The Chota Nagpur Plateau is a
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...
in eastern India, which covers much of
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . It ...
state as well as adjacent parts of
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prade ...
,
Odisha
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
,
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
and
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...
. The
Indo-Gangetic plain
The Indo-Gangetic Plain, also known as the North Indian River Plain, is a fertile plain encompassing northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, including most of northern and eastern India, around half of Pakistan, virtually all of Bangla ...
lies to the north and east of the plateau, and the basin of the
Mahanadi
The Mahanadi is a major river in East Central India. It drains an area of around and has a total length of . Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam. The river flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha and finally merged with Bay o ...
river lies to the south. The total area of the Chota Nagpur Plateau is approximately .
Etymology
The name ''Nagpur'' is probably taken from
Nagavanshi
Nagavanshi ( IAST: Nāgavaṃśī) refers to any of the several Indian Kshatriya dynasties or ruling groups claiming descent from the mythical Nāgas. Along with Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi and Agnivanshi, the Nagavanshi clans form a part of the ...
s, who ruled in this part of the country. ''Chhota'' (''small'' in Hindi) is the misunderstood name of "Chuita" village in the outskirts of
Ranchi
Ranchi (, ) is the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern Odisha, western West Bengal and the eastern area ...
, which has the remains of an old fort belonging to the Nagavanshis.
[Sir John Houlton, ''Bihar, the Heart of India'', pp. 127-128, Orient Longmans, 1949.]
Formation
![Damodar River in its upper reaches](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Damodar_River_in_its_upper_reaches.jpg)
The Chota Nagpur Plateau is a continental plateau—an extensive area of land thrust above the general land. The plateau has been formed by continental uplift from forces acting deep inside the earth.
The
Gondwana
Gondwana () was a large landmass, often referred to as a supercontinent, that formed during the late Neoproterozoic (about 550 million years ago) and began to break up during the Jurassic period (about 180 million years ago). The final stages ...
substrates attest to the plateau's ancient origin. It is part of the Deccan Plate, which broke free from the southern continent during the
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...
to embark on a 50-million-year journey that was interrupted by the collision with the Eurasian continent. The northeastern part of the
Deccan Plateau
The large Deccan Plateau in southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bounded by the ...
, where this ecoregion sits, was the first area of contact with Eurasia.
Divisions
The Chota Nagpur Plateau consists of three steps. The highest step is in the western part of the plateau, where ''pats'' as a plateau is locally called, are above sea level. The highest point is . The next part contains larger portions of the old Ranchi and Hazaribagh districts and some parts of old Palamu district, before these were broken up into smaller administrative units. The general height is . The topography in undulating with prominent gneissic hills, often dome-like in outline. The lowest step of the plateau is at an average level of around . It covers the old Manbhum and Singhbhum districts. High hills are a striking part of this section –
Parasnath Hills rise to a height of and
Dalma Hills
Dalma range refers to the continuation of an assemblage of hills stretching over Jharkhand and West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Ba ...
to .
[ The large plateau is subdivided into several small plateaus or sub-plateaus.
]
Pat region
The western plateau with an average elevation of above mean sea level merges into the plateau of the Surguja district of Chhattisgarh. The flat topped plateau, locally known as ''pats'' are characterized by level surface and accordance of their summit levels shows they are part of one large plateau. Examples include Netarhat Pat, Jamira Pat, Khamar Pat, Rudni Pat and others. The area is also referred to as Western Ranchi Plateau. It is believed to be composed of Deccan basalt lava.
Ranchi Plateau
The Ranchi Plateau is the largest part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. The elevation of the plateau surface in this part is about and gradually slopes down towards south-east into the hilly and undulating region of Singhbhum (earlier the Singhbhum district or what is now the Kolhan division
Kolhan division is one of the five divisions in the Indian state of Jharkhand. The division comprises three districts: East Singhbhum, Seraikela Kharsawan district, and West Singhbhum. The three districts were earlier a part of South Chotana ...
