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About
Tal Chhapar Sanctuary |
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Tal
Chhapar Sanctuary is a sanctuary which is located in the Churu
district of Northwestern Rajasthan in the Shekhawati region of
India. It is known for black bucks and is also home to a
variety of birds. The sanctuary is 210 km from Jaipur on the
fringe of the Great Indian Desert and is situated on road from
Ratangarh to Sujangarh. The Tal Chhapar sanctuary lies in the
Sujangarh Tehsil of Churu District. It lies on Nokha-Sujangarh
state highway and is situated at a distance of 85 km from
Churu & about 132 km from Bikaner. Tal Chhapar is a refuge of
the most stylish antelope encountered in India, "the black
buck". Census of Wild animals is carried out every year in the
Sanctuary.
In the Tal Chhapar Sanctuary, a special type of grass is
found. This grass is called Mothiya locally. The word "Mothiya"
comes come from the word "Moti" or from the English word for
Pearl. The shape of the seed of this grass is like very fine
round shaped pearls. Mothiya has a very sweet taste. People
enjoy eating it, but it is found in very small quantities.
Production is only a few kilograms every season. Mothiya is
also food for Black bucks and other birds which dig it from
earth with their Starks.The best time to visit the Tal Chhapar
Wildlife Sanctuary in Churu is from September to March.
Total area of Talchhapar Sanctuary is 719 hectare. The
sanctuary area is mostly covered by grasses with a very few
and sparse trees of Salvadora, Khejri, Ber, Ker and Neem. Main
grasses found in the area are Doob, Sewan, Dhaman Lampla, Moth
and Lana etc. The area gives a lush green look during rainy
season but again dries up during summer season. The most
amazing migratory seen from here is that of harriers. These
birds pass through this area during the month of September in
distinct groups of male, female and immature. Montague's and
marsh harrier are more common, while pale harrier and hen
harrier are found in lesser numbers.
Blue cheeked bee-eaters and green bee-eaters are commonly
found, for this it is their breeding place. The black ibis is
commonly seen here. The most typical phenomenon is that of the
demoiselle cranes which arrive in the first week of the
September and stay till March. |
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Flora and fauna of the Sanctuary |
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The
forest of this region falls under major group “Tropical Forest”
as per classifications of Indian forests by Champion & Seth. The
forest of sanctuary area again falls under Group “Topical Thorn
Forest” & Sub group “Desert Thorn Forests”.
The sanctuary area is generally covered by grasses with a very
few trees. It lies on the way of the passage of many wandering
birds such as harriers. These birds pass through this area
during September Tal Chappar wild life sanctuary comes alive
with the twittering of these migratory birds. Birds commonly
seen in the sanctuary are harriers, Demoiselle Cranes, Little
Green Bee-eaters, Short-toed Eagle, sparrow, Tawny Eagle, Black
Ibis and Eastern Imperial Eagle, which stay here till March on
the other hand, skylark, Ring Dove, crested lark, blue jay and
brown dove are seen throughout the year. Desert fox and desert
cat can also be spotted along with typical avifauna such as
partridge and sand grouse. The train towards Tal chhapar has not
been started till yet.
The Great Indian Bustard
The Great Indian Bustard has been launched for the first time at
the Tal Chhapar wildlife sanctuary in Churu district of
Rajasthan on August 9, 2009. The Great Indian Bustard’s natural
habitats are large areas of arid and semi-arid grassland and
low-thorn scrub. With increasing destruction of surroundings and
environmental degradation coupled with external factors eg
poaching and demographic pressure, a number of these exceptional
birds in this huge desert State has declined to less than a
hundred. The Great Indian Bustard being sighted at Tal Chhapar
is an important occurrence, for it shows that the endangered
species is in search of new habitats for their survival. |
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Geography and geology |
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The
sanctuary is named after Chhapar village which is located at
27°-50' North and 74°-25' East. It is a flat salty depression
locally known as "Tal" that has a unique ecosystem in the heart
of the Thar Desert, Perched at an elevation of 302 meters above
sea level. Tal Chhaper sanctuary, with almost flat area and
scattered shallow low lying areas, has open grassland with
scattered Acacia and Prosopis trees which give it an appearance
of a typical Savanna. The word "Tal" means plane land. The rain
water flows through shallow low lying areas and collect in the
small seasonal water ponds.
The Geology of the zone is obscured by the wind blown
over-burden. Some small hillocks and exposed rocks of slate and
quartzite are found in the western side of the sanctuary. Area
between hillocks and the sanctuary represents the watershed area
of the sanctuary. The whole sanctuary used to be flooded by
water during the heavy rains but with salt mining going on in
the watershed. Hardly any rain water falling on the hillocks
reach the Sanctuary |
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Climate of the Sanctuary |
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This region is characterized by distinct winter (Oct. to
Feb.), Summer (March to June) and Monsoon (July to Sept.)
The zone has a dry climate with large variation in
temperature wind blows South – West during summer. In May
and June winds become very hot and that is called “Loo”
Maximum temperature reaches up to 48°C in June & minimum
temperature falls up to 10°C in month of December -
January. The Tal Chhapar Zone comes under the principal
arid zone of the country. Rainfall in this region is
highly unpredictable. There is large variation in mean
annual rainfall in this region. Normal rainfall in this
region is about 300 mm. |
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Facilities At Tal Chhapar Sanctuary |
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There
are two rest houses situated in sanctuary area which are being
maintained by forest department having four suites
accommodation. These rest houses come under the control of
Deputy conservator of forest, Churu.. Chhapar - Sujangarh state
highway divides the sanctuary area in two parts. In the
sanctuary there are Kacha tracks which are used for inspection,
patrolling & viewing the fauna of the sanctuary. |
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How to Reach Tal Chhapar Sanctuary |
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By
Rail
The nearest railway station is located in Jaipur and it is one
of the main stations in the state and it is well connected to
most cities in the country. Trains are an ideal option and are
the most comfortable mode of transport as well.
By
Road
Tal Chappar Wildlife Sanctuary can be reached from Jaipur by
taxis and private vehicles. It is located about 215 km from the
city of Jaipur, on the Jaipur to Nokha highway. The nearest
railway station is Chappar which lies on Degana-Churu-Rewari
line of North Western Railways.
By
Air
The nearest airport is situated at Jaipur and the airport is
well connected to many parts of the country. There are frequent
flights from all the metros to the Jaipur Airport and it also
receives a few international flights from countries in the
Middle East. One can hire a taxi from the airport to reach the
sanctuary. The drive takes about 3 hours to reach the Sancuary. |
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