Tourist Route Map of Darjeeling and Kalimpong District
Drainage System of India
A river drains the water collected from a specific area, which is called its ‘catchment area’. An area drained by a river and its tributaries is called a drainage basin. The boundary line separating one drainage basin from the other is known as the watershed. The catchments of large rivers are called river basins while those of small rivulets and rills are often referred to as watersheds. There is, however, a slight difference between a river basin and a watershed. Watersheds are small in area while the basins cover larger areas.
On the basis of the mode of origin, nature and characteristics, the Indian drainage may also be classified into the Himalayan drainage and the peninsular drainage.
THE
RIVER SYSTEMS OF THE HIMALAYAN DRAINAGE:
It is one
of the largest river basins of the world, covering an area of 11, 65,000 sq. km
(in India it is 321, 289 sq. km and a total length of 2,880 km (in India 1,114
km).
The Indus
also known as the Sindhu, is the westernmost of the Himalayan rivers in India.
It originates from a glacier near Bokhar Chu (31°15' N latitude and 81°40' E
longitude) in the Tibetan region at an altitude of 4,164 m in the Kailash
Mountain range.The Indus flows in India only through the Leh district in Jammu
and Kashmir.
According
to the regulations of the Indus Water Treaty (1960), India can use only 20 per
cent of the total water carried by Indus river system. This water is used for
irrigation in the Punjab, Haryana and the southern and western parts of
Rajasthan.
The Jhelum, an important tributary of the Indus, rises from a spring at Verinag situated at the foot of the Pir Panjal in the south-eastern part of the valley of Kashmir. It flows through Srinagar and the Wular lake before entering Pakistan through a deep narrow gorge.
The Chenab is the largest tributary of the Indus. It is formed by two streams, the Chandra and the Bhaga, which join at Tandi near Keylong in Himachal Pradesh. Hence, it is also known as Chandrabhaga. The river flows for 1,180 km before entering into Pakistan.
The Ravi is another important tributary of the Indus. It rises west of the Rohtang pass in the Kullu hills of Himachal Pradesh and flows through the Chamba valley of the state.
The Beas is another important tributary of the Indus, originating from the Beas Kund near the Rohtang Pass at an elevation of 4,000 m above the mean sea level. The river flows through the Kullu valley and forms gorges at Kati and Largi in the Dhaoladhar range. It enters the Punjab plains where it meets the Satluj near Harike.
The Satluj originates in the Rakas lake near Mansarovar at an altitude of 4,555 m in Tibet where it is known as Langchen Khambab. It passes through the Shipki La on the Himalayan ranges and enters the Punjab plains. It is an antecedent river. It is a very important tributary as it feeds the canal system of the Bhakra Nangal project.
The Ganga System:
The Ganga rises in
the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh (3,900 m) in the Uttarkashi district of
Uttaranchal. Here, it is known as the Bhagirathi. At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi
meets the Alaknanda; hereafter, it is known as the Ganga. The Alaknanda has its
source in the Satopanth glacier above Badrinath. The Alaknanda consists of the
Dhauli and the Vishnu Ganga which meet at Joshimath or Vishnu Prayag. The other
tributaries of Alaknanda such as the Pindar join it at Karna Prayag while
Mandakini or Kali Ganga meets it at Rudra Prayag. The Ganga enters the plains
at Haridwar. From here, it flows first to the south, then to the south-east and
east before splitting into two distributaries, namely the Bhagirathi and the
Hugli. The river has a length of 2,525 km. It is shared by Uttaranchal (110 km)
and Uttar Pradesh (1,450 km), Bihar (445 km) and West Bengal (520 km). The
Ganga basin covers about 8.6 lakh sq. km area in India alone. The river finally
discharges itself into the Bay of Bengal near the Sagar Island.
The Sundarban Delta derived its name from the Sundari tree which grows well in marshland. It is the world’s largest and fastest growing delta. It is also the home of Royal Bengal tiger.
The Yamuna, the western most and the longest tributary of the Ganga, has its source in the Yamunotri glacier on the western slopes of Banderpunch range (6,316 km). It joins the Ganga at Prayag (Allahabad). It is joined by the Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and the Ken on its right bank which originates from the Peninsular plateau while the Hindan, the Rind, the Sengar, the Varuna, etc. join it on its left bank. Much of its water feeds the western and eastern Yamuna and the Agra canals for irrigation purposes.
The Chambal rises near Mhow in the Malwa plateau of Madhya Pradesh and flows northwards through a gorge up wards of Kota in Rajasthan, where the Gandhisagar dam has been constructed. From Kota, it traverses down to Bundi, Sawai Madhopur and Dholpur, and finally joins the Yamuna. The Chambal is famous for its badland topography called the Chambal ravines.
The Gandak comprises two streams, namely Kaligandak and Trishulganga. It rises in the Nepal Himalayas between the Dhaulagiri and Mount Everest and drains the central part of Nepal. It enters the Ganga plain in Champaran district of Bihar and joins the Ganga at Sonpur near Patna.
The Damodar occupies the eastern margins of the Chotanagpur Plateau where it flows through a rift valley and finally joins the Hugli. The Barakar is its main tributary. Once known as the ‘sorrow of Bengal’.
The Mahananda is another important tributary of the Ganga rising in the Darjiling hills. It joins the Ganga as its last left bank tributary in West Bengal.