). The plateau is highly dissected. The Damodar River
Damodar River (Pron: /ˈdʌmoˌdaː/) is a river flowing across the Indian states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. Rich in mineral resources, the valley is home to large-scale mining and industrial activity. Earlier known as the Sorrow of Bengal bec ...
originates here and flows through a rift valley
A rift valley is a linear shaped lowland between several highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic rift. Rifts are formed as a result of the pulling apart of the lithosphere due to extensional tectonics. The linear d ...
.[ To the north it is separated from the Hazaribagh plateau by the Damodar trough.][ To the west is a group of plateaus called ''pat''.][
There are many waterfalls at the edges of the Ranchi plateau where rivers coming from over the plateau surface form waterfalls when they descend through the precipitous escarpments of the plateau and enter the area of significantly lower elevation. The ]North Karo River
The North Karo River ( hi, ऊत्त्तरि कारो नदी) drains the Indian state of Jharkhand.
It originates on the Ranchi Plateau. It forms a high scarp falls, Pheruaghaugh, at the southern margin of the Ranchi plateau. ...
has formed the high Pheruaghaugh Falls at the southern margin of the Ranchi plateau. Such falls are called scarp falls. Hundru Falls
The Hundru Falls is a waterfall located in Ranchi district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is the 34th highest waterfall in India. It is one of the most famous tourist places in the region.
Geography
Location
Hundru Falls is located at ...
(75 m) on the Subarnarekha River near Ranchi, Dassam Falls
The Dassam Falls (also known as Dassam Ghagh) is a waterfall located near Taimara village in Bundu police station of Ranchi district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Etymology
Dassam is a changed form of word Da:song which means in mundari la ...
(39.62 m) on the Kanchi River, east of Ranchi, Sadni Falls
Sadni Falls (also called Sadnighagh Falls) is a waterfall located about from Rajadera village in Gumla district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Geography
Location
Sadni Falls is located at
The Falls
The falls on the Sankh River is a sca ...
(60 m) on the Sankh River (Ranchi plateau) are examples of scarp falls. Sometimes waterfalls of various dimensions are formed when tributary streams join the master stream from great heights forming hanging valleys. At Rajrappa
Rajrappa is a waterfall and a pilgrimage centre in the Chitarpur CD block in the Ramgarh subdivision of the Ramgarh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Geography
Location
Rajrappa is located at .
Rajrappa stands at the confluence of t ...
(10 m), the Bhera River coming over from the Ranchi Plateau hangs above the Damodar River at its point of confluence with the latter. The Jonha Falls
The Jonha Falls (also called Gautamdhara Falls) is a waterfall located in Ranchi district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Geography
Location
Jonha Falls is located at
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the d ...
(25.9 m) is another example of this category of falls. The Ganga River hangs over its master stream, the Raru River (to the east of Ranchi city) and forms the said falls.
Hazaribagh Plateau
The Hazaribagh plateau is often subdivided into two parts – the ''higher plateau'' and the ''lower plateau''. Here the higher plateau is referred to as Hazaribagh plateau and the lower plateau as Koderma plateau. The Hazaribagh plateau on which Hazaribagh town is built is about east by west and north by south with an average elevation of . The north-eastern and southern faces are mostly abrupt; but to the west it narrows and descends slowly in the neighbourhood of Simaria and Jabra where it curves to the south and connects with the Ranchi Plateau through Tori pargana. It is generally separated from the Ranchi plateau by the Damodar trough.[
The western portion of Hazaribagh plateau constitutes a broad watershed between the Damodar drainage on the south and the Lilajan and ]Mohana
Mohana is a town and community development block in the Gajapati district of Odisha state in India. The town comes under the administrative control of Mohana Police station.
The town had a population of 5,197 in 2011 census and 4,759 in the ...
rivers on the north. The highest hills in this area are called after the villages of Kasiatu, Hesatu and Hudu, and rise fronting the south above the general level of the plateau. Further east along the southern face a long spur projects right up to the Damodar river where it ends in Aswa Pahar, elevation . At the south-eastern corner of the plateau is Jilinga Hill at . Mahabar Jarimo at and Barsot at stand in isolation to the east, and on the north-west edge of the plateau Sendraili at and Mahuda
Mahuda is a census town in Baghmara CD block in Dhanbad Sadar subdivision of Dhanbad district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Geography
Location
Mahuda is located at .
