Rajaji Tiger Reserve

About Rajaji Tiger Reserve:

• It is spread over three districts of Uttarakhand: Haridwar, Dehradun, and Pauri Garhwal.
• It is located in the Shivalik range of the Himalayas and spread over 820 kms. 
• It was named after the famous freedom fighter Rajgopalachari, popularly known as "Rajaji"
• It's location in a transition zone between temperate western Himalaya and central Himalaya enhances the species diversity.
• It forms an important part of the Terai-Arc landscape (7500 km) between the Yamuna River in the northwest and the Sharda River in the southeast. 
• Vegetation: The area is covered with diverse forest types ranging from semi-evergreento deciduous and from mixed broad-leaved to Terai grassland and has been classified as Indus-Ganges Monsoon Forest type.
• Flora: Some popular floras found in this park include: Rohini, Palash, Shisham, Sal, Sandan, Khair, Arjun, Baans, Semul, Chamaror, etc.
• Fauna: It has a sizeable population of Tigers and Asian Elephants. It is home to a variety of wild animals like Leopard, Jungle cat, Himalayan Black Bear, Sloth Bear, Striped Hyena, Goral, Sambar, Wild Pig, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, etc.

Q1: What is Terai?

Terai, or Tarai, is a lowland belt of flat, alluvial land stretching along the Nepal-India border and running parallel to the lower ranges of the Himalayas. A strip of undulating former marshland, it stretches from the Yamuna River in the west to the Brahmaputra River in the east. It is the northern extension of the Gangetic Plain in India, commencing at about 300 meters above sea level and rising to about 1,000 meters at the foot of the Siwalik Range. In India, the Terai extends over the states of Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. 

News: Centre defers nod to 4-lane project passing via Uttarakhand tiger reserve