The Brahmaputra System:
The Brahmaputra,
one of the largest rivers of the world, has its origin in the Chemayungdung
glacier of the Kailash range near the Mansarovar lake. From here, it traverses
eastward longitudinally for a distance of nearly 1,200 km in a dry and flat
region of southern Tibet, where it is known as the Tsangpo, which means ‘the
purifier.’ The Rango Tsangpo is the major right bank tributary of this river in
Tibet. It emerges as a turbulent and dynamic river after carving out a deep
gorge in the Central Himalayas near Namcha Barwa (7,755 m). The river emerges
from the foothills under the name of Siang or Dihang. It enters India west of
Sadiya town in Arunachal Pradesh. Flowing southwest, it receives its main left
bank tributaries, viz., Dibang or Sikang and Lohit; thereafter, it is known as
the Brahmaputra. The Brahmaputra enters into Bangladesh near Dhubri and flows
southward. In Bangladesh, the Tista joins it on its right bank from where the
river is known as the Yamuna. It finally merges with the river Padma, which
falls in the Bay of Bengal.
THE PENINSULAR DRAINAGE SYSTEM:
The Mahanadi rises near Sihawa in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh and runs through Orissa to discharge its water into the Bay of Bengal. It is 851 km long and its catchment area spreads over 1.42 lakh sq. km. Fifty three per cent of the drainage basin of this river lies in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, while 47 per cent lies in Orissa.
The Godavari is the largest peninsular river system. It is also called the Dakshin Ganga. It rises in the Nasik district of Maharashtra and discharges its water into the Bay of Bengal. Its tributaries run through the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. It is 1,465 km long with a catchment area spreading over 3.13 lakh sq. km. 49 per cent of this, lies in Maharashtra, 20 per cent in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and the rest in Andhra Pradesh. The Penganga, the Indravati, the Pranhita, and the Manjra are its principal tributaries.
The Krishna is the second largest east flowing Peninsular River which rises near Mahabaleshwar in Sahyadri. Its total length is 1,401 km. The Koyna, the Tungbhadra and the Bhima are its major tributaries. Of the total catchment area of the Krishna, 27 per cent lies in Maharashtra, 44 per cent in Karnataka and 29 per cent in Andhra Pradesh.
The Kaveri rises in Brahmagiri hills (1,341m) of Kogadu district in Karnataka. Its length is 800 km and it drains an area of 81,155 sq. km. About 3 per cent of the Kaveri basin falls in Kerala, 41 per cent in Karnataka and 56 per cent in Tamil Nadu. Its important tributaries are the Kabini, the Bhavani and the Amravati.
The river Kaveri makes the second biggest waterfall in India. It is known as Sivasamudram. The fall supplies hydroelectric power to Mysore, Bangalore and the Kolar Gold Field.
The Narmada originates on the western flank of the Amarkantak plateau at a height of about 1,057 m. flowing in a rift valley between the Satpura in the south and the Vindhyan range in the north; it forms a picturesque gorge in marble rocks and Dhuandhar waterfall near Jabalpur. After flowing a distance of about 1,312 km, it meets the Arabian Sea south of Bharuch, forming a broad 27 km long estuary. Its catchment area is about 98,796 sq. km. The Sardar Sarovar Project has been constructed on this river.
The Tapi is the other important westward flowing river. It originates from Multai in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh. It is 724 km long and drains an area of 65,145 sq. km. Nearly 79 per cent of its basin lies in Maharashtra, 15 per cent in Madhya Pradesh and the remaining 6 per cent in Gujarat.
Luni is the largest river system of Rajasthan, west of Aravali. It originates near Pushkar in two branches, i.e. the Saraswati and the Sabarmati, which join with each other at Govindgarh. From here, the river comes out of Aravali and is known as Luni. It flows towards the west till Telwara and then takes a southwest direction to join the Rann of Kuchchh. The entire river system is ephemeral.
The Islands of India
1.
The
Andaman & Nicobar Islands:
2.
The
Lakshadweep Islands:
3.
Pamban
Island:
The Andaman & Nicobar Islands:
■ The Andaman and
Nicobar Islands are a group of islands at the juncture of the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, and are a Union Territory of India.
■ The territory is
150 km (93 mi) north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated from Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) by the Andaman Sea.
■ It comprises two
island groups, the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands, separated by the 10°N parallel, with the Andamans to the north of this latitude, and the Nicobars to
the south.
■ The Andaman Sea lies to the east and
the Bay of Bengal to the west.
■ The territory's
capital is the Andamanese town of Port Blair.
■ The total land area
of the territory is approximately 8,073 km2
(3,117 sq mi).
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On 26 December 2004 the coasts of the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands were devastated by a 10 m (33 ft) high tsunami.
More than 2,000 people lost their lives, more than 4,000 children were orphaned
or suffered the loss of one parent, and a minimum of 40,000 people were
rendered homeless. The worst affected Nicobar island were Katchal and Indira Point; the
latter subsided 4.25 meters and was partially submerged in the ocean. The lighthouse at Indira Point was damaged
but has been repaired since then. The territory lost a large amount of area
which is now submerged. The territory which was at 8,073 km2
(3,117 sq mi) is now merely at 7,950 km2
(3,070 sq mi).While newer settlers of the islands suffered the
greatest casualties from the tsunami, most of the aboriginal people survived
because oral traditions passed down from generations ago warned them to evacuate from large waves that follow large earthquakes
|
■ The capital of
Nicobar Islands is Car Nicobar. The islands host the Andaman and
■ Nicobar Command, the only
tri-service geographical command of the Indian Armed Forces.