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in th ...
at are the most prominent features. Isolated on the plateau, in the neighbourhood of Hazaribagh town are four hills of which the highest Chendwar rises to . On all sides it has an exceedingly abrupt scarp, modified only on the south-east. In the south it falls almost sheer in a swoop of to the bed of Bokaro River
The Bokaro River flows through the Hazaribagh and Bokaro districts in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Course
The Bokaro River rises on the Hazaribagh plateau, south of Hazaribagh
Hazaribagh is a city and a municipal corporation in Hazari ...
, below Jilinga Hill. Seen from the north the edge of this plateau has the appearance of a range of hills,[ at the foot of which (on the Koderma plateau) runs the ]Grand Trunk Road
The Grand Trunk Road (formerly known as Uttarapath, Sarak-e-Azam, Shah Rah-e-Azam, Badshahi Sarak, and Long Walk) is one of Asia's oldest and longest major roads. For at least 2,500 years it has linked Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. ...
and NH 2 (new NH19).
Koderma Plateau
The Koderma plateau is also referred to as the Hazaribagh lower plateau[ or as the Chauparan-Koderma-Girighi sub-plateau.
The northern face of the Koderma plateau, elevated above the plains of Bihar, has the appearance of a range of hills, but in reality it is the edge of a plateau, from the level of the Gaya plain. Eastward this northern edge forms a well-defined watershed between heads of the tributaries of Gaya and those of the ]Barakar River
The Barakar River is the main tributary of the Damodar River in eastern India. Originating near Padma in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand it flows for across the northern part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau, mostly in a west to east direction, befor ...
, which traverses the Koderma
Kodarma (also spelled as Koderma) is a city and a notified area in the Koderma subdivision of the Koderma district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Demographics
As per 2011 Census of India, Kodarma Nagar Parishad had a total population of 2 ...
and Giridih
Giridih is headquarters of the Giridih district of Jharkhand state, India. The city of Giridih is known for its industrial and health sectors, as well as its scenic beauty. Giridih houses the Giridih Coalfield which is one of the oldest coalfie ...
districts in an easterly direction. The slope of this plateau to the east is uniform and gentle and is continued past the river, which bears to the south-east, into the Santhal Parganas and gradually disappears in the lower plains of Bengal. The western boundary of the plateau is formed by the deep bed of the Lilajan River
The Lilājan River (also known by its Sanskrit name: Nirañjanā) is a river that flows through the Chatra and Gaya districts in the Indian states of Jharkhand and Bihar. It is also referred to as the Nilanjan, Niranjana or Falgu River.
Cours ...
.The southern boundary consists of the face of the higher plateau, as far as its eastern extremity, where for some distance a low and undistinguished watershed runs eastward to the western spurs of Parasnath Hills. The drainage to the south of this low line passes by the Jamunia River to the Damodar.[
]
Damodar trough
The Damodar basin forms a trough between the Ranchi and Hazaribagh plateaus resulting from enormous fractures at their present edges, which caused the land between to sink to a great depth and incidentally preserved from denudation by the Karanpura, Ramgarh and Bokaro coalfields. The northern boundary of the Damodar valley is steep as far as the south eastern corner of the Hazaribagh plateau. On the south of the trough the Damodar keeps close to the edge of the Ranchi plateau till it has passed Ramgarh, after which a turn to the north-east leaves on the right hand a wide and level valley on which the Subarnarekha begins to intrude, south of Gola till the Singhpur Hills divert it to the south. Further to the east the Damodar River passes tamely into the Manbhum sector of lowest step of the Chota Nagpur plateau.[
]
Palamu
The Palamu division
Palamu division is one of the five divisions of Jharkhand state in eastern India. This division comprises three districts: Garhwa, Latehar
Latehar is a town which is a headquarter of Latehar district of Jharkhand state, it is known for its ...
