HEMIS NATIONAL PARK 
Hemis
High-Altitude National Park is the largest high-altitude reserve of India.
Very close to Leh, in the area of Markha and Rumbak Valleys, the area in
general is rocky and sparsely covered. The park comes under the district of
Ladakh and represents the Trans-Himalayan ecosystem. The park was
established in the year 1981 to preserve the dwindling population of
wildlife in Ladakh region with an area of 600 sq km. The park has been
earmarked as one of the snow leopard reserves under a central government
project to conserve the species, its prey population, and fragile mountain
habitat.
The conservation efforts in the Ladakh region are of
recent origin. Apart from the park, the region also has one of the
better-known Buddhist monasteries of Ladakh, the Hemis Gompa. Coupled with
exotic wildlife, culture and art, and natural splendor, the Hemis
High-Altitude National Park can make a perfect holiday destination.
The
Hemis National Park is located in the Ladakh division of the Indian state of
Jammu & Kashmir. Situated at a distance of around 40 km southeast of
Leh, it takes its name from the world famous Buddhist Gompa situated here.
The National Park is situated at the bank of river Indus and includes the
catchments areas of Markha, Sumdah, and Rumbak streams. The park extends
from the latitude 33º38'-34º11' in the North to longitude 77º00'-77º44'
in the East.
ASSAN BARRAGE BIRD
SANCTUARYThe Asan Barrage, popularly known as Dhalipur lake,
was created in the year 1967 as a result of the construction of Asan barrage
at the confluence of the river Yamuna & Asan through Dhalipur power
house. Asan Barrage is famous for bird watching.
The
Asan reservoir attracts 53 species of water birds of which 19 are winter
migrants from Eurasia. During winter months 90% of the waterbird population
comprises the following 11 migratory species, namely Brahminy Duck, Pintail,
Red Crested Pochard, Gadwall, Common Pochard, Mallard, Coot, Wigeon, Common
Teal, Tufted Duck, and Shoveller.
The Asan Reservoir is a small
man-made wetland of ca. 4 sq km area, located 40 km west of Dehradun, in the
west of Dehradun valley on Dehradun-Paonta road. Geographically it is
situated between latitude 30o 24'-30o 28' N and longitude 77o 40'-77o 44' E,
near the confluence of the rivers Asan and Yamuna. The barrage is 287.5 m
long, the river bed being 389.4 m above sea level, with minimum and maximum
water levels respectively at 402.4 m and 403.3 m asl.
The Asan
reservoir exists throughout the year and is fed from the river Asan and the
discharge channel of Yamuna through Dhalipur powerhouse. Although the water
level is controlled, it often goes down, and swampy islands in the middle
become visible, attracting a variety of marsh-loving birds like Egrets,
Herons and Lapwings, etc.
BANDIPUR
NATIONAL PARK
The
Moyer River forms a natural boundary between the Mudumalain Wildlife
Sanctuary in Tamilnadu and the Bandipur National Park in Karnataka. Nestling
at the foothills of the Nilgiris, the Bandipur National Park was formed by
extending the Venugopal Wildlife Park which was set up in 1931 by the Mysore
Maharajas.
A popular game resort of the rulers of Mysore, the flora
in the forest comprises of teak, rosewood, honne, mathi, bamboo, sandal
trees. The important animals in the park are the tiger, elephant, gaur,
leopard, chital, samber, etc. Birds like the pea fowl, partrige, quail,
hornbill, Ibis, etc., are alsofound here. The Bandipur National Park is one
of the fifteen Tiger Reserves in the country, launched under the Project
Tiger scheme during 1973. The scheme is committed to the preservation of the
fast dwindling tiger population in India
