Rann of Kutch

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Rann of Kutch
Rann of Kutch seasonal salt marsh
Rann of Kutch - White Desert.jpg
Ecology
Realm Indomalayan
Biome flooded grasslands and savannas
Borders
Geography
Area27,454 km2 (10,600 sq mi)
Countries
States (India), Provinces (Pakistan)
Conservation
Conservation status Relatively stable/intact [1]
Protected20,946 km2 (76%) [2]
Rann of Kutch in the state of Gujarat Kachch.png
Rann of Kutch in the state of Gujarat

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.

Contents

Geography

The Rann of Kutch is located mostly in the Indian state of Gujarat, specifically Kutch district, for which it is named. Some parts extend into the Pakistani province of Sindh. The word Rann means "desert" in Gujarati.

The Rann of Kutch covers around 26,000 square kilometres (10,000 square miles). The Great Rann of Kutch is the larger portion of the Rann. It extends east and west, with the Thar Desert to the north and the low hills of Kutch to the south. The Indus River Delta lies to the west in southern Pakistan. The Little Rann of Kutch lies southeast of the Great Rann, and extends southwards to the Gulf of Kutch.

Many rivers originating in Rajasthan and Gujarat flow into the Rann of Kutch, including the Luni, Bhuki, Bharud, Nara, Kharod, Banas, Saraswati, Rupen, Bambhan, and Machchhu. [3] Kori Creek and Sir Creek, tidal creeks which are part of the Indus River Delta, are located at the western end of the Great Rann.

The surface is generally flat and very close to sea level, and most of the Rann floods annually during the monsoon season. There are areas of sandy higher ground, known as bets or medaks, which lie two to three metres above flood level. Trees and shrubs grow on the bets, and they provide refuges for wildlife during the annual floods. [1]

Climate

The climate of the ecoregion is tropical savanna/semi-arid. Temperatures average 44 °C during the hot summer months, and can reach highs of 50 °C. During winter the temperature can drop to or below freezing point. [1]

Rainfall is highly seasonal. The Rann of Kutch is dry for most of the year, and rainfall is concentrated in the June to September monsoon season. During the monsoon season, local rainfall and river runoff flood much of the Rann to a depth of 0.5 metres. The waters evaporate during the long dry season, leaving the Rann dry again by the start of the next monsoon season. [1]

Ecology

Nilgai group at the Little Rann of Kutch Nilgai group at Little Rann of kutch.JPG
Nilgai group at the Little Rann of Kutch

The Rann of Kutch is the only large flooded grasslands zone in the Indomalayan realm. [1] The area has desert on one side and the sea on the other, which enables various ecosystems, including mangroves and desert vegetation. [4] Its grassland and deserts are home to forms of wildlife that have adapted to its often harsh conditions. These include endemic and endangered animal and plant species. [5]

Flora

Ships of the desert tow tourists to the salt flats Desert ships on the salt flats.jpg
Ships of the desert tow tourists to the salt flats

The predominant vegetation in the Rann of Kutch is grassland and thorn scrub. Common grass species include Apluda aristata , Cenchrus spp., Pennisetum spp., Cymbopogon spp., Eragrostis spp., and Elionurus spp. [1]

Trees are rare except on the bets which rise above the flood zone. The non-native tree Prosopis juliflora has become established on the bets, and its seed pods provide year-round food for the wild asses. [1]

Fauna

The Rann of Kutch is home to about 50 species of mammals. They include several large herbivores, including Indian wild ass (Equus hemionus khur), chinkara (Gazella bennettii), nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), and blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), and large predators like wolf (Canis lupus), striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), desert wildcat (Felis lybica), and caracal (Felis caracal). The Indian wild ass once had a wider distribution but is now limited to the Rann of Kutch. The nilgai and blackbuck are threatened species. [1]

There are over 200 bird species in the Rann of Kutch, including the threatened species lesser florican (Sypheotides indicus) and houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata). The seasonal wetlands provide habitat for many water birds, including the demoiselle crane (Grus virgo) and lesser flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor). [1]

History and culture

The history of the Rann of Kutch began with early neolithic settlements. It was later inhabited by the Indus Valley Civilization as well as the Maurya Empire and Gupta Empire of India.

