Kishtwar National Park is a protected area located 40 kilometers from Kishtwar town in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. To the north, the park is next to the Rinnay River. To the south, it is near the Kibar Nala catchment area. To the east, it borders the main divide of the Great Himalaya. To the west, it is located near the Marwah River.
Date and history of establishment
National Park Status: Established as a National Park on February 4, 1981 (Notification number 21/FST of 1980-1981).
- Area: 2,190.50 square kilometers (219,050 hectares)
- Ownership: State government
- Altitude: Varies between 1,700 meters and 4,800 meters
Physical features
The National Park includes the areas where water collects for the Kiar, Nath, and Kibar Nalas rivers. These rivers flow toward the southwest into the Marwah River, also called the Marusudar River. The Marwah River joins the Chenab River just below Kishtwar Town at Bhandarkoot village. The land is generally rough and steep, with narrow valleys surrounded by tall ridges that open into glacial areas at higher elevations. This region is part of the Central Crystalline belt in the Great Himalayas. The rocks are folded in some places and are mostly made of granite, gneiss, and schist, with occasional layers of marble. The soil is shallow and slightly alkaline, mostly composed of alluvial material mixed with gravel.
Climate
The monsoon has a small effect on the area. The average yearly rainfall at Palmar and Sirshi (1,761 m), which are near the edge of the national park, is 827 mm and 741 mm, respectively. The most rainfall occurs in March, April, July, and August, with more than 100 mm each month during these times. Snow falls mostly in December and January, covering the entire area in snow. In Sirshi, the highest temperature in January is 13°C, and the lowest is -7°C. In July, the highest temperature is 35°C, and the lowest is 11°C.
Vegetation
According to an updated classification by Champion and Seth (1968), 13 different types of plant communities are found in this area. Between 2,400m and 3,000m, silver fir (Abies pindrow) and spruce (Picea wallichian) are most common, often growing together with cedar (Cedrus deodar) and blue pine (Pinus griffithii). A small area in the Dachan Range has a unique stand of chilgoza pine (Pinus geradiana).
At lower elevations (1,700m to 2,400m), forests with mostly cedar and blue pine grow, along with moist temperate deciduous forests. These forests include trees such as horsechestnut (Aesculus indica), walnut (Juglans regia), maple (Acer spp.), poplar (Populus ciliata), hazel (Corylus cornuta), bird cherry (Prunus cornuta), ash (Fraxinus cornuta), and yew (Taxus wallichiana).
In the sub-alpine zone, from 3,000m to the tree line at 3,700m, forests of silver fir and birch (Betula utilis) are common. Above this, birch and rhododendron (Rhododendron campanulatum) shrubs grow, and beyond that lies alpine pasture.
Animals that live in this area include the Himalayan snowcock and the brown bear.
Local human population
There are permanent homes in the area, but some 1,115 families of people who move with their animals for grazing have the right to use the national park's land. These families own about 25,000 animals. An unknown number of families from nearby villages, who own about 10,000 animals, also have grazing rights in the park. Some farming activities take place in the outer areas of the park.