Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary

Last updated
Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Location Gujarat, India
Coordinates 23°55′N70°26′E / 23.91°N 70.44°E / 23.91; 70.44
Area7506.22 km2

The Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Great Rann of Kutch, Kutch district, Gujarat, India. It was declared a sanctuary in February 1986. It is the largest Wildlife Sanctuary in India regarding its size. [1]

Contents

It is one of the largest seasonal saline wetlands having an average water depth between 0.5 and 1.5 metres. By October–November each year, rain water dries up and the entire area turns into saline desert. The sanctuary supports a wide variety of water birds and mammalian wildlife.

Flamingo City

It encloses a true saline desert where thousands of greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) nest in the world-famous ‘Flamingo City’ located in the mud flats of the Rann, about 10 km from Nir outpost on the Kala Dungar hill, where flamingoes used to congregate during their breeding season in the past.

As per a television series, National Security by Rajya Sabha TV, the flamingo city is now a dead patch of land and flamingos do not come to breed here any longer. [2]

Indo-Pak International border

The northern boundary of this sanctuary forms the international border between India and Pakistan and is heavily patrolled by the Border Security Force in India with much of this sanctuary being closed to civilians after crossing the India Bridge at Kala dungar (Black hill), Khavda. Tourists and researchers can only enter here with special permission from the BSF.

Snow white Rann

In the area controlled and patrolled by the Border Security Force (BSF) after crossing the "India Bridge", several hundred square kilometers of Rann appear like pure white snow with heavy deposits of salt crystals. The marshy Rann here becomes white and flat as far as the eye can see, after the rain water has dried up during winter.

Excavated city of Dholavira from the Harappan civilization

Buried nearby to the breeding field of the flamingoes, is the ancient excavated city of Dholavira from the Harappan civilization, attracting archeologists from all over the world.

Ancient fossil beds

This sanctuary has some other ancient attractions as well. Embedded in the Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks on Khadir, Kuvar and Pachchham bet islands in the Greater Rann, are plenty of fossils of vertebrates, invertebrates and plants. Fossils of dinosaurs, crocodiles (of the 'Dinosaurian period') and whales (dating from the Tertiary period) have been recorded to have been recovered from here. Fossilized trees and forests are found here in the rocks belonging to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The fossils of invertebrates here include those of sea urchins, ammonites and such others.

J. P. Dutta's Bollywood film Refugee is shot on location in the Great Rann of Kutch and other locations in the Kutch district of Gujarat, India. This film is inspired by the famous story by Keki N. Daruwalla and set in the Great Rann of Kutch. It is titled "LOVE ACROSS THE SALT DESERT" [3] which is included as one of the short stories in the School Standard XII syllabus English text book of NCERT in India. [4]

Wildlife Sanctuaries and Reserves of Kutch

From the city of Bhuj various ecologically rich and wildlife conservation areas of the Kutch / Kachchh district can be visited such as Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary, Kutch Bustard Sanctuary, Banni Grasslands Reserve and Chari-Dhand Wetland Conservation Reserve etc. Across the border in Pakistan, the Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary preserves 566,375 hectares.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Rann of Kutch</span> Salt marsh in Gujarat, India and Sindh, Pakistan; the greater part of the Rann of Kutch

The Great Rann of Kutch is a salt marsh in the Thar Desert in the Kutch District of Gujarat, India. It is about 7500 km2 in area and is reputed to be one of the largest salt deserts in the world. This area has been inhabited by the Kutchi people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kutch district</span> District in Gujarat, India

Kutch district, officially spelled Kachchh, is a district of Gujarat state in western India, with its headquarters (capital) at Bhuj. Covering an area of 45,674 km2, it is the largest district of India. The area of Kutch is larger than the entire area of other Indian states like Haryana (44,212 km2) and Kerala (38,863 km2), as well as the country of Estonia (45,335 km2). The population of Kutch is about 2,092,371. It has 10 talukas, 939 villages and 6 municipalities. The Kutch district is home to the Kutchi people who speak the Kutchi language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Rann of Kutch</span> Salt marsh located near the Great Rann of Kutch in Kutch, Gujarat, India

The Little Rann of Kutch is a salt marsh which is part of the Rann of Kutch in Kutch district, Gujarat, India.

The Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary is the largest Ramsar site in Sindh, covering 566,375 ha, and is located in the Rann of Kutch in Badin District, Sindh, Pakistan. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary by the government of Sindh in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary</span> Indian wildlife sanctuary

The Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, or Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary, is located in the Little Rann of Kutch in the state of Gujarat, India, spread over an area of 4954 km².

<i>Refugee</i> (2000 film) 2000 Indian film

Refugee is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film written and directed by J. P. Dutta. It marked the debut of both the leading actors, Abhishek Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor. The film also starred Jackie Shroff, Sunil Shetty, and Anupam Kher. Refugee was an average grosser at the box office and was the fifth highest-grossing film of that year.

Panchmai Pir is a Dargah of pir in the Rann of Kutch area of Gujarat, India. It has a famous legend associated with it. This legend has the roots of the custom of feeding jackals by those willing to start a journey to cross the great desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian wild ass</span> Subspecies of onager

The Indian wild ass, also called the Indian onager or, in the local Gujarati language, Ghudkhur and Khur, is a subspecies of the onager native to South Asia.

Chir Batti, Chhir Batti or Cheer batti is a ghost light reported in the Banni grasslands, a seasonal marshy wetlands and adjoining desert of the marshy salt flats of the Rann of Kutch near the India–Pakistan border in Kutch district, Gujarat, India. Local villagers refer to the light as Chir Batti in the Kutchhi-Sindhi language, with Chir meaning ghost and Batti meaning light.

Banni Grasslands Reserve or Banni grasslands form a belt of arid grassland ecosystem on the outer southern edge of the desert of the marshy salt flats of Rann of Kutch in Kutch District, Gujarat State, India. They are known for rich wildlife and biodiversity and are spread across an area of 3,847 square kilometres. They are currently legally protected under the status as a protected or reserve forest in India. Though declared a protected forest more than half a century ago Gujarat state's forest department has recently proposed a special plan to restore and manage this ecosystem in the most efficient way. Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has identified this grassland reserve as one of the last remaining habitats of the cheetah in India and a possible reintroduction site for the species.

The Chari-Dhand wetland conservation reserve is located on the edge of arid Banni grasslands and the marshy salt flats of the Rann of Kutch in Kutch district, Gujarat State in India. It is currently legally protected under the status of a Protected or Reserve Forest in India. Chari means salt affected and Dhand means shallow wetland, Dhand is a Sindhi word for a shallow saucer shaped depression. This is a seasonal desert wetland and only gets swampy during a good monsoon, receiving water from the north flowing rivers as well as from the huge catchment areas of many surrounding big hills. It is spread over an area of 80 km2. It is in Nakhtrana Taluka, 80 km south west to the city of Bhuj, about 7 or 8 km from Fulary village and 30 km from Nakhtrana town. It is home to nearly two lakh birds with migratory and endangered species of birds flocking into the area in thousands during monsoon and winters.

Keki N. Daruwalla is an Indian poet and short story writer in English. He is also a former Indian Police Service officer. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award, in 1984 for his poetry collection, The Keeper of the Dead, by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters. He was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rann of Kutch</span> Large area of salt desert in India and Pakistan

The Rann of Kutch is a large area of salt marshes that span the border between India and Pakistan. It is located mostly in the Kutch district of the Indian state of Gujarat, with a minor portion extending into the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is divided into the Great Rann and Little Rann. It used to be a part of the Arabian Sea, but it then dried up, leaving behind the salt, which formed the Rann of Kutch. The Luni flowed into the Rann of Kutch, but when the Rann dried up, the Luni was left behind, which explains why the Luni does not flow into the Arabian Sea today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary</span>

Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary also popularly known as Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary or Narayan Sarovar Chinkara Sanctuary notified as such in April 1981 and subsequently denotified in 1995 with reduced area, is a unique eco-system near Narayan Sarovar in the Lakhpat taluka of Kutch district in the state of Gujarat, India. The desert forest in this sanctuary is said to be the only one of its kind in India. Located in the arid zone, a part of it is a seasonal wetland. It has 15 threatened wildlife species and has desert vegetation comprising thorn and scrub forests. Its biodiversity has some rare animals and birds, and rare flowering plants. Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has identified it as one of the last remaining habitats of the cheetah in India and a possible reintroduction site for the species. The most sighted animal here is the chinkara, which is currently the flagship species of the sanctuary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kutch Bustard Sanctuary</span> National park in Gujarat, India

Kutch Bustard Sanctuary or Kachchh Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary, also known as Lala–Parjan Sanctuary, is located near Jakhau village in Taluka Abdasa, Gujarat, India. This sanctuary is one of the two great Indian bustard sanctuaries in Gujarat; the other one is in Jamnagar. It was declared as a sanctuary in July 1992, specifically for the conservation of the great Indian bustard, the heaviest flying bird belonging to the avian family of Otididae. However, the sanctuary presently legally covers a protected area of about 2 square kilometres (0.77 sq mi) of area (202.86 hectares of fenced land only and is the smallest sanctuary in the country. Several suggestions have been made to vastly increase the size of this sanctuary as it is a breeding ground of the endangered great Indian bustard. The reason is that its ecological zone is much larger on account of anthropogenic and cattle population pressure that are considered as a ‘biotic threat’ to this omnivorous species.

Kutch generally refers to the Kutch district, a district of Gujarat state in western India. It may also refer to:

Shakoor Lake is a lake, comprising 300 km2, located on the border between the Indian state of Gujarat and the Sindh province on the southern edge of Pakistan. About 90 km2 of the lake lies within Pakistan, whilst the majority of the lake, i.e. 210 km2, is in India. The Indian built Indo-Pak Border Road runs across the Shakoor Lake and it is joined by the Indian GJ SH 45 State Highway just east of the lake, at the Kanjarkot Fort.

Gujarat, a state located in Western India, includes fauna from ecosystems such as the coast of the Arabian Sea, the semi-arid forests on the Kathiawar Peninsula, and the arid salt flats of the Rann of Kutch.

The Road to Heaven is a highway located in the Kutch District of Gujarat, India. It spans approximately 30 kilometers through the Great Rann of Kutch, providing stunning views of India's largest salt plain. This road forms part of the national highway connecting Ghaduli to Santalpur and has become renowned for its scenic beauty and the distinctive driving experience it provides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khadir Bet</span> Island in Gujarat, India

Khadir Bet is an island located in the Great Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, India. It spans around 200 square kilometers. It is known for its archaeological significance, particularly as the site of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization city of Dholavira, also a UNESCO world heritage site.

References

  1. "Wildlife Sanctuaries". Wiienvis.nic.in. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  2. "National Security: BSF in Mysterious Rann of Kutch". Rajya Sabha TV. RAjya Sabha TV. 18 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  3. LOVE ACROSS THE SALT DESERT Archived 2013-12-02 at the Wayback Machine ; by Keki N. Daruwalla. Pdf of full story posted at Boston University at Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine . Bollywood connection - J. P. Dutta's "Refugee" is said to be inspired by this story Archived 2013-12-02 at the Wayback Machine ; learnhub, University of Dundee
  4. (iii) Supplementary Reader; Selected Pieces of General English for Class XII; English General - Class XII Archived January 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine ; Curriculum and Syllabus for Classes XI & XII; NCERT. Also posted at / , "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 10, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)