■ The Andaman Islands
are home to the only known paleolithic people, the Sentinelese people, who have had no contact with any other
people.
■ The Nicobar Islands
appear to have been populated by people of various backgrounds.
At the time of the European contact, the
indigenous inhabitants were the Nicobarese people, speaking a Mon-Khmer language; and the Shompen, whose language is
of uncertain affiliation. Both are unrelated to the Andamanese.
■ The history of
organised European colonisation on the islands began when the Danish settlers of the Danish East India Company arrived in the Nicobar
Islands on 12 December 1755.
■ On 1 January 1756,
the Nicobar Islands were made a Danish colony, first named New Denmark, and
later (December 1756) Frederick's Islands (Frederiksøerne).
■ During 1754–1756
they were administrated from Tranquebar (in continental Danish India).
■ The islands were
repeatedly abandoned due to outbreaks of malaria between 14 April 1759 and 19
August 1768, from 1787 to 1807/05, 1814 to 1831, 1830 to 1834 and gradually
from 1848 for good.
■ From 1 June 1778 to
1784, Austria mistakenly assumed
that Denmark had abandoned its claims to the Nicobar Islands and attempted to establish a colony on them, renaming
them Theresia Islands.
■ In 1789 the British
set up a naval base and penal colony on Chatham Island next to Great Andaman,
where now lies the town of Port Blair.
■ Two years later the
colony was moved to Port Cornwallis on Great Andaman,
but it was abandoned in 1796 due to disease.
■ Denmark's presence in the
territory ended formally on 16 October 1868 when it sold the rights to the
Nicobar Islands to Britain, which made them part of British India in 1869.
■ In 1858 the British
again established a colony at Port Blair, which proved to be more permanent.
■ The primary purpose
was to set up a penal colony criminal convicts from the Indian subcontinent.
■ The colony came to
include the infamous Cellular Jail.
In 1872 the Andaman and
Nicobar islands were united under a single chief commissioner at Port Blair.
■ During World War II, the
islands were practically under Japanese control, only nominally under the
authority of the Arzi Hukumate Azad
Hind of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Bose visited the islands during the war, and renamed
them as "Shaheed-dweep" (Martyr Island) and "Swaraj-dweep"
(Self-rule Island).
■ It became part of
the Indian country in 1950 and was also declared as a union territory in 1956.
■ India has been developing
defence facilities on the islands since the 1980s.
■ The islands now
have a key position in India's strategic role in the Bay of Bengal and the
Malacca Strait.
■ There are 572 islands in the territory
having an area of 8,073 km2 (3,117 sq mi).
■ Of these, about 34
are permanently inhabited.
■ The islands extend
from 6° to 14° North latitudes and from 92° to 94° East longitudes.
■ The Andamans are
separated from the Nicobar group by a channel (the Ten Degree Channel) some 150 km (93 mi) wide.
■ The highest point
is located in North Andaman Island (Saddle Peak at 732 m (2,402 ft)).
■ The Andaman group
has 325 islands which cover an area of 6,170 km2
(2,382 sq mi) while the Nicobar group has only 24 islands with an
area of 1,765 km2 (681 sq mi).
■ The capital of the
union territory, Port Blair, is located 1,255 km (780 mi) from Kolkata, 1,200 km
(750 mi) from Visakhapatnam and 1,190 km (740 mi) from Chennai.
■ The northernmost
point of the Andaman and Nicobars group is 901 km (560 mi) away from
the mouth of the Hooghly River and 190 km (120 mi) from Burma.
■ Indira Point at
6°45’10″N and 93°49’36″E at the southern tip of the southernmost island, Great
Nicobar, is the southernmost point of India and lies only 150 km
(93 mi) from Sumatra in Indonesia.
■ They are an uncontacted people and current government policy is not to
attempt contact.
■ The population
estimation is between 50–500 people.
■ The Andaman and
Nicobar Islands have a tropical rainforest canopy, made of a mixed flora with
elements from Indian, Myanmar, Malaysian and endemic floral strains.
■ So far, about 2,200
varieties of plants have been recorded, out of which 200 are endemic and 1,300
do not occur in mainland India.
■ The South Andaman
forests have a profuse growth of epiphytic vegetation, mostly
ferns and orchids.
North Andamans is
characterized by the wet evergreen type, with plenty of woody climbers.
■ The North Nicobar
Islands (including Car Nicobar and Battimalv) are marked by the complete
absence of evergreen forests, while such forests form the dominant vegetation
in the central and southern islands of the Nicobar group.
■ Grasslands occur
only in the Nicobars, and while deciduous forests are common in the
Andamans, they are almost absent in the Nicobars.
■ The present forest
coverage is claimed to be 86.2% of the total land area.
■ This atypical
forest coverage is made up of twelve types, namely:
2.
Andamans tropical evergreen forest
4.
Cane brakes
5.
Wet bamboo brakes
6.
