Indravati Tiger Reserve

About Indravati Tiger Reserve:

 

• Location: It is located in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
• The park derives its name from the Indravati River, which flows from east to west and forms the northern boundary of the reserve with the Indian state of Maharashtra.
• Indravati attained the status of a national park in 1981 and a tiger reserve in 1983 under Project Tiger.
• Topography: It mainly comprises of undulating hilly terrain with altitudes ranging between 177 to 599 m above sea level.
• Vegetation: Three major forest types are recognized in Indravati: Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest with Teak, Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest without Teak, and Southern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest.
• Flora: Some common species include teak, achar, karra, kullu, shisham, semal, haldu, arjun, bel and Jamun.
• Fauna:
  • It is home to one of the last populations of rare wild buffalo.
  • Major faunal species include tiger, leopard, striped hyena, wolf, common mongoose, freshwater crocodile, common monitor lizard, Indian bull frog, herons, white-necked stork, black-necked stork, white ibis, black ibis etc.

 

Key facts about Indravati River:

• It is a tributary of the Godavari River and flows through the central Indian states of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
• Origin: It rises in the Kalahandi district of Odisha on the western slopes of the Eastern Ghats.
• Length: It flows for 535 km and has a drainage area of 41, 665 sq. km.
• Course: After originating in Odisha, it flows westwards to join the Godavari, thus forming the boundary between Maharashtra and Chhatisgarh states at some places.
• The famous `Chitrakoot` falls forms on Indravati River in Chhatisgarh. 
• The Indravati River is sometimes known as the "lifeline" of the Bastar District, which is known as one of the greenest districts in India.
• Tributaries:
  • The major right-bank tributaries of the Indravati River are Bhaskel River, Narangi River, Nimbra River, Kotri River and Bandia River.
  • The Nandiraj River is the only important left-bank tributary of the Indravati River.
• Indravati Dam:  
  • Indravati Dam, or the Upper Indravati Hydro Power Project, was built near the town of Mukhiguda in the Kalahandi district.
  • It is one of the largest dams in India as well as Asia and produces 600 MW of electricity. 
  • The project envisages the diversion of water of the Indravati River in its upper reaches into the Mahanadi valley for power generation and irrigation.

 

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Q1) What is the Indian Wild Buffalo?

The Indian Wild Buffalo is the state animal of Chhattisgarh (India) and is a large species of bovine native to the Indian Sub-continent and South East Asia.The total population of this animal all over the world is only about 4,000 of which half of the population lives in India itself. The IUCN has listed Asiatic wild Buffalo as endangered.

Source: 39 held so far in Indravati Tiger Reserve poaching case