Indus Valley period

Ruins at Dholavira Dholavira East Gate.jpg
Ruins at Dholavira

The people of the Indus Civilization appear to have settled in the Rann of Kutch around 3500 BCE. [7] The Indus city of Dholavira, the largest Indus site in India, is located in the Rann of Kutch. This city was built on the Tropic of Cancer, possibly indicating that Dholavira's inhabitants were skilled in astronomy. [8] The Rann of Kutch also contained the industrial site of Khirasara, where a warehouse was found. [9]

Many Indologists such as A. S. Gaur and Mani Murali hold the view that the Rann of Kutch was, rather than the salt marsh that it is today, a navigable archipelago at the time of the Indus Civilization. The Indus Civilization was known to have an extensive maritime trade system, so it has been proposed by Gaur et al. that there were perhaps ports in the Rann of Kutch. [10]

Imperial Indian Period

The Rann of Kutch was a part of both the Maurya [11] and Gupta [12] empires of India.

Colonial and Modern periods

Folk Music at Rann Utsav Rann Utsav Begins (11475093753).jpg
Folk Music at Rann Utsav
Kadiya Dhro Kadiya Dhro.jpg
Kadiya Dhro

The Rann of Kutch came under the control of the British Raj, who imposed a ban on salt harvesting. This ban was protested and overturned by Indian activist Mahatma Gandhi. [13] More recently, the residents of the Rann of Kutch began holding the Rann Utsav festival, a three-month long carnival, which marks the peak tourist season. [14] Kadiya dhro in Nakhatrana is a popular place amongst tourists.[ citation needed ]

Conservation and protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 20,946 km2, or 76%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. [2] They include the Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary (7506.22 km2), which was established in 1986 and covers much of the Great Rann, and the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary (4953.71 km2), which was established in 1973 and covers much of the Little Rann. [15] Pakistan's Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary protects the northern portion of the Great Rann and adjacent Thar Desert.

Flock of flamingos at Rann of Kutch, India Greater Flamingos at Rann of Kutch.jpg
Flock of flamingos at Rann of Kutch, India
Drive through the salt desert at Rann of Kutch, India White salt desert at Rann of Kutch.jpg
Drive through the salt desert at Rann of Kutch, India

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thar Desert</span> Large arid region in India and Pakistan

The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent that covers an area of 200,000 km2 (77,000 sq mi) in India and Pakistan. It is the world's 18th-largest desert, and the world's 9th-largest hot subtropical desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarasvati River</span> River mentioned in the Vedas and ancient Indian epics

The Sarasvati River is a mythologized and deified ancient river first mentioned in the Rigveda and later in Vedic and post-Vedic texts. It played an important role in the Vedic religion, appearing in all but the fourth book of the Rigveda.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghaggar-Hakra River</span> Intermittent river in India and Pakistan

The Ghaggar-Hakra River is an intermittent river in India and Pakistan that flows only during the monsoon season. The river is known as Ghaggar before the Ottu barrage at 29.4875°N 74.8925°E, and as Hakra downstream of the barrage in the Thar Desert. In pre-Harappan times the Ghaggar was a tributary of the Sutlej. It is still connected to this paleochannel of the Sutlej, and possibly the Yamuna, which ended in the Nara River, presently a delta channel of the Indus River joining the sea via Sir Creek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dholavira</span> Indus Valley Civilisation site in Gujarat, India

Dholavira is an archaeological site at Khadirbet in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District, in the state of Gujarat in western India, which has taken its name from a modern-day village 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) south of it. This village is 165 km (103 mi) from Radhanpur. Also known locally as Kotada timba, the site contains ruins of a city of the ancient Indus Valley civilization. Earthquakes have repeatedly affected Dholavira, including a particularly severe one around 2600 BCE.