Andamans semi-evergreen forest
7.
Andamans moist deciduous forest
8.
Andamans secondary moist deciduous forest
11.
Brackish water mixed forest
12.
Submontane forest
■ This tropical rain
forest, despite its isolation from adjacent land masses, is surprisingly rich
with a diversity of animal life.
■ About 50 varieties
of forest mammals are found to occur in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Some
are endemic, including the Andaman Wild Boar.
■ Rodents are the
largest group with 26 species, followed by 14 species of bat.
■ Among the larger
mammals there are two endemic varieties of wild boar, Sus scrofa
andamanensis from Andaman and Sus scrofa nicobaricus from Nicobar, which
are protected by the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (Sch I).
■ The State animal of
andaman is the dugong, also known as the
sea cow, which can be found in Little Andaman.
■ Around 1962 there
was an attempt to introduce the leopard, which was
unsuccessful because of unsuitable habitat.
■ These were
ill-considered moves as exotic introductions can cause havoc to island flora
and fauna.
■ About 270 species
of birds are found in the territory; 14 of them are endemic, the majority to the
Nicobar island group.
■ The islands' many caves are nesting grounds
for the Edible-nest Swiftlet, whose nests are prized in China for bird's nest soup.
■ The territory is
home to about 225 species of butterflies and moths, including some of
the larger and most spectacular of the world.
■ Ten species are
endemic to these Islands. Mount Harriet National Park is one of the
richest areas of butterfly and moth diversity on these Islands.
■ The islands are
well known for of prized shellfishs, especially from the
genera Turbo, Trochus, Murex and Nautilus.
■ Earliest recorded
commercial exploitation began during 1929.
■ Many cottage
industries produce a range of decorative shell items. Giant clams, green mussels and oysters support edible
shellfishery.
■ As of 2011 Census of India, the population of
the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands was 379,944, of which
202,330 (53.25%) were male and 177,614 (46.75) were female.
■ The sex ratio was
878 females per 1,000 males. Only 10% of the population lived in Nicobar
islands.
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Name
|
Area (km2)
|
Population Census 2001
|
Population Census 2011
|
Capital
|
|
1,841
|
42,068
|
36,842
|
||
|
3,736
|
105,613
|
105,597
|
||
|
2,672
|
208,471
|
238,142
|
||
|
Totals
|
8,073
|
356,152
|
380,581
|
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Bengali is
the dominant language and most spoken language in the Andaman-Nicobar Islands
with 70% of the population speaking Bengali, the other major languages spoken
in the Andaman-Nicobar Islands are Hindi (18.23%), Tamil (17.68%), Telugu
(12.81%), Malayalam (8.11%) and Nicobarese (8.05%) according to 2001 Census of India.[3] Other minor spoken languages are Kurukh/Oraon, Munda
and Kharia.
|
■ Presently there
remain only approximately 400–450 indigenous Andamanese in the Andaman islands,
the Jarawa and Sentinelese in particular maintaining a steadfast
independence and refusing most attempts at contact.
■ In the Nicobar
islands, the indigenous people are the Nicobarese, or Nicobari,
living throughout many of the islands; and the Shompen, restricted to the
hinterland of Great Nicobar.
■ More than 2,000
people belonging to the Karen tribe live in the Mayabunder tehsil of North
Andaman district, almost all of whom are Christians.
■ Despite their
tribal origins, the Karen of Andamans have Other Backward Class (OBC) status in the Andamans.
■ The majority of
schools and educational institutions are available in Bengali language on the islands, Tamil and Telugu languages are also used in few
institutions.
■ The majority of
people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are Hindus, with significant Christian population
consisting 21.7% of the total population of the Union Territory according to
the 2011 census of India.
■ In 1874, the
British had placed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in one administrative
territory headed by a Chief Commissioner as its judicial administrator.
■ On 1 August 1974,
the Nicobar islands were hived off into another revenue district with district
headquarters at Car Nicobar under a Deputy Commissioner.
■ In 1982, the post
of Lieutenant Governor was created who replaced the Chief Commissioner as the
head of administration.
■ Subsequently a
"Pradesh council" with Counselors as representatives of the people
was constituted to advise the Lieutenant Governor.
■ The Andaman and
Nicobar Islands is divided into three districts. Each district is sub-divided
into sub-divisions and taluks:
- Headquarters: Mayabunder
- Diglipur Sub-Division
- Diglipur taluk
- Mayabunder Sub-Division
- Mayabunder taluk
- Rangat taluk
- Headquarters: Port Blair
- Port Blair Sub-Division
- Port Blair taluk
- Ferrargunj taluk
- Jirkatang taluk
(native Jarawa reservation)
- Ritchie's
Archipelago Sub-Division
- Ritchie's
Archipelago taluka (Havelock Island)
- Little Andaman Sub-Division
- Little Andaman taluka
(Hut Bay)
- Headquarters: Car Nicobar
- Car Nicobar Sub-Division
- Car Nicobar taluk
- Nancowrie Sub-Division
- Great Nicobar Sub-Division
- Great Nicobar taluk
(Campbell Bay)
- Little Nicobar taluk
■ A total of 48,675
hectares (120,280 acres) of land is used for agriculture purposes.
■ Paddy, the main food crop, is mostly cultivated in Andaman
group of islands, whereas coconut and arecanut are the cash crops
of Nicobar group of islands.
