Our observations in National Chambal Sanctuary reconfirm the ecological significance of river Chambal. The fauna of this sanctuary is not only protected by the people but also by nature through the intricate network of ravines. Perhaps this is the main reason why Chambal is still the least disturbed and the least polluted of the rivers of the gangetic river system. Apart from this, ever since the inception of this sanctuary in 1979, significant management inputs have gone into it for increasing its crocodile population by the Forest Departments of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Hence while undertaking project related development projects in this region, it is imperative to adopt essential safeguards so as to impact the least on the fragile ecosystem of this rare river sanctuary .

1. Horizontal Direction Drilling (HDD) technology has been successfully used in most developed countries to lay pipelines across streams and wetlands having significant ecological and recreational values. This technology offers minimal deleterious impacts on wildlife values as this does not involve open blasting nor any alteration in river flow and changes in water regime. For laying the pipeline across Chambal river Horizontal Directional Drilling will therefore be with preferred method to be employed as the crossing falls in an important

2. segment of the river sanctuary. Moreover, this being an ecologically sensitive area, all precautions suggested under the guidelines for developmental activities in ecologically sensitive areas (Ministry of Environment and Forest, 1984) will have to be adhered to. It is for this reason that employing HDD is a better option.

3. If Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) is employed, it should be started atleast 100 meter away or from the floodline (whichever is farther) on either bank so as to mitigate the impacts on the ecology of Chambal river.

4. Construction of a highway bridge is already in progress near the village Sewar. If the proposed route for pipeline through the Chambal river is laid along the bridge within a distance of 150 meters from the bridge, there will not be any greatly significant additional disturbance on account of water diversion and construction work than those which have already been set in by construction of bridge. In such a situation the gas pipeline can be laid across the river using open cut method provided the route all along remains within 150 meters from the bridge.

5. If however, the pipeline crosses the river at a distance exceeding 150 meters from the aforementioned bridge, open cut method shall not be used and only HDD method as suggested in (i) and (ii) shall have to be employed.

6. From the observations on basking behaviour of gharial it becomes evident that gharial need to bask more often during winter (November to February). Hence no construction and transport activities should be initiated during this period to avoid disturbances at basking sites.

7. The migratory water fowls are using the wetland during November to February and therefore this area cannot be exposed to any kind of disturbance during this period.

8. All project related activities will therefore have to be scheduled in the Chambal area during the period between March and July.