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.

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

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Coastal Plains</span> Coastal plain in Western India

The Western Coastal Plains is a narrow stretch of landmass lying between the western part of the Deccan plateau and the Arabian sea in India. The plains stretch from the Kutch region to Kaniyakumari at the southern tip of the Indian peninsula with the Western Ghats forming its eastern boundary. It traverses the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Pakistan</span>

The wildlife of Pakistan comprises a diverse flora and fauna in a wide range of habitats from sea level to high elevation areas in the mountains, including 195 mammal, 668 bird species and more than 5000 species of Invertebrates. This diverse composition of the country's fauna is associated with its location in the transitional zone between two major zoogeographical regions, the Palearctic, and the Oriental. The northern regions of Pakistan, which include Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan include portions of two biodiversity hotspot, Mountains of Central Asia and Himalayas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Gujarat</span>

Gujarat is a state located in western India. Its north-western border, which is also the international border, is adjacent to Pakistan. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are the states located in its north and north-east respectively. Maharashtra is to its south. The Arabian Sea forms its western-southern boundary. Dadar and Nagar-Haveli are on its southern border.

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 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.

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biogeographic classification of India</span>

Biogeographic classification of India is the division of India according to biogeographic characteristics. Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species (biology), organisms, and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. India has a rich heritage of natural diversity. India ranks fourth in Asia and tenth in the world amongst the top 17 mega-diverse countries in the world. India harbours nearly 11% of the world's floral diversity comprising over 17500 documented flowering plants, 6200 endemic species, 7500 medicinal plants and 246 globally threatened species in only 2.4% of world's land area. India is also home to four biodiversity hotspots—Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Eastern Himalaya, Indo-Burma region, and the Western Ghats. Hence the importance of biogeographical study of India's natural heritage.

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.

<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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Rann of Kutch seasonal salt marsh". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  2. 1 2 Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b
  3. ↑ "Rivers of Gujarat in Kutch region". guj-nwrws.gujarat.gov.in, Government of Gujarat . Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  4. ↑ Negi, Sharad Singh (1996). Biosphere reserves in India: landuse, biodiversity and conservation. Indus Publishing. p. 221. ISBN   9788173870439.
  5. ↑ Sharma, R.P. (10 November 2011). The Indian forester, Volume 127, Issues 7-12. University of Minnesota.
  6. ↑ "Quick run to the Rann".
  7. ↑ Sengupta, Torsa; Arati Deshpande Mukherjee; et al. (2020). "Did the Harappan settlement of Dholavira (India) collapse during the onset of Meghalayan stage drought?". Journal of Quaternary Science. 35 (3): 382–395. Bibcode:2020JQS....35..382S. doi:10.1002/jqs.3178. S2CID   214252156.
  8. ↑ Gopinath, P (15 July 2017). "Ruins on the Tropic of Cancer". The Hindu . Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  9. ↑ Subramanian, T (6 August 2013). "Excavations reveal Khirsara a major industrial hub of Harappan era". The Hindu . Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  10. ↑ Gaur, A; K H Vora; et al. (September 2013). "Was the Rann of Kachchh (Kutch) navigable during the Harappan times (Mid-Holocene)? An archaeological perspective". Current Science . 105 (11): 1485–1491. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  11. ↑ "The Mauryan Empire of Ancient India". Time Maps.
  12. ↑ "Gupta Empire". World History Encyclopedia . Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  13. ↑ Dalton; Gandhi, Mahatma (1996). Selected Political Writings.
  14. ↑ Eden, Noronha. "Immerse yourself in Gujarat's Rann Utsav". Femina In. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  15. ↑ UNEP-WCMC (2020). Protected Area Profile for India from the World Database of Protected Areas, August 2020. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net


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