Little Rann of Kutch

2021-07-23T07:26:20Z

2405:201:400A:E01A:AC2E:4661:CFBF:F1D7: /* Kutch biosphere reserve */ It is not designated under UNESCO's MAB programme.

{{Distinguish|Rann of Kutch|Great Rann of Kutch}}
[[Image:Map GujDist Kuchchh.png|thumb|right|222x222px|Map of [[Gujarat]] showing the Little Rann of Kutch and Great Rann of Kutch]]
[[File:Asiatic Wild ass.jpg|thumb|alt=|Asiatic Wild ass, popularly known as Ghudkhar in the local language, in Little Rann of Kutch.]]

The '''Little Rann of Kutch'''<ref>[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/needed-in-the-little-rann-of-kutch-a-marketing-strategy-worth-its-salt-to-help-the-agariyas/489339/0 Needed in the Little Rann of Kutch, a marketing strategy worth its salt to help the Agariyas] (2 page article online); by Adam Halliday; Jul 15, 2009; Indian Express Newspaper</ref><ref>[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/rti-revelation-govt-has-no-data-on-little-r/418466/ RTI revelation: govt has no data on Little Rann of Kutch] (2 page article online); by Kamran Sulaimani; Feb 03, 2009; Indian Express Newspaper</ref> is a [[salt marsh]] which is part of the [[Rann of Kutch]] in [[Kutch district]], [[Gujarat]], India.

==Attractions==
[[File:IndianWildAss1.jpg|thumb|Indian wild ass herd in Little Rann of Kutch]]

=== Indian wild ass sanctuary ===
The Little Rann of Kutch is home to the [[Indian wild ass]] (khur). To conserve this species, the [[Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary]] (IWAS) was created in 1973 and covers nearly five thousand square km.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://forests.gujarat.gov.in/wild-ass-sanctuary.htm|title=Wild Ass Sanctuary|website=forests.gujarat.gov.in|access-date=30 March 2020}}</ref> The sanctuary is also home to many species of migratory birds, such as the [[sarus crane]], [[duck]]s, the [[Dalmatian pelican]], and [[flamingo]]es, as well as land birds like the [[sandgrouse]], the [[francolin]] and the [[Great Indian bustard|Indian bustard]]. It is also home to various mammals such as the [[Indian wolf]], [[White-footed fox|desert fox]] and [[nilgai]].

===Kutch biosphere reserve===
In 2008, to project [[Kutch]] as an international nature destination, the [[Government of India|Government of Gujarat]] designated the area as the [[Biosphere Reserve|Kutch Biosphere Reserve]]. Biosphere reserves aim to promote sustainable development in the surrounding area, which is reserved for [[Conservation (ethic)|conservation]] and [[research]]. Such reserves are protected under the [[Wildlife Protection Act, 1972|Wildlife Protection Act]], the [[Indian Forest Act, 1927|Indian Forest Act]] and the [[Forest Conservation Act, 1980|Forest Conservation Act]]. The government provides funds for the conservation of the landscape's biological diversity and its cultural heritage.

The reserve's vegetation is mainly [[Xerophyte|xerophytic]] as groundwater is scarce. The 74 elevated plateaus (also called islands or bets) have around 253 flowering species. According to some estimates, about 70,000 to 75,000 birds nest in an area of about 250 acres.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/2105/|title=Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch|date=2015|website=UNESCO|access-date=30 March 2020}}</ref><ref>[http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Earth/Flora--Fauna/Kutch-gets-biosphere-reserve-status/articleshow/3261967.cms Kutch gets biosphere reserve status - The Greater and Little Rann of Kutch have finally got the much-awaited status of the biosphere reserve.]</ref><ref>[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kutchs-wild-ass-habitat-may-soon-get-herita/206928/ Kutch’s wild ass habitat may soon get heritage label] (2 Page article online); by DP Bhattacharya; Jul 26, 2007; Indian Express Newspaper</ref>

==Economy ==
[[File:Salt Well Kutch Gujarat India 1891.jpg|thumb|Salt well in Kutch in 1891]]

