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National Parks in India

Abirlal Mukherjee (Mukhopadhyay) 0 Comments
  1. According to the Indian Ministry of Environment & Forests, a national park is “[a]n area, whether within a sanctuary or not, [that] can be notified by the state government to be constituted as a National Park, by reason of its ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, or zoological association or importance, needed to for the purpose of protecting & propagating or developing wildlife there in or its environment. No human activity is permitted inside the national park except for the ones permitted by the Chief Wildlife Warden of the state under the conditions given in CHAPTER IV, WPA 1972”.
  2. National parks in India are IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Nature) category II protected places.
  3. India’s first national park was established in 1936, now known as Jim Corbett National Park, in Uttarakhand.
  4. By 1970, India only had five national parks. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger in 1973 to safeguard the habitats of conservation reliant species. Now there are 106 national parks in India.
  5. Further federal legislation strengthening protection for wildlife was introduced in the 1980s.
  • India has a network of ~880 Protected Areas covering a total of ~1,66,500 km2 (~5.06%)of geographical area.
Protected Areas of India (July 2021)
Protected Area Type Number Total Area (Km2) Coverage % of Country
National Parks (NPs) 106 41,157 1.23
Wildlife Sanctuaries (WLSs) 568 ~120,500 3.64
Conservation Reserves (CRs) 88 4,356 0.13
Community Reserves 127 525 0.02
Protected Areas (PAs) ~889 ~1,66,500 Km2 ~5.06
  • BR: Biosphere Reserve (A BR may consist of a few NPs, wildlife sanctuaries, protected and reserve forests)
  • NP: National Park
  • TR: Tiger Reserve (A TR may consist of an NP, a few wildlife sanctuaries and protected and reserve forests)
  • WLS: Wildlife Sanctuary
  • BS: Bird Sanctuary (a Bird Sanctuary is a WLS that conserves birds and their natural habitats)
  • PF: Protected Forest
  • RF: Reserve Forest
  • ER: Elephant Reserve
  • RS: Ramsar Site
S.No. State (number of NPs) Name of State/ Protected Area Year Area (km2)
1 Andaman & Nicobar Islands (9) 1.      Campbell Bay NP 1992 426.23
2 2.      Galathea Bay NP 1992 110
3 3.      Mahatama Gandhi Marine (Wandoor) NP 1983 281.5
4 4.      Middle Button Island NP 1987 0.44
5 5.      Mount Harriett NP 1987 46.62
6 6.      North Button Island NP 1987 0.44
7 7.      Rani Jhansi Marine NP 1996 256.14
8 8.      Saddle Peak NP 1987 32.54
9 9.      South Button Island NP 1987 0.03
10 Andhra Pradesh (3) 1.      Papikonda NP 2008 1013
11 2.      Rajiv Gandhi (Rameswaram) NP 2005 2.4
12 3.      Sri Venkateswara NP 1989 353.6
13 Arunachal Pradesh (2) 1.      Mouling NP 1986 483
14 2.      Namdapha NP 1983 1808
15 Assam (7) 1.      Dibru-Saikhowa NP 1999 340
16 2.      Kaziranga NP 1974 859
17 3.      Manas NP 1990 500
18 4.      Nameri NP 1998 200
19 5.      Rajiv Gandhi Orang NP 1999 78.81
20 6.      Raimona NP 2021 422
21 7.      Dihing Patkai NP 2021 234
22 Bihar (1) 1.      Valmiki NP 1989 335.65
23 Chhattisgarh (3) 1.      Guru Ghasidas (Sanjay) NP 1981 1440.7
24 2.      Indravati (Kutru) NP 1982 1258.4
25 3.      Kanger Valley NP 1982 200
26 Goa (1) 1.      Mollem NP 1992 107
27 Gujarat (4) 1.      Vansda NP 1979 23.99
28 2.      Blackbuck (Velavadar) NP 1976 34.53
29 3.      Gir NP 1975 258.71
30 4.      Marine (Gulf of Kachchh) NP 1982 162.89
31 Haryana (2) 1.      Kalesar NP 2003 46.82
32 2.      Sultanpur NP 1989 1.43
33 Himachal Pradesh (5) 1.      Great Himalayan NP 1984 754.4
34 2.      Inderkilla NP 2010 104
35 3.      Khirganga NP 2010 710
36 4.      Pin Valley NP 1987 675
37 5.      Simbalbara NP 2010 27.88
38 UT of Jammu & Kashmir (3)