■ Field crops, namely
pulses, oilseeds and vegetables are
grown, followed by paddy during Rabi season.
■ Different kinds of
fruits such as mango, sapota, orange, banana, papaya, pineapple and root crops are grown on hilly
land owned by farmers. Spices such as pepper, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon are grown under a
multi-tier cropping system.
■ There are 1,374
registered small-scale, village and handicrafts units.
■ Two units are
export-oriented in the line of fish processing activity.
■ Apart from this,
there are shell and wood based handicraft units.
■ There are also four
medium-sized industrial units.
■ SSI units are engaged
in the production of polythene bags, PVC conduit pipes and fittings, paints and
varnished, fibre glass and mini flour mills, soft drinks and beverages, etc.
■ Small scale and
handicraft units are also engaged in shell crafts, bakery products, rice milling,
furniture making, etc.
■ The Andaman and
Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation has spread its wings in the
field of tourism, fisheries, industries and industrial financing and functions
as authorised agents for Alliance Air/Jet Airways.
■
The Islands have become a tourist destination, due to the draw of their largely
unspoiled virgin beaches and waters.
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Andaman & Nicobar Islands are developing into a
major Tourism hub with its exotic looking beaches and pristine islands having
equally exotic names, wonderful opportunities for adventure sports like
snorkeling and sea-walking. In Port Blair, the main places to visit are
Cellular Jail, Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Andaman Water sports
complex, Chatham Saw Mill, Mini Zoo, Corbyn's cove, Chidiya Tapu, Wandoor
Beach, Forest Museum, Anthropological Museum, Fisheries Museum, Naval Museum
(Samudrika), Ross Island and Viper Island.
|
■ Other places
include Havelock island famous for Radhanagar Beach, Neil Island for Scuba
diving/snorkelling, Cinque island, Saddle peak, Mt Harriet and Mud Volcano.
■ The southern
group(Nicobar islands) is mostly inaccessible to tourists.
■ Indian tourists do
not require a permit to visit the Andaman islands but if they wish to visit any
tribal areas they need a special permit from the Deputy Commissioner, Port
Blair.
■ Permits are
required for foreign nationals.
■ For foreign nationals
arriving by air, these are granted upon arrival at Port Blair.
■ According to
official estimates, the flow of tourists doubled to nearly 300,000 in 2012 from
130,000 in 2008-09.
■ The Radha Nagar
beach of Andamans was chosen as Asia’s best Beach in 2004.
■ This is a chart of
trend of gross state domestic product of Andaman and Nicobar Islands at market
prices, estimated by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation,
with figures in millions of Indian Rupees.
■
Andaman and Nicobar Islands' gross state domestic product for 2004 was
estimated at $354 million in current prices.
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The Sisters are two small uninhabited islands in the
Andaman Archipelago, at the northern side of the Duncan Passage, about
6 km southeast of Passage Island and 18 km north of North Brother:
East Sister Island (Andaman) West Sister Island (Andaman) The islands are
about 250 m apart, connected by a coral reef. They are covered by forests,
and have rocky shores except for a beach on the NW side of East Sister. They
belong to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Territory of India. Before the
British established a colony on the Andaman, the Sister islands were visited
occasionally by the Onge people of
Little Andaman Island for fishing. They may have been a way station for their
temporary settlement of Rutland Island between 1890 and 1930. The islands
have been a wildlife refuge since 1987, with 0.36 km2.
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The Lakshadweep Islands:
■ Lakshadweep known as the Laccadive, Minicoy, and Aminidivi Islands is a group of islands in
the Laccadive
Sea,
■ They
were also known as Laccadive Islands,
although geographically this is only the name of the central subgroup of the
group.
■ Lakshadweep comes from "Lakshadweepa", which
means "one hundred thousand islands" in Sanskrit .
■ The
total surface area is just 32 square kilometres (12 sq mi).
■ The
lagoon area covers about 4,200 square kilometres
(1,600 sq mi), the territorial
waters area 20,000 square
kilometres (7,700 sq mi) and the exclusive
economic zone
area 400,000 square kilometres (150,000 sq mi).
■ Kavaratti serves as the capital of the Union Territory and the
region comes under the jurisdiction of Kerala High Court.
■ The
islands are the northernmost of the Lakshadweep-Maldives-Chagos group of
islands, which are the tops of a vast undersea mountain range, the Chagos-Laccadive
Ridge.
■ As
the islands do not have any aboriginal groups, different views have been
postulated by the scholars about the history of habitation on these islands.
■ On
his death in 1799 most of the region passed on to the British and with their departure the Union Territory was formed
in 1956.
■ Ten
of the islands are inhabited. At the 2011
Indian census
the population of the Union Territory was 64,473.
■ The
majority of the indigenous population is Muslim and most of them belong to the Shafi School of the Sunni Sect.
■ The
islanders are ethnically similar to the Malayali people of the nearest Indian state of Kerala.
■ Most
of the population speaks Malayalam with Mahi
(or Mahl)
being the most spoken language in Minicoy island.
■ The
main occupation of the people is fishing and coconut cultivation, with tuna
being the main item of export.
■ Several
views have been postulated about the history of the habitation of the islands
as they do not have any aboriginal groups.
