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| Babai River | |
|---|---|
 Babai River | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | Nepal and India |
| Location | Inner Terai,Siwaliks andTerai |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | eastern end ofDang Valley |
| • coordinates | 27°58′27″N82°34′06″E / 27.97417°N 82.56833°E /27.97417; 82.56833 |
| • elevation | 672 m (2,205 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | atGhaghara River WNW ofBahraich |
• coordinates | 27°44′08″N81°17′54″E / 27.73556°N 81.29833°E /27.73556; 81.29833 |
• elevation | 118 m (387 ft) |
| Length | about 400 km (250 mi) |
| Basin size | 3,500 km2 (1,400 sq mi)in Nepal, 200 km2 (77 mi2) in India |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 71 m3/s (2,500 cu ft/s) (4 in April - 588 in July, at Chepang above Sharada confluence) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | NepalMid-West Region:Dang,Salyan,Bardiya districts;IndiaUttar PradeshAwadh region:Bahraich district |
| River system | Ganges |
| Tributaries | |
| • right | Sharada Khola |
TheBabai River (Nepali:बबई नदी) originates and drains in theInner Terai Dang Valley ofMid-Western Nepal. The Dang Valley is an oval basin situated between theMahabharat Range and theSiwalik Hills inDang Deukhuri District. Historically inhabited by theTharu people, the area later came under the rule of theHouse of Tulsipur, one of theBaise Rajya (Nepali:बाइसे राज्य), a confederation of twenty-twopetty kingdoms in theKarnali (Ghagra) region. Around 1760, theShah Dynasty annexed most of these kingdoms during theunification of Nepal, although Tulsipur’s territories south of theSiwalik Hills remained outside of their control. Owing to its higher elevation, cooler climate, and better drainage, the Dang Valley was less affected bymalaria than other Inner Terai regions and was consequently settled by Shah andRana courtiers, as well as otherPahari groups prior to the introduction ofDDT for control of theAnopheles mosquito.[1]
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Exiting Dang Valley and its district, the Babai entersSalyan District and flows between sub-ranges of the Siwalik Hills along their west-northwest axis. Sharada Khola drains about half of Salyan's largerMiddle Hills region before cutting through the Mahabharat Range and joining the Babai from the right. About 20 kilometres (12 mi) beyond this confluence, the Babai crosses intoBardiya District and entersBardiya National Park.[citation needed] The river continues another 30 kilometres (19 mi) west-northwest until the enclosing Siwalik hills fall away and theOuter Terai begins. At this point the river crosses Nepal's main east–westMahendra Highway and exits the national park.
On the Outer Terai the Babai bends left toward the main inclination of theIndo-Gangetic Plain. The river flows south some 40 kilometres (25 mi) and entersIndia'sUttar Pradesh state. The Babai continues about 50 kilometres (31 mi) (straight line) south from the border before joining the much largerGhaghara from the left at about 35 kilometres (22 mi) west-northwest ofBahraich. This confluence is about 10 kilometres (6 mi) upstream of theSharda (Mahakali) confluence from the right.
In Nepal thecatchment of the Babai is bordered by that of theRapti on the north, east and south; and by the main Ghaghra catchment on the west until their confluence. In India the Rapti takes a more easterly course, joining the Ghagra some 285 kilometres (177 mi) southeast of the Babai's confluence.
The Babai River forms part ofBardiya National Park, a protected area within Nepal’sTerai Arc Landscape that provides habitat for several endangered species. The river supports a population of the critically endangeredgharial (Gavialis gangeticus); a survey in Spring 2017 recorded approximately 33 individuals along a 102 kilometres (63 mi) stretch of the river.[2]
The Babai valley has also been the target of conservation efforts for tigers, according to Krishna Acharya, Director General of Nepal’sDepartment of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Nepal “is one of the countries in the world where the prospect of doubling the tiger population is quite good, if tigers are given enough space, prey and proper protection.”[3]
Also beingtranslocated into the Babai valley is thegreater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) afterpoachers nearly wiped out the entire population by 2006.[4] TheWorld Wildlife Foundation has partnered with the Nepalese government to move animals into areas with critically low populations of rhinoceros including the Babai valley in the Bardiya National Park.[4]
_Babai_River.jpg)
InSeason 9, Episode 55 of the television series River Monsters,[5]Jeremy Wade visits Bardiya National Park to fishgoonch catfish in the Babai but was unsuccessful. Other animals featured in the episode were thegolden mahseer, the gharial, and thegiant snakehead.
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