===Salt panning===
Salt panning is a crucial seasonal activity in the Rann of Kutch, producing the majority of India's inland salt. During the monsoon season, the underwater table of the Kutch is filled with saltwater. After the water recedes in October, salt workers temporarily settle and use diesel pumps to pump the saltwater into fields. Then, the natural climate conditions allow evaporation of the water, leaving only the salt crystals. Salt panning workers face severe health issues due to working in the harsh conditions in the fields continuously for 6–7 months.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Mukherjee|first=Sugato|url=https://thediplomat.com/2016/10/the-salt-farmers-of-the-rann-of-kutch/|title=The Salt Farmers of the Rann of Kutch|date=3 October 2016|work=The Diplomat|access-date=31 March 2020}}</ref> In 2019, as a means of financially supporting the salt pan workers and promoting a move from diesel to solar-powered pumps, the government of Gujarat allowed the state to purchase excess solar power generated during the off-season. Using solar-powered as opposed to diesel pumps can reduce the cost of salt production by one-third.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Pathak|first=Maulik|url=https://www.livemint.com/industry/energy/gujarat-govt-to-buy-solar-power-from-salt-pan-workers-1549458047228.html|title=Gujarat government to buy solar power from salt pan workers|date=6 Feb 2019|work=LiveMint|access-date=31 March 2020}}</ref>

===Ginger prawn fishing===
Prawn fishing plays a role in the economy due to its high demand in domestic and international markets. [[Ginger prawn]] (''Metapenaeus kutchensis'') are endemic to the area, and their fishing is highly seasonal. During the [[monsoon season]], which begins around July, the Little Rann is flooded and temporarily connected to the [[Gulf of Kutch]], allowing passage of ginger prawn juveniles into the Rann. This marks the beginning of the prawn fishing season, which lasts from August to September. Fishermen are mostly seasonal workers, spending the majority of the year as salt pan workers.

Ginger prawn fishing dates back to the early 16th century, when it was practiced by Muslim subsistence fishermen during the [[Mughal Dynasty|Mughal dynasty]]. Their method, known as "[[Pagadia fishing]]" due to its being carried out by hand and barefoot, continues to be practiced by traditional fishermen in the region. Commercial prawn fishing only began in the mid-1900s after the use of [[Bottom trawling|bottom trawls]] became common.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Gyanaranjan Dash, Swatipriyanka Sen,M Koya, KR Sreenath|first=Suresh Kumar Mojjada, and HM Bhint|date=2012|title=Ginger Prawn Fishery in Gulf of Kutch: A Seasonal Livelihood for the Traditional Fishermen|url=https://www.asianagrihistory.org/pdf/research/ginger-prawn-16-4.pdf|journal=Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute|volume=Asian Agri-History Vol. 16, No. 4|pages=1–9}}</ref>

===Dam===
[[Government of Gujarat|The Government of Gujarat]] is planning to dam the 1.26 km stretch of Hadakiya Creek so that the water within it can be used for recreational and fisheries purposes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Eye on 2019 polls? Tycoon discusses with Modi, Amit Shah Asia's biggest Rann Sarovar sweet water lake in Gujarat|url=https://www.counterview.net/2018/05/eye-on-2019-polls-tycoon-discusses-with.html|access-date=9 June 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Arid Forest Research Institute]] (AFRI)
* [[Great Rann of Kutch]]
* [[Indian wild ass]]
* [[Kutch District]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
* {{WWF ecoregion|name=Rann of Kutch seasonal salt marsh |id=im0901}} This text was originally published in the book Terrestrial ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a conservation assessment from Island Press. Also see: {{NatGeo ecoregion|id=im0901|name=Rann of Kutch seasonal salt marsh}}

{{GeoSouthAsia}}

{{coord|23.3000|N|71.2000|E|source:wikidata|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Little Rann Of Kutch}}
[[Category:Indomalayan ecoregions]]
[[Category:Flooded grasslands and savannas]]
[[Category:Grasslands of India]]
[[Category:Landforms of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Marshes of India]]
[[Category:Salt marshes]]
[[Category:Geography of Kutch district]]

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Little Rann of Kutch