HIMACHAL PRADESH GEOGRAPHY

 

HPGK NOTES

HIMACHAL PRADESH ’s GEOGRAPHY ( TOPOGRAPHY & CLIMATE) :

Topographically, Himachal’s territory from South to North can be divided into three zones –

1.‘Shivaliks’ or Outer Himalayas :The annual rain falling in this zone varies from 1500 mm to 1800 mm. The famous places covered in this zone are –Paonta valley, Nahan tehsil, Pachhad and Renuka tehsils of Sirmaur district; Balh valley and Joginder Nagar area of the Mandi district Kangra, Nurpur, Dehra, Jawali and Palampur tehsils of Kangra district; Dalhousie, Bhattiyat, and Churah of Chamba district.In ancient times,Shivalik hills were known as ‘Manak Parbat’. Shivalik literally means “tresses of the Shiva”.                                                                                                                                             

 2. Inner Himalayas or ‘Mid-Mountains : The altitude of this zone ranges from (350 metres or 1050 feet) to (1500 m or 4500 feet) above mean sea level. Areas falls in this zone like the upper areas of the tehsils of Pachhad and Renuka in Sirmaur district; Chachyot and Karsog tehsils of Mandi district ; upper parts of Kangra and Palampur tehsils and Dalhousie, Bhattiyat and Churah areas of Chamba district. To the South of Shimla is highest peak of Choordhar (3647m) also known as “Choor- Chandani ”.The variety of soil found in these areas ranges from siltyloam to clay loam and of dark brown colour, seed potatoes and temperate fruits.The soil of upper parts of Shimla district, Sirmaur and Chamba is shallower in depth, with silty loam to loam of dark brown colour. From the horticultural point of view, this area is the most useful for stone and soft fruits. The two famous ranges of lesser Himalayas are; ‘Pir Panjal’ (Chamba district) and ‘Dhauladhar’ (Kangra, Chamba and Mandi district). The Kangra valley is a longitudinal and an open long tract at the foot of the Dhauladhar which means the ‘White peak’.Himalayan range near ‘Badrinath’ (in Uttrakhand) forms the most striking feature. It is intercepted by the Satluj at ‘Rampur-Bushahr’, by the Beas at ‘Larji’ and by the Ravi near South-West of Chamba.The largest of the lesser Himalayan range, the ‘Pir Panjal’ separates from the greater Himalayan range near the bank of the Satluj, forming the water-divide between the Chenab on the one side and the Beas and the Ravi on the other. It bends towards the Dhauladhar range near Bara Banghal, the sources of the Ravi.

 

3. The Greater Himalayas or Alpine zone: (Altitude 4,500 metres and above from mean sea level). To the North of the Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar ranges are the more lofty mountain ranges, known as the ‘Greater Himalayas’ and ‘Zanskar ranges’.The rainfall is very scanty in this zone. Soil is of high texture with variable fertility. Climate is temperate in summer and semi-arctic in winter.This climate and soil is best suited for the cultivation of dry fruits. Snowfall in the Greater Himalayas starts in the mid of October and continues till March-April. Some of the famous passes of this zone are –Sach pass, Chini pass, Chabia pass and Kugti pass (district Chamba), Rohtang pass, Kunzam pass, Baralacha pass and Hamta pass and Chandrakherni pass (district Lahaul & Spiti). The famous ‘Zanskar range’ falls in this part of the Pradesh. Shilla (7,025 mts.) and Riwo Phargyul (6,791 mts.) are the highest among its peaks.

CLIMATIC ZONES

Climatically, the state can be divided into five zones, viz.

(i)Wet Sub-temperate zone : Comprising Palampur and Dharmshala area of Kangra district, Joginder Nagar area of Mandi district and Dalhousie area of Chamba district.

(ii)Humid sub-temperate zone : comprising of Kullu and Shimla districts and parts of Mandi, Solan, Chamba, Kangra and Sirmaur districts.

(iii)Dry temperate : Alpine high lands which include major parts of Lahaul –Spiti, Pangi and Kinnaur.

(iv)Humid sub-tropical zone : comprising of Bilaspur, major parts of Mandi district, Nahan area of Sirmaur district, Bhattiyat valley of Chamba district. Nalagarh area of Solan district, Hamirpur district and Dehra and Nurpur areas of Kangra district.

(v)Sub-humid tropical zone : comprising of Una district, Paonta Sahib Area of Sirmaur district and Indora area of Kangra district.Spiti is the driest area of Himachal Pradesh. Dharamshala is the rainiest place with 3,400mm rainfall per annum. Shimla and Nurpur fall in a rainfall zone of 1,500 mm –2,000mm.