Sindhi Pages

Name, Location, Boundary and Area

The district derives its name from Thar and Parkar. The name Thar is from Thul, the general term for the region sand ridges and Parkar literary means "to cross over". It was earlier known as Thar and Parkar district, but later became one word Tharparkar. Until 1990, the present district of Tharparkar, Umerkot and Mirpur Khas comprised one district with Mirpur Khas its headquarters. The division into two separate districts on 31st October, 1990, i.e. Mirpurkhas and Thar established the town of Mithi as the new headquarters of the Tharparkar district, while Umerkot was bifurcated on 17th April 1-993.

The district lies between 24° 10' to 25°45' north latitudes and 69' 04' to 71°06' east longitude. It is bounded on the north by Mirpurkhas and Umerkot districts, on east by Barmer and Jaisselmir districts of India, on west by district Badin and on south by Rann of Kutch. The total area of the district is 19,638. square kilometers.

Physical Features/Topography

The Thar region forms part of the bigger desert of the same name that sprawls over a vast area of Pakistan and India from Cholistan to Nagar Parkar in Pakistan and from the south of Haryana down to Rajisthan in India.

The district is mostly desert and consist of barren tracts of sand dunes covered with thorny bushes. The ridges are irregular and roughly parallel, that they often enclosed sheltered valleys, above which they rise to a height of some forty six meters. These valleys are moist enough to admit cultivation and when not cultivated they yield luxuriant crops of rank grass. But the extraordinary salinity of the subsoil and consequent shortage of potable water, renders many tracts quite uninhabitable. In many of the valleys the subsoil water collects and forms large and picturesque salt lakes, which rarely dry up.

The only hills in the district are at Nagarparkar on the northern edge of the Rann of Kutch which belongs to quite a different geological series. It consist of granite rocks, probably an outlying mass of the crystalline rocks of the Aravalli range. The Aravalli series belongs to Archaen system which constitutes the oldest rocks of the earth crust. This is a small area quite different from the desert. The tract is flat and level except close to Nargarparkar itself. The principal range Karunjhir is 19 kilometers in length and attains a height of 305 meters. Smaller hills rise in the east, which are covered with sparse jungle and pasturage and give rise to two perennial springs named Achleshwar and Sardharo as well as temporary streams called Bhetiani and Gordhro, after the rains.

On the south of the district is the great Rann an immense sart water. It is a flat land, almost at sea level. covered with thick layer of salt which has been left by evaporation of sea water over the centuries. During monsoon it becomes almost part of the sea owing to influx of sea water at Lakhpat Bander on Kori mouth of the Indus and other places. During winter it mostly dries up and surface is covered with salt. At places where the land rise up by few meters, it becomes an island and thus called "bet".

Rivers and Streams

There is no river or stream in the district. However, in Nagar Parkar there are two perennial springs named Acbleshwar and Sardharo as well as temporary streams called Bhetiani river and Gordhro river after the rains.

Climate

The district has a tropical desert climate. In summer, when it is too hot during day time, the nights are remarkably cooler. April, May and June are the hottest months during the day. December, January and February are the coldest months. The mean maximum and minimum temperature during this period are 28°C and 9°C respectively.

There are wide fluctuations in the amount of rain fall from year to year and the yearly average for some areas is as low as 100 mm. Most of the rain falls between July and September, during the south -west monsoon, and is often concentrated in a period of two to three days. The mean maximum and minimum temperature and precipitation recorded at Chhor, is given below:

MONTH WISE THIRTY YEAR'S MEAN MAXIMUM/MINIMUM
TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION AND HUMIDITY

Flora

Since the district lies in al1 arid zone, therefore, sweet water is scarce throughout Thar. Draught recurs and usually there is no rain every third year. The soil is generally infertile and because of severe wind erosion, over blown with sand. Vegetation consist mostly stunted scrub and bush although trees such as the hardy kandi (propos ginerasia) do occasionally dot the landscape. The main natural ground cover is provided by grasses which are nutritive and a palatable fodder for the live stock.

The common plants of the desert are thuhar (euphorbia caducifolia), phog (calligonum polygonoeides), ak (calotropis gigantea). In irrigated tracts babur/babul (acacica nilotica), talhi (dalkagia sisoo), neem (azatr;teha indica), jar (salvudora oleoides) kri (tamarix gallica) are found.

Fauna

Wild life has a significant correlation with greenery, verdure and forage. In congruence to the desert nature of the area, this district is blessed with beautiful species of birds and animals. Some times back wild ass, only of its kind in Pakistan were found roaming in Rann of Kutch area. However, the massive social changes in the district have not affected only the culture of the people but also the physical environment of the area. This change, in resultant has diminished and/or vanished many species of the wild life. Even today a nunber of animals found in the district which includes chinkara (gazella benetti), desert fox (vulpls vulpes griffithi), jackal (canis aureus), hyaena (hyafrla striata) and mongoose (herpestcs).

Among birds the most famous is peacock (pavo cristatus). The other birds found ill the district are partridge (favncolinus pondocerianus menaesis), barn owl (tyto alba), Indian scoops owl (otus bakkamoena), Sindh night jar (caprimulgus mahrattensis), Indian night jar (caprimulgus asiaticus), dove (streptopelia senegalensis), large hawk cuckoo (hierococcyx sparverioides) particularly in nagar parkar, spotted sand grouse (pterocles senegallus) particularly in nagar parkar. Among water birds white stork (ciconia ciconia) and black ibris (pseudibis papillosia), in Chachro taluka are also found,

In the district dangerous snakes viz khapar, cobra and others are generally found in the rainy season to a great extent.