Rajaji National Park

Rajaji National Park

Subject : Geography

Context: Underlining that “conservation priority of the forest area far out weighs the commercial transport needs of the state government”, the Central Empowered Committee(CEC) of the Supreme Court has recommended against blacktoppinga4.7-kmstretchof a key forest road in the buffer zone of Uttarakhand’s Rajaji tiger reserve.

Rajaji National Park

• It is nestled between the Shivalik ranges and the Indo-Gangetic plains.
• Broadleaved deciduous forests, riverine vegetation, scrubland, grasslands and pine forests form the range of flora in this park.
• The park is spread over three districts of Uttarakhand: Haridwar, Dehradun and PauriGarhwal.
• The Ganga and Song rivers flow through the park.
• It is at the northwestern limit of distribution for both elephants and tigers in India and has the largest population of elephants in Uttarakhand.
• The Park is also home to the Great Pied Hornbill, Himalayan Pied Kingfisher and the fire tailed sunbird.
• This area is the first staging ground after the migratory birds cross over the Himalayas into the Indian subcontinent.
• In 2015, Rajaji National Park was notified as a tiger reserve by the central government. Benefits of Tiger Reserve – Protected area for Tigers, Tourist attraction, Huge Development fund for the park, Eco-Tourism development.