generally lies at a lower height than the surrounding areas of Chota Nagpur Plateau. On the east the Ranchi plateau intrudes into the division and the southern part of the division merges with the Pat region. On the west are the Surguja highlands of Chhattishgarh and Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh. The Son River
Son River ( hi, सोन नदी, also spelt Sone River) is a perennial river located in central India. It originates near Amarkantak Hill in Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district of Chhattisgarh and finally merges with the Ganges River near Pat ...
touches the north-western corner of the division and then forms the state boundary for about . The general system of the area is a series of parallel ranges of hills running east and west through which the North Koel River
North Koel River flows through the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Course
The North Koel rises on the Chhota Nagpur plateau and enters Latehar district , below Netarhat near Rud. After flowing nearly due west for about , it turns north at an almos ...
passes. The hills in the south are the highest in the area, and the picturesque and isolated cup-like Chhechhari valley is surrounded by lofty hills on every side. Lodh Falls
The Lodh Falls (also known as Budha Ghagh) is a waterfall in a mid forest of Palamau Tiger Reserve, South division of Latehar district in Jharkhand state in India. It is the highest waterfall in Jharkhand and the 21st highest waterfall in Ind ...
drops from a height of from these hills, making it the highest waterfall on the Chota Nagpur Plateau. Netarhat
Netarhat is a hill station in Latehar district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is also referred to as the "Queen of Chotanagpur", and is a hill station.
The town is also famous for Netarhat Residential School, set up in 1954.
Geography
Ne ...
and Pakripat plateaus are physiographically part of the Pat region.
Manbhum-Singhbhum
In the lowest step of the Chota Nagpur Plateau, the Manbhum area covers the present Purulia district
Purulia district (Pron: puruliːaː) is one of the twenty-three districts of West Bengal state in Eastern India. Purulia is the administrative headquarters of the district. Some of the other important towns of Purulia district are Raghunathpur- ...
in West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
, and Dhanbad district
Dhanbad district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India, and Dhanbad is the administrative headquarters of this district. As of 2011, it is the second most populous district of Jharkhand (out of 24), after Ranchi. It a ...
and parts of Bokaro district
Bokaro district is one of the most industrialized zones in India. It is one of the twenty-four districts of the Jharkhand state, India. It was established in 1991 by carving out one subdivision consisting of two blocks from Dhanbad District a ...
in Jharkhand, and the Singhbhum area broadly covers Kolhan division
Kolhan division is one of the five divisions in the Indian state of Jharkhand. The division comprises three districts: East Singhbhum, Seraikela Kharsawan district, and West Singhbhum. The three districts were earlier a part of South Chotana ...
of Jharkhand. The Manbhum area has a general elevation of about and it consists of undulating land with scattered hills – Baghmundi and Ajodhya range, Panchakot and the hills around Jhalda are the prominent ones. Adjacent Bankura district
Bankura district (Pron: bãkuɽa) is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is part of Medinipur division—one of the five administrative divisions of West Bengal. Bankura district is surrounded by Purba Bardhaman distri ...
of West Bengal has been described as the “connecting link between the plains of Bengal on the east and Chota Nagpur plateau on the west.” The same could be said of the Asansol
Asansol is a (Tier-II) metropolitan city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the second largest and most populated city of West Bengal and the 33rd largest urban agglomeration in India. Asansol is the district headquarters of Paschim Bar ...
and Durgapur
Durgapur () is a planned tier-II urban agglomeration and a major industrial city in Paschim Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the fourth largest urban agglomeration after Kolkata, Asansol and Siliguri in West Bengal ...
subdivisions of Bardhaman district
Bardhaman district (, ; also spelled Burdwan or Barddhaman or Vardhaman) was a district in West Bengal. On 7 April 2017, the district was bifurcated into two districts: Purba Bardhaman and Paschim Bardhaman district. The headquarters of the dis ...
.
