Rann of Kutch
The Rann of Kutch is a large area of salt marshes located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, and spans the border between India and Pakistan. Most of the region is located in the Kutch district of the Indian state of Gujarat, with a minor portion extending into the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is further sub-divided geographically into the Great Rann and Little Rann.
The region used to be part of low lying peneplain submerged under the Arabian Sea, and when the waters receded, it left behind the salt marshes, which formed the Rann of Kutch. The Luni River flowed into the Rann of Kutch, however when the hydrography changed when the Rann dried up, the Luni ended up as an inland river flowing into the Thar desert to the north.
Geography
The Rann of Kutch spans and is located mostly in the Kutch district of the Indian state of Gujarat with a portion extending into the Pakistani province of Sindh. The word Rann or Rinn means "desert" in Sindhi and Gujarati. It is further subdivided into the Great Rann of Kutch, the larger portion of the Rann, which has the Thar Desert to the north, the low hills of Kutch to the south, and the Indus River Delta to the west. The Little Rann of Kutch lies southeast of the Great Rann, and extends southwards to the Gulf of Kutch.The surface is generally flat and very close to sea level, and most of the Rann floods annually during the monsoon season. There are areas of sandy higher ground, known as bets or s, which lie two to three metres above flood level. Trees and shrubs grow on the bets, and they provide refuges for wildlife during the annual floods. Several rivers originating in Rajasthan and Gujarat flow into the Rann of Kutch, including the Luni, Bhuki, Bharud, Nara, Kharod, Banas, Saraswati, Rupen, Bambhan, and Machchhu. Kori Creek and Sir Creek are tidal creeks, which are part of the Indus delta, are located at the western end of the Great Rann.
Climate
The climate of the ecoregion is tropical savanna/semi-arid. Temperatures average during the hot summer months, and can reach highs of. During winter the temperature can drop to or below. Rainfall is highly seasonal. The region is dry for most of the year, and rainfall is concentrated in the southwest monsoon season of June to September. During the monsoon season, local rainfall and river runoff flood much of the Rann to a depth of. The waters evaporate during the long dry season, leaving the Rann dry again by the start of the next monsoon season.Ecology
The Rann of Kutch is the only large flooded grasslands zone in the Indomalayan realm. The area has desert on one side and the sea on the other, which enables various ecosystems, including mangroves and desert vegetation. Its grassland and deserts are home to forms of wildlife that have adapted to its often harsh conditions. These include endemic and endangered animal and plant species.The predominant vegetation in the Rann of Kutch is grassland and thorn scrub. Common grass species include Apluda aristata, Cenchrus spp., Pennisetum spp., Cymbopogon spp., Eragrostis spp., and Elionurus spp. Trees are rare except on the bets which rise above the flood zone. The non-native tree Prosopis juliflora has become established on the bets, and its seed pods provide year-round food for the wild asses.
The Rann of Kutch is home to about 50 species of mammals. They include several large herbivores, including Indian wild ass, chinkara, nilgai, and blackbuck, and large predators like Indian wolf, striped hyena, desert wildcat, and caracal. The Indian wild ass once had a wider distribution but is now limited to the Rann of Kutch. The nilgai and blackbuck are threatened species.
There are over 200 bird species in the Rann of Kutch, including the threatened species lesser florican and houbara bustard. The seasonal wetlands provide habitat for many water birds, including the demoiselle crane and lesser flamingo.
History and culture
The history of the Rann of Kutch began with early Neolithic settlements. The people of the Indus Civilization appear to have settled in the Rann of Kutch around 3500 BCE. The Indus city of Dholavira, the largest Indus site in India, is located in the Rann of Kutch. This city was built on the Tropic of Cancer, possibly indicating that Dholavira's inhabitants were skilled in astronomy. The Rann of Kutch also contained the industrial site of Khirasara, where a warehouse was found. Indologists hold a view that the Rann of Kutch was, rather than the salt marsh that it is today, a navigable archipelago at the time of the Indus Civilization. The Indus Civilization was known to have an extensive maritime trade system, so there were perhaps ports in the Rann of Kutch. The Rann of Kutch was later part of both the Maurya and Gupta empires.During the British Raj in the early 20th century, a ban on salt harvesting resulted in a protest march by Mahatma Gandhi. The Rann Utsav festival, a three-month long carnival, commemorates the local art forms.