■ A
mention of the region in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, by an anonymous
author, is one of the earliest references.
There
are references to the control of the islands by the Cheras in the Sangam literature Pathitruppaththu.
■ A
Pallava inscription of 7th century AD refers to the islands as
Dveepa Laksham and lists them as part of the Pallava domain.
■
Local traditions and legends attribute the first settlement on these islands to
the period of Cheraman
Perumal,
the last Chera king of Kerala.
■ Archaeological evidence suggests that Buddhism prevailed in the region during the 5th-6th century CE.
■ According
to popular tradition, Islam was brought to Lakshadweep by an Arab named
Ubaidulla in 661 CE.
■
In the 16th century the Portuguese ruled the seas between Ormuz and the Malabar
Coast -and down to Ceylon.
■
As early as 1498 they took control of the archipelago (called Laquedivas by
them), later on to exploit coir production, until the islanders expelled
them in 1545.
■
In the 17th century, the islands came under the rule of Ali Rajahs/Arakkal Bheevi of Kannur,
who received them as a gift from the Kolathiris.
■
The Aminidivi group of islands (Amini, Kadmat, Kiltan, Chetlath and
Bitra) came under the rule of Tipu Sultan in 1787.
■
They passed to British control after the Third
Anglo-Mysore War
and were attached to South Canara.
■
The rest of the islands came under the suzerainty of the Arakkal family of Cannanore in return for a payment of annual tribute.
■
The British took over the administration of those islands for non-payment of
arrears.
■
These islands were attached to the Malabar district of the Madras Presidency during the British Raj.
■
In 1956, during the Lakshadweep islands were organized into a separate union
territory for administrative purposes.
■
To safeguard India's vital shipping lanes to the Middle East, and the growing relevance of the islands in security
considerations, an Indian
Navy base, INS Dweeprakshak, was commissioned on Kavaratti island.
■ Lakshadweep
is an archipelago of twelve atolls,
three reefs and five submerged banks, with a total of about thirty-nine islands and islets.
■ The reefs are in fact also atolls, although
mostly submerged, with only small unvegetated sand cays above the high-water
mark. The submerged banks are sunken atolls.
■ Almost all the atolls have a
northeast-southwest orientation with the islands lying on the eastern rim, and
a mostly submerged reef on the western rim, enclosing a lagoon.
■ It has 10 inhabited islands, 17 uninhabited
islands, attached islets, 4 newly formed islets and 5 submerged
reefs.
■ The Aminidivi group islands (consisting of Amini, Keltan,
Chetlat, Kadamat, Bitra and Perumal Par) and the Laccadive group islands (comprising mainly Androth, Kalpeni,
Kavaratti, Pitti and Suheli Par), both have a submarine connection between
them.
■ Together with Minicoy Island, located at the southern end of the 200 km
broad Nine
Degree Channel,
they form the Coral Islands of India in the Arabian Sea.
■ All these islands have been built up by corals
and have fringing coral
reefs very close to their
shores.
■ Two banks further north are not considered
part of the group: Angria Bank And Ades Bank.
The atolls, reefs and banks are
listed from north to south in the table:
|
Name and Alternate name
|
Island type
|
Land (km2)
|
Lagoon
(km2)
|
No. Of islets
|
Pop. Census
2001
|
|
bank
|
-
|
339.45
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
bank
|
-
|
388.53
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
Bassas
de Pedro
(Munyal Par, Padua Bank) |
bank
|
-
|
2474.33
|
-
|
-
|
|
(Beleapani
Reef)
|
reef
|
0.01
|
172.59
|
2
|
-
|
|
Byramgore
Reef (Chereapani)
|
reef
|
0.01
|
57.46
|
1
|
-
|
|
atoll
|
1.14
|
1.60
|
1
|
2,289
|
|
|
atoll
|
0.10
|
45.61
|
2
|
264
|
|
|
atoll
|
2.20
|
1.76
|
1
|
3,664
|
|
|
Kadmat
Island (Cardamom)
|
atoll
|
3.20
|
37.50
|
1
|
5,319
|
|
bank
|
-
|
95.91
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
reef
|
0.01
|
83.02
|
1
|
-
|
|
|
Amini
Island 1)
|
atoll
|
2.59
|
155.091)
|
1
|
7,340
|
|
Agatti
Island (Agatti)
|
atoll
|
2.70
|
4.84
|
1
|
8,000
|
|
Bangaram
Island (Bangaram)
|
atoll
|
2.30
|
4.84
|
1
|
61
|
|
Pitti Island 1)
|
islet
|
0.01
|
155.09 1)
|
1
|
-
|
|
Androth
Island (Andrott)
|
atoll
|
4.90
|
4.84
|
1
|
10,720
|
|
atoll
|
4.22
|
4.96
|
1
|
10,113
|
|
|
atoll
|
2.79
|
25.60
|
7
|
4,319
|
|
|
atoll
|
0.57
|
78.76
|
2
|
-
|
|
|
bank
|
-
|
141.78
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
atoll
|
4.80
|
30.60
|
2
|
9,495
|
|
|
Lakshadweep
|
32.69
|
4203.14
|
32
|
60,595
|
■ The
Lakshadweep Archipelago forms a terrestrial ecoregion
together with the Maldives and the Chagos.
