Kishtwar National Park

Kishtwar National Park is a national park located in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. it is bounded to the north by Rinnay river, south by Kibar Nala catchment, east by main divide of Great Himalaya and west by Marwa river.

Date and history of establishment

It was declared a National Park on 4 February 1981 (Notification no. 21/FST of 1980-1981).

• Area 42,500 ha
• land Tenure state
• Altitude Ranges from 1,700 m to 4,800 m

Physical features

The National Park encompasses the catchments of kiar, Nath and Kibar nalas, all of which drain south-west into Marwa River which joins the Chenab River just above Kishtwar Town. the terrain is generally rugged and steep, with narrow valleys bounded by high redges opening in their upper glacial parts. The area lies in the Central Crystalline belt of the Great Himalyas. Rocks are strongly folded in places and composed mainly of granite, gneiss and schist, with the occasional bed of marble. The shallow, slightly alkaline soils are mostly alluvial with gravel deposits (Kurt,1976;Bacha, 1986).

Climate

The influence of the monsoon is weak. Mean annual rainfall at palmar and Sirshi (1,761 m), located near the periphery of the national park, is 827 mm and 741 mm, respectively, precipitation is maximal and in excess of 100 mm per month in March and April, and again in July and August.Most snow fall in December and January when the whole area becomes snowbound. Mean maximun and minimum temperatures...
Read More