The Singhbhum area contains much more hilly and broken country. The whole of the western part is a mass of hill ranges rising to in the south-west. Jamshedpur sits on an open plateau, above mean sea level, with a higher plateau to the south of it. The eastern part is mostly hilly, though near the borders of West Bengal it flattens out into an alluvial plain. In the Singhbhum area, there are hills alternating with valleys, steep mountains, deep forests on the mountain slopes, and, in the river basins, some stretches of comparatively level or undulating country. The centre of the area consists of an upland plateau enclosed by hill ranges. This strip, extending from the Subarnarekha River on the east to the Angarbira range to the west of Chaibasa, is a very fertile area. Saranda forest
Saranda forest is a dense forest in the hilly region of West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum, Saraikela district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. This area used to be the private hunting reserve of the Singh Deo family (the erstwhile royal family of Sar ...
is reputed to have the best Sal forests in Asia.[
]
Climate
The Chota Nagpur Plateau has an attractive climate. For five to six months of the year, from October onward the days are sunny and bracing. The mean temperature in December is . The nights are cool and temperatures in winter may drop below freezing point in many places. In April and May the day temperature may cross but it is very dry and not sultry as in the adjacent plains. The rainy season (June to September) is pleasant. The Chota Nagpur Plateau receives an annual average rainfall of around , which is less than the rainforested areas of much of India and almost all of it in the monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
months between June and August.
Ecology
The ''Chota Nagpur dry deciduous forests'', a tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive ...
ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...
, encompasses the plateau. The ecoregion has an area of , covering most of Jharkhand state and adjacent portions of Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.
The ecoregion is drier than surrounding ones, including the Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests
The Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests, presently known as East Deccan moist deciduous forests, is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in east-central India. The ecoregion covers an area of , extending across po ...
that covers the Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats pass through Odisha, Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka as well as Telangana. They are eroded and cut ...
and Satpura Range
The Satpura Range is a range of hills in central India. The range rises in eastern Gujarat running east through the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and ends in Chhattisgarh. The range parallels the Vindhya Range to the north, and these ...
to the south, and the Lower Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests
The Lower Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion of Bangladesh and India. The ecoregion covers an area of , comprising most of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Biha ...
in the lowlands to the east and north.
The plateau is covered with a variety of various habitats of which Sal forest is predominant. The plateau is home to the Palamau Tiger Reserve
The Palamau Tiger Reserve is one of the nine original tiger reserves in Jharkhand, India and the only one in this state. It forms part of Betla National Park and Palamau Wildlife Sanctuary.
As of 2022, the reserve is reported to be largely under ...
and other large blocks of natural habitat which are among the few remaining refuges left in India for large populations of tiger
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...
and Asian elephant
The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus ''Elephas'' and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in the no ...
s.[
Forests range from dry to wet and reach up to tall. The plateau is also swampy in some places and in other parts is covered with bamboo grasslands and shrubs such as '' Holarrhena'' and '']Dodonaea
''Dodonaea'' is a genus of about 70 species of flowering plants, often known as hop-bushes, in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. It has a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of Africa, the Americas, so ...
''. The flora of the plateau is distinct from the wetter parts of India that surround it and includes a number of endemic plants such as ''Aglaia haslettiana
''Aglaia'' is a genus of 117 species of woody dioecious trees belonging to the Mahogany family (Meliaceae). These trees occur in the subtropical and tropical forests of Southeast Asia, Northern Australia and the Pacific.
Some species are impo ...
'' and endangered plant species including ''Madhuca longifolia
''Madhuca longifolia'' is an Indian tropical tree found largely in the central, southern, north Indian plains and forests, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. It is commonly known as madhūka, , mahuwa, Butter Tree, mahua, mahwa, , Iluppai or vippa che ...
'' and '' Butea monosperma.''
Tigers, Asian elephants, four-horned antelope
The four-horned antelope (''Tetracerus quadricornis''), or ''chousingha'', is a small antelope found in India and Nepal. Its four horns distinguish it from most other bovids, which have two horns (with a few exceptions, such as the Jacob sheep) ...