■ It has
over 600 species of marine fishes, 78 species of corals,
82 species of seaweed, 52 species of crabs,
2 species of lobsters,
48 species of gastropods, 12 species of bivalves,
101 species of birds.
■ It is one
of the four coral reef regions in India.
■ The corals
are a major attraction for the tourist.
■ Pitti
Island, is an important breeding place for sea
turtles and for a number of pelagic
birds such as the brown
noddy (Anous stolidus), lesser crested tern
(Sterna bengalensis) and greater crested tern
(Sterna bergii).
■ The island
has been declared a bird sanctuary. There is also an absence of forest in the
region.
■ The region
does not have a rich flora and almost all the plants can be found on the
mainland of India.
|
Nearly 400 species of flowering plants have been
documented, including three species of sea grasses Cymodocia isoetifolia, Syringodium isoetifolium and Thalassia
hemprichii, other angiosperms as Pandanus, Heliotropium
foertherianum, Tournefortia
argentea and Pemphis acidula as well as fungi, algae, lichens are
also found. The common flora of the coral sands include coconut groves and
coastal shrubs as Pemphis acidula, Cordia subcordata, Scaevola taccada, Thespesia populnea, Suriana
maritime, Dodonaea viscosa, Guettarda speciosa and seaweeds such as
sea lettuces, Codium and Hypena.
|
■ Lakshadweep
forms a single Indian district
and is governed by an administrator appointed by the President of India
under article 239 of the constitution.
■ There
are 10 Sub Divisions of the territory.
■ In
Minicoy and Agatti the Sub Division is under a Deputy Collector while in the
remaining 8 islands developmental activities are coordinated by Sub Divisional
Officers.
■ Administrator
in his capacity as Inspector General of Lakshadweep Police has command and
control of the Lakshadweep Police.
■ Administration
Secretariat is in Kavaratti.
■ The
union territory comes under the jurisdiction of the Kerala
High Court at Kochi
along with a system of lower courts.
■ The
territory elects one member to the Lok
Sabha.
■ According
to the 2011 census
Lakshadweep has a population
of 64,429, roughly equal in number to that of the Marshall
Islands.
■ This
gives it a ranking of 627th among the 640 districts in India.
■ The
district has a population density of 2,013 inhabitants per square kilometre
(5,210/sq mi).
■ Its
population growth rate
over the decade 2001-2011 was 6.23%.
■ Lakshadweep
has a sex
ratio of 946 females
for every 1000 males.
■ Lakshadweep
has a literacy rate
of 92.28%.
■ Most
people of Lakshadweep are descendants of migrants from the Malabar
Coast of southwest India and the islanders are ethnically similar
to coastal Kerala's Malayali
people.
■ The
southernmost and second largest island of Minicoy
has an ethnically Mahls population that are native to the Maldives.
■ The
inhabitants of Lakshadweep are known to practice different religious customs
that were once propounded by the Saint Ubaidullah
who is believed to be the propagator of Islam religion in Lakshadweep
■ In
Lakshadweep 93% population is Muslim, only 4% people is Hindu and 3% people
believes on other religion.
■ There are several festivals that
have originated in the island of Lakshadweep to mark the eminence of Islam.
■ Moulood is one such religious event
when the islanders offer prayers to the divine power and eat in groups.
■ The festival of Ratheeb is another
uncommon occasion which originated in the Kavaratti region of Lakshadweep.
■ The Sunni branch of Islam is the
predominant faith.
■ Languages of Lakshadweep as 2001 census Malayalam
(85.00%) and others (15.00%)
■ The
people of all the northern islands speak a dialect of Malayalam with Tamil and Arabic similar to Arwi influenced by extensive trade activities of
these people.
■ The
people of Minicoy, the southernmost
atoll, speak Mahl, a variant of Divehi language spoken in the Maldives.
■ Malayalam
with Malayalam script was introduced as the official language of Lakshadweep
during the British
raj.
■ Previously
a type of Arabic script (Arabi Malayalam) was used for the
language.
■ The
policy was continued by the Indian government.
■ Malayalam
serves as a link language on the islands including on the Mahl dominated
Minicoy Island.
■ The
dances here include:-Lava Dance, Kolkali dance & Parichakli Dance.
■ Lakshadweep's gross state domestic product for 2004 is
estimated at US$ 60 million at
current prices.
■ There is little economic inequality in Lakshadweep and the poverty index is low.
■ Coconut fibre
extraction and production of fibre products is Lakshadweep's main industry.
■ Lakshadweep comprises the only
coral atolls of the country.
■ With a vast lagoon of 4,200 km2, it has territorial waters of 20,000 km2, Exclusive Economic
Zone (EEZ) of 4,00,000 Lakhs km2 and coastal
line of about 132 km.
■ There is an estimation of about
one lakh tonnes of tuna and tuna like fishes and about an equal quantity of shark in the sea around Lakshadweep.
■ Fishing is the main livelihood of
the islanders.
■ The resultant product, known as
`mas`, are popular products exported from these islands to southeast Asian countries.
■ Due
to its isolation and scenic appeal, Lakshadweep was already known as a tourist
attraction for Indians since 1974.
■ This
brings in significant revenue, which is likely to increase.
■ Since
such a small region cannot support industries, the government is actively
promoting tourism as a means of income in Bangaram and Kadmat islands.
