. The result showed that more fish were found in the non-mining-impacted zones than in the mining-impacted zones. However, it was found that mining of river bed materials disturbed the environmental parameters and this has affected the fish community.
... Global climate change and stochastic rainfall during the monsoon further aggravate the loss of fish diversity [81]. Fishes are increasingly and intensely threatened by global climate change, resulting in a bleak future for global fisheries as well as for wild fish diversity [82]. ...
... Decreased flow aggravates the siltation, which raises the riverbed and further, through negative feedback, affects the flow rate. Increased siltation ultimately causes irreparable changes in fish breeding grounds and hampers the fish breeding process [81]. Ganguly et al. (2017) observed that juvenile hilsa shad are often found upstream at a distance of >60 kilometres from the coastline. ...
... However, after 1987-1988, again a significant increase in DO was recorded and the average DO reach > 7 ppm, which is a symbol of good riverine health. This was mostly due to the implementation of several corrective measures by the Ganga Action Plan (Vass et al., 2010) and subsequently by the National Mission for Clean Ganga and other related activities. ...
The Ganga River is the major source of drinking water for humans over the decades. It is also the ecological niche for millions of relict species, i.e., for a variety of planktons, benthic organisms, fish, and various other aquatic organisms. The blasting population resulted in an enhanced rate of pollution in the river system emanating from various anthropogenic activities and industrialization in the bank of river Ganga. The study was made in the middle and lower stretch of the river to monitor the decadal changes in the water quality of river Ganga from 1960 to 2019 at six different study sites. In the present study, various water quality parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH, free carbon dioxide, total alkalinity, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), hardness, chloride, and nitrate have been studied during 2015–2019. The data for 1960 to 2006 were taken from ICAR-CIFRI publications. Based on the studied parameters, National Sanitation Foundation (NSF)—water quality index (WQI) was calculated. In the present study, it was found that the calculated NSF-WQI was 69.24 in 1960–1961 which increased up to 113.39 during 2001–2006. But, with the implementation of various rejuvenating strategies, the WQI of the river got reduced to 106.48 during 2015–2019. This reflected the positive changes in the riverine system. Different water quality parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH, and hardness were observed mostly within the permissible range as based on the drinking water guidelines for humans and survival of the aquatic organisms as well, except a few location-specific observations.
