The Tirthan wildlife sanctuary is located in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. The sanctuary was notified in 1976, consisting of some parts designated as a World Heritage site. It is a part of the protected areas covered under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Latest Context:
The Ministry for Environment, Forest, and Climate change (MoEF&CC) recently released the management effectiveness evaluation (MEE) of 146 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India. The Tirthan wildlife sanctuary is among the best performing protected areas, which is an essential inclusion in the content for IAS Exam.
What is Management Effectiveness Evaluation?
MEE of protected regions is one of the primary tools used by the government and several other international bodies to determine various strengths and weaknesses of the management systems for such areas. In India, the assessment process for national parks and wildlife sanctuaries has been adopted from the framework of the IUCN of the World Commission on protected areas. Therefore, this section may be asked in UPSC Prelims.
In the context of India, all protected areas have been systematically designated into four different legal categories, which can be asked in UPSC 2022. These include – national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, community reserves, and conservation reserves.
This categorization is made under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Under the purview of this act, India has over 981 designated protected areas, which are over 5.03% of the total area.
It is important to note these numbers as they are a part of the UPSC Syllabus with a high likelihood of being asked in the exams.
The categorization of the protected areas in India is among the most prominent additions to UPSC Notes which are most likely to be questioned in the exams.
Everything You Need To Know About Tirthan Wildlife Sanctuary
The Tirthan River travels across the fine forests of the Western Himalayas before meeting the Beas river in Larji. The river is formed by crystal clear glacial water of the Mountains and is home to an abundant variety of fishes. Due to its rich aquatic biodiversity, any hydropower project on the river is prohibited. Therefore, while preparing for the UPSC exam, you should remember to study the details of the river.
The Tirthan Wildlife sanctuary and the great Himalayan National Park are among the two protected areas that have shown outstanding performance among the total areas surveyed for this purpose. The great Himalayan National park has also received a UNESCO World Heritage Site status in the year 2014, owing to its recognition as an outstanding area signifying biodiversity conservation.
As for the Tirthan Wildlife Sanctuary, the protected area is considered part of the Seraj forest division. It is located at the height of 5000 feet, and it overlooks the river Tirthan, which is how it got its name. Moreover, the sanctuary is connected with the Great Himalayan National Park.
The Tirthan Wildlife sanctuary is spread across an area of 61 square kilometres. All across the country, the wildlife sanctuary is very famous among pilgrims who come here to witness and experience the hot springs originating from the mountain ridges surrounding the sanctuary. Some of the prominent hot springs present in the region are Khir Ganga, Hans Kund, and Mantalai Rakti Sar.
The Great Himalayan National park joins the Tirthan Wildlife sanctuary along the Southern region. It is known that the region has one of the largest remaining populations of the Himalayan Tahr. Some of the fauna prominently found in the region are brown bears, jungle cats, Himalayan brown bears, snow leopards, barking deer, weasel, Himalayan Rhesus, and more. Included among the flora in the region are Ban oak, Deodar, alpine, mixed conifer trees, and more.
To Sum Up
Due to its prominence, questions regarding the Tirthan wildlife sanctuary UPSC are likely to be asked. Therefore, you should prepare the topic thoroughly during your IAS Preparation so that you may answer the questions which are put up regarding the same. You can take the assistance of these notes to prepare for your exam and cover the entire topic with thorough clarity, which will help you attempt the questions with confidence.
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