Studies on ecology, fish diversity and fisheries of Ken–Betwa rivers (India): Proposed for inter-linking

Abstract

The Ken and Betwa rivers traversing through Central India are the major tributaries of the river Yamuna. Both rivers originate above 550 m above sea level in the Vindhya region. An interlinking project proposed for the rivers envisages diversion of water from Ken basin to the Betwa. The river sediment is alkaline and dominated by sand (78–89%) in both rivers. Oxygen-rich alkaline water and moderate values of chemical parameters show the pollution free and productive nature of both the rivers. There was no statistically significant difference in water quality between the Ken and Betwa rivers, except for total alkalinity. The biotic parameters were observed in similar ranges and moderate condition. A total of 61 planktonic forms were recorded from the rivers out of which 55 were phytoplankton. For the first time, 89 fish species belonging to 10 orders, 26 families, and 62 genera have been recorded in the river Ken, while 81 species classified under 10 orders, 24 families, and 55 genera were found in the Betwa. Exotic fish species were also observed in the downstream stretches of both rivers. Out of the total fish species, 77 were common to both rivers, 12 were found only in the Ken River, and 4 species were restricted to the Betwa. Analysis of relative abundance showed dominance of Labeo boggut in the Ken and Osteobrama cotio in the Betwa River. On comparison of the Shannon–Wiener Diversity and Evenness Indices of fish diversity, these indicated slightly higher values in the Ken (3.76 and 0.842) than the Betwa (3.66 and 0.835). A total of nine near-threatened fish species was recorded in the rivers. Both rivers have already been obstructed by many developmental projects; the proposed interlinking would further negatively impact the ecology and fisheries.

Phenotypic variation of Chitala chitala (Hamilton, 1822) from Indian rivers using truss network and geometric morphometrics

“…The rivers Son, Tons and Ken, which flow to the southern side of the Ganges, have been in existence (Gondwana Land) before the Himalayas originated leading to the formation of rivers like Ganga, Gandak and altered flow of Brahmaputra. Tons river catchment area exhibits an intricate pattern of mountain system consisting of high mountains ( Krishan, Kushwaha & Velmurugan, 2009 ) while Ken River is affected by construction of a number of irrigation projects, which might have had an adverse impact on physicochemical, biological, and fishery parameters ( Joshi et al, 2017 ) and is flanked by undulating plateau with sandstone, shale and limestone. River Son, a southern tributary of Ganga River, is also known to possess many dams, reservoir and hydropower plants, as it is a seasonal river, all of which might have had an influence on the environmental parameters.…”

Piscine diversity, Community structure and Distribution patterns of the West Ramganga River: A mid-Himalayan tributary of River Ganga

“…Out of the total species, four were exotic (Cyprinus carpio, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Hypophthalmichthys nobilis). Among the exotic, Cyprinus carpio dominated the catch in the main River Ganga and its tributaries namely Yamuna, Ken, Betwa, and Sone (Joshi et al 2014, Joshi et al 2016, Joshi et al 2017. The exotic fishes recorded in the present investigation may spread and pose a threat to the endemic fish species in near future (Alam et al 2015).…”

“…The results of this study assume more significance because of the ongoing large scale development including water discharge, habitat fragmentation, illegal fishing and damming with multiple dam projects are being planned in the Himalayan rivers (Joshi 2007;Pandit 2009;Joshi et al 2016;Joshi 2017a and2017b;Joshi et al 2017). Therefore, studies need to be conducted to develop a knowledge management system with current diversity patterns and spatial distribution data for the Himalayan rivers.…”

Anthropogenic Modifications and River Ecosystem Services: A Landscape Perspective

“…Vast engineering structures on both sides of the conveying channel system cause changes in geomorphological features e.g., channel geometry, channel width, and sedimentation and siltation problems [56]. This further causes stream-flow reduction in both donor and recipient streams, which decreases water availability [57], negatively impacting the riverine ecology and fisheries [58,59]. It modifies habitat environments and provides pathways for the invasion and establishment of exotic species [60].…”