(''Tetracerus quadricornis''), blackbuck
The blackbuck (''Antilope cervicapra''), also known as the Indian antelope, is an antelope native to India and Nepal. It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources.
It stands up to high at the shoulder. Ma ...
(''Antilope cervicapra''), chinkara
The chinkara (''Gazella bennettii''), also known as the Indian gazelle, is a gazelle species native to Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Taxonomy
The following six subspecies are considered valid:
* Deccan chinkara (''G. b. bennettii'') ...
(''Gazella bennettii''), dhole
The dhole (''Cuon alpinus''; ) is a canid native to Central, South, East and Southeast Asia. Other English names for the species include Asian wild dog, Asiatic wild dog, Indian wild dog, whistling dog, red dog, red wolf, and mountain wolf. It ...
wild dog (''Cuon alpinus'') and sloth bear
The sloth bear (''Melursus ursinus'') is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss and degradation. ...
(''Melursus ursinus'') are some of the animals found here while birds include the threatened lesser florican
The lesser florican (''Sypheotides indicus''), also known as the likh or ''kharmore'', is the smallest in the bustard family and the only member of the genus ''Sypheotides''. It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent where it is found in tall gras ...
(''Eupodotis indica''), Indian grey hornbill
The Indian gray hornbill (''Ocyceros birostris'') is a common hornbill found on the Indian subcontinent. It is mostly arboreal and is commonly sighted in pairs. It has grey feathers all over the body with a light grey or dull white belly. The h ...
and other hornbills.
More than half of the natural forest on the plateau has been cleared for grazing land and the scale of the mining operations on the plateau is disturbing to the movement and therefore the survival of wildlife including elephants and tigers.
Protected areas
About 6 percent of the ecoregion's area is within protected areas, comprising in 1997. The largest are Palamau Tiger Reserve
The Palamau Tiger Reserve is one of the nine original tiger reserves in Jharkhand, India and the only one in this state. It forms part of Betla National Park and Palamau Wildlife Sanctuary.
As of 2022, the reserve is reported to be largely under ...
and Sanjay National Park.
* Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary
Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in Bihar in the south-west of Munger District .
Etymology
During the Mahabharata period, when the Pandavas were on their exile, they had also come to this forest during that time. For his liv ...
, Bihar (680 km2)
* Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary
Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located 10 km from the city of Jamshedpur in the state of Jharkhand. Inaugurated in 1975 it contains significant population of Indian Elephants.
Geography
Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary is sit ...
, Jharkhand (630 km2)
* Gautam Buddha Wildlife Sanctuary
Gautam Budha Wildlife Sanctuary (also spelled Gautam Buddha) is a wildlife sanctuary located in Gaya district of Bihar state and Koderma district of Jharkhand state in east-central India.
The refuge was established in 1976, and covers an area ...
, Bihar (110 km2)
* Hazaribag Wildlife Sanctuary, Jharkhand (450 km2)
* Koderma Wildlife Sanctuary, Jharkhand (180 km2)
* Lawalong Wildlife Sanctuary
Lawalong Wildlife Sactuary is located in the Lawalong CD block in the Chatra subdivision of the Chatra district in the state of Jharkhand, India.
History
Lawalong Wildlife Sanctuary was earlier under the control of the Raja of Ramgarh and other l ...
, Jharkhand (410 km2)
* Palamau tiger Reserve
The Palamau Tiger Reserve is one of the nine original tiger reserves in Jharkhand, India and the only one in this state. It forms part of Betla National Park and Palamau Wildlife Sanctuary.
As of 2022, the reserve is reported to be largely under ...
, Jharkhand (1,330 km2)
* Ramnabagan Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal (150 km2)
* Sanjay National Park, Madhya Pradesh (1,020 km2, a portion of which is in the Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests
The Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests are a tropical dry forest ecoregion of central India. The ecoregion lies mostly in Madhya Pradesh state, but extends into portions of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh states.