■ Bangaram
is projected as a major destination for international tourism.
■
Marine fauna are plentiful.
■ Water
sports activities such as scuba diving, wind surfing, snorkelling, surfing, kayaking, canoeing, water skiing, sportfishing, yachting and
night-voyages into the sea are quite popular activities among tourists.
■ Tourists
flock to these islands throughout the year, except during the South-west monsoon months when seas are extremely rough.
Desalination
A low-temperature
thermal desalination plant opened on
Kavaratti in 2005, at a cost of
 50 million
(€922,000). The experimental plant, which uses the temperature difference
between warm surface seawater and much colder seawater at 500m depth to
generate potable water as well as energy, was slated to produce
100,000 litres/day of potable water from seawater. Production costs in
2005 were 220-250/m³
(€4.1-4.6/m³); the cost was supposed to drop to 30-60/m³
(€0.55-1.11/m³) with increased capacity. The technology was developed by the National
Institute of Ocean Technology. It
can be used to produce drinking water and also for power generation and air
conditioning. In addition, the deep seawater contains extra nutrients for
fish, an important source of food and income for the local population. The
government plans to set up desalination plants with a capacity of
10 million litres/per day on all islands and coastal areas. In 2009, the
NIOT announced plans to build plants on Minicoy, Agatti and Andrott. |
■ Agatti Aerodrome on Agatti Island is
the only airport in Lakshadweep.
■ Tourists need a
permit to visit the islands; foreign nationals are not permitted to visit
certain islands.
■ According to the
current alcohol laws of India, alcoholic beverage consumption is not permitted in the Lakshadweep
Archipelago except on Bangaram Island.
Pamban Islands:
■ Pamban
Island also known as Rameswaram
Island
■ Pamban
Island is an island located between peninsular India
and Sri Lanka.
■ The
Island is a part of India and forms Rameswaram taluk
of Ramanathapuram district
of the state of Tamil Nadu.
■ Principal
town in the island is the pilgrimage centre of Rameswaram.
■ Pamban
Island is situated between 9°11' N and 9°19' N latitude and 79°12' E to 79°23'
E longitudes.
■ The
chain formed by Pamban Island, the shoals of Adam's Bridge,
and Mannar Island of Sri Lanka
separate Palk Bay
and the Palk Strait in the northeast from the Gulf of Mannar
in the southwest.
■ Pamban
Island extends for around 30 kilometres in width from the township of Pamban in
the west to the remains of Dhanushkodi
towards the south-east.
■ The
length of the island varies from 2 kilometres at the Dhanushkodi promontory to
7 kilometres near Rameswaram. The area of the island is around 67 square km.
■ Pamban
Island constitutes a separate taluk of Ramanathapuram district with four
administrative divisions: Okarisalkulam, Mahindi, Pamban and Rameswaram.
■ There are
two administrative villages: Pamban and Rameswaram.
■ The two main
towns on Pamban Island are Pamban and Rameswaram.
■ There are
also smaller settlements upon the island like Thangachimadam.
■ The taluk
headquarters is at Rameswaram.
■ There are
railway stations at Pamban and Rameswaram.
■ Rameswaram with a population of 38,035 (2001 census)
is the largest and most populous town on the island.
■ It is one of the most sacred Hindu religious sites and
a pilgrimage destination for thousands of Hindus every year.
■ The Ramanathaswamy
Temple at Rameswaram has the longest
corridor in Asia.
■ Rameswaram is situated at the centre of the island,
around 11 kilometres from the township of Pamban and 18 kilometres from Dhanushkodi.
■ Pamban, situated at the western edge of Pamban Island,
is a fishing village and a harbor which is the main point of entry for the
pilgrimage centre of Rameswaram.
■ It has a population of around 9,000 inhabitants.
■ Its importance has enhanced because it is located at
the eastern end of Pamban Bridge through which supplies enter the island.
■ Pamban is 11 kilometres from Rameswaram, 30
kilometres from the tip of Dhanushkodi and around 7 kilometres from Mandapam on
the Indian mainland.
■ It is
separated from the Indian mainland by a narrow strip of sea.
■ Thangachi Madam
situated between Pamban and Rameswaram is a minor settlement.
■ It derives
its name from a mutt (Madam) which is located in the town.
■ There are a
couple of temples and a few churches.
■ The township
is also served by a police station.
■ Ekantharamar
Temple constructed and maintained by the Kanchi mutt is the main attraction here.
|
Dhanushkodi, at the
eastern tip of the island, a harbour and a pilgrimage centre, was washed away
by the December 1964 cyclone. Prior to its destruction it was a flourishing
township and a prominent place of pilgrimage. In its heyday, it rivalled
Rameswaram in size and population. However, the 22 December 1964 cyclone
destroyed the town in its entirety claiming over 2,000 lives and crippling
power supply and communications. Houses, temples, churches, dispensaries and
dharmashalas were destroyed leaving nothing but a ghost town. Some of the
dharmashalas and a prominent mutt based in Dhanushkodi have been moved to
Rameswaram. But Dhanushkodi could never be rebuilt. Dhanushkodi was well
connected by rail and road with Pamban and the mainland until the cyclone
struck. The ruins of the station and the railway track have been left
untouched thereby making the Ghost-town a popular tourist destination.
|
