Population: 8,489,349
• Capital: Dehradun
• Area: 20,650 square miles (53,483 sq km)
• Capital: Dehradun
• Area: 20,650 square miles (53,483 sq km)
On the 8th of November 2000, Uttaranchal
became a full-fledged state of India with the formal induction of a separate
State Government. The State is carved out of the Uttar Pradesh, which has the
largest population in India. With this, the people of Uttaranchal have finally
achieved their dream of running their own affairs for which they have been
fighting for some decades now.
Uttaranchal
is situated in the northwest portion of Uttar Pradesh, India's most
populous state. It occupies 1.73% of India's total land area with 51,125 sq.
km. It has a population of about 6.0 million at 94.4 per sq. km. It borders
Tibet, Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, and the UP plains districts. Dehra Dun, the
state' capital is about 255 km away from India's capital, New Delhi.
13 Districts Comprise Uttaranchal:
Pithoragarh, Almora, Nainital, Bageshwar, Champawat, Uttar Kashi, Udham Singh
Nagar, Chamoli, Dehra Dun, PauriGarhwal, TehriGarhwal, Rudraprayag and Haridwar
(Urban).
The region is the melting pot of many
ethnic groups and castes. The Jaunsaries, the Bhotias, the Bokshas, the Tharus
and the Rajis live side by side in the most cordial manner. Most of the indigenous
people are heterodox Hindus and Buddhists, while Sikh migrants from West Punjab
have settled in the lowlands since 1947. A few Muslim groups are also native to
the area.
The economic viability of the new state is
worrying if anything in the present circumstances. Though it is endowed with
rich natural resources, it is unable to tap them to its advantages. The result
is that about 70% of its population lives under the poverty line as against the
national average of 46%. Subsistence agriculture supports about 75% of the
population while 71% of the land holdings are less than 1 hectare in size. To
put this pathetic state of affairs in perspective, a survey was conducted
recently which found that about 80% of the soldiers active at the Kargil front
joined the armed forces to escape from the poverty at their home state.
Dividends can be reaped if the various
rivers and streams of the state are utilized to produce hydro electricity. A
source reveals that the state has the potential of generating about 40,000 MW
of hydropower and that is enough to solve the massive power shortage of India
to a substantial degree.
The state also holds out promises of
becoming an attractive tourist spot. Already the region is raking in about 250
crores in annual earnings. However this sector is not fully exploited. The
state definitely needs to invest in creating ski resorts and modern shooing
malls to cater to the needs of the enthusiasts of adventure tourism and upscale
tourists.
Another area where the state has to get its
act together is the agro industries. Commercial production of fruits, medicinal
plants and flowers on the lines of Himachal Pradesh will go a long way in
boosting its revenue.
The state covers a total area of 53,566 km2
or 20,682 sq miles and is the 18th biggest state in India. Most of the areas of
the state are hilly and forested. The distinctive flora and fauna of the state
comprise creatures like snow leopards, bharal, tigers, leopards and uncommon
shrubs and trees. The Yamuna and the Ganges, two biggest rivers of the Republic
of India, have their headwaters in this state. The prominent geographical
features of Uttaranchal are as follows:
Mountainous shrubland and plains
The alpine bushes and pastures of Western Himalaya
Moderate coniferous jungles
Subalpine conifer jungles in the Western Himalaya
Moderate broadleaf forests of the Western Himalaya
Subtropical pine forests of the Himalayan mountain range
Terai-Duar lowlands and savanna
Humid broadleaf forests of the Upper Gangetic Plains
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