Se ...
ecoregion)
* Semarsot Wildlife Sanctuary, Chhattisgarh (470 km2)
* Simlipal National Park
Simlipal is a tiger reserve in the Mayurbhanj district in the Indian state of Odisha covering . It is part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, which includes three protected areas — Similipal Tiger Reserve, Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary with a ...
, Odisha (420 km2)
* Saptasajya Wildlife Sanctuary, Odisha (20 km2)
* Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary
Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Surajpur District, Chhattisgarh, India. It is named after the Tamor Hill and Pingla Nalla, the old and prominent features of the area.
Geography and history
The northern boundary is the Moran river ...
, Chhattisgarh (600 km2)
* Topchanchi Wildlife Sanctuary, Jharkhand (40 km2)
Mineral resources
Chota Nagpur plateau is a store house of mineral resources such as mica
Micas ( ) are a group of silicate minerals whose outstanding physical characteristic is that individual mica crystals can easily be split into extremely thin elastic plates. This characteristic is described as perfect basal cleavage. Mica is ...
, bauxite
Bauxite is a sedimentary rock with a relatively high aluminium content. It is the world's main source of aluminium and gallium. Bauxite consists mostly of the aluminium minerals gibbsite (Al(OH)3), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)) and diaspore (α-AlO ...
, copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
, limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
, iron ore
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...
and coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dea ...
.[ The Damodar valley is rich in coal and it is considered as the prime centre of ]coking coal
Metallurgical coal or coking coal is a grade of coal that can be used to produce good-quality coke. Coke is an essential fuel and reactant in the blast furnace process for primary steelmaking. The demand for metallurgical coal is highly coupled ...
in the country. Massive coal deposits are found in the central basin spreading over . The important coalfields in the basin are Jharia
Jharia is a neighbourhood in Dhanbad city in Dhanbad Sadar subdivision of Dhanbad district in Jharkhand state, India. Jharia's economy is heavily dependent on the local coal fields, used to make coke. However, fires in the coal fields have made ...
, Raniganj
Raniganj is a neighbourhood in Asansol of Paschim Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is governed by Asansol Municipal Corporation
Geography
Location
Raniganj is located at . It has an average elevation of 91 metr ...
, West Bokaro, East Bokaro, Ramgarh
Ramgarh may refer to:
Bangladesh
* Ramgarh Upazila, a sub-district of Khagrachari District
India
* Ramgarh, Bihar, a village near Munger, Bihar
* Ramgarh, Kaimur, a town in Kaimur district, Bihar
* Ramgarh, Uttarakhand, a hill station in Nainital ...
, South Karanpura and North Karanpura.
See also
* Chota Nagpur Division
* Ecoregions of India
Ecoregions of the world, spanning all land area (terrestrial) of the planet, were first defined and mapped in 2001 and subsequently revised in 2017. Later, freshwater ecoregions and Marine ecoregion, marine ecoregions of the world were identified. ...
References
Further reading
* Gupta, Satya Prakash. ''Tribes of Chotanagpur Plateau: An Ethno-Nutritional & Pharmacological Cross-Section''. Land and people of tribal Bihar series, no. 3. atna Govt. of Bihar, Welfare Dept, 1974.
* Icke-Schwalbe, Lydia. ''Die Munda und Oraon in Chota Nagpur - Geschichte, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, Abhandlungen und Berichte des Staatlichen Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden, Band 40; Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1983
* Mukhopadhyay, Subhash Chandra. ''Geomorphology of the Subarnarekha Basin: The Chota Nagpur Plateau, Eastern India''. urdwan University of Burdwan, 1980.
* Sinha, Birendra K. Light at the End of the Tunnel: A Journey Towards Fulfilment in the Chotanagpur Plateau : a Study in Dynamics of Social-Economic-Cultural-Administrative-Political Growth.
External links
*
*
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Plateaus_of_India.html" ;"title="Chota Nagpur dry deciduous forests">.
Plateaus of India">Chota Nagpur dry deciduous forests">.
Plateaus of India
Landforms of Jharkhand
Landforms of Chhattisgarh
Landforms of Odisha
Ecoregions of India
Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
Natural regions
Neighbourhoods in Jamshedpur