UT of Ladakh (1)

 1.      City Forest (Salim Ali) NP (J&K) 1992 9
39 2.      Dachigam NP (J&K) 1981 141
40 3.      Hemis NP (Ladakh) 1981 3350
41 4.      Kishtwar NP (J&K) 1981 425
42 Jharkhand (1) 1.      Betla NP 1986 226.33
43 Karnataka (5) 1.      Anshi NP 1987 417.34
44 2.      Bandipur NP 1974 874.2
45 3.      Bannerghatta NP 1974 260.51
46 4.      Kudremukh NP 1987 600.32
47 5.      Nagarahole (Rajiv Gandhi) NP 1988 643.39
48 Kerala (6) 1.      Anamudi Shola NP 2003 7.5
49 2.      Eravikulam NP 1978 97
50 3.      Mathikettan Shola NP 2003 12.82
51 4.      Pambadum Shola NP 2003 1.318
52 5.      Periyar NP 1982 350
53 6.      Silent Valley NP 1984 89.52
54 Madhya Pradesh (10) 1.      Bandhavgarh NP 1968 448.85
55 2.      Dinosaur Fossils NP 2011 0.8974
56 3.      Fossil NP 1983 0.27
57 4.      Indira Priyadarshini Pench NP 1975 292.85
58 5.      Kanha NP 1955 940
59 6.      Madhav NP 1959 375.22
60 7.      Panna NP 1981 542.67
61 8.      Sanjay NP 1981 466.88
62 9.      Satpura NP 1981 585.17
63 10.   Van Vihar NP 1979 4.45
64 Maharashtra (6) 1.      Chandoli NP 2004 317.67
65 2.      Gugamal NP 1975 361.28
66 3.      Nawegaon NP 1975 133.88
67 4.      Pench (Jawaharlal Nehru) NP 1975 257.26
68 5.      Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli) NP 1983 86.96
69 6.      Tadoba NP 1955 116.55
70 Manipur (1) 1.      Keibul-Lamjao NP (in Loktak Lake) 1977 40
71 Meghalaya (2) 1.      Balphakram NP 1985 220
72 2.      Nokrek Ridge NP 1986 47.48
73 Mizoram (2) 1.      Murlen NP 1991 100
74 2.      Phawngpui Blue Mountain NP 1992 50
75 Nagaland (1) 1.      Intanki NP 1993 202.02
76 Odisha (2) 1.      Bhitarkanika NP 1988 145
77 2.      Simlipal NP 1980 845.7
78 Rajasthan (5) 1.      Desert NP 1992 3162
79 2.      Keoladeo Ghana NP 1981 28.73
80 3.      Mukundra Hills NP 2006 200.54
81 4.      Ranthambhore NP 1980 282
82 5.      Sariska NP 1992 273.8
83 Sikkim (1) 1.      Khangchendzonga NP 1977 1784
84 Tamil Nadu (5) 1.      Guindy NP 1976 2.82
85 2.      Gulf of Mannar Marine NP 1980 6.23
86 3.      Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) NP 1989 117.1
87 4.      Mudumalai NP 1990 103.23
88 5.      Mukurthi NP 1990 78.46
89 Telangana (3) 1.      Kasu Brahmananda Reddy NP 1994 1.43
90 2.      Mahaveer Harina Vanasthali NP 1994 14.59
91 3.      Mrugavani NP 1994 3.6
92 Tripura (2) 1.      Clouded Leopard NP 2007 5.08
93 2.      Bison (Rajbari) NP 2007 31.63
94 Uttar Pradesh (1) 1.      Dudhwa NP 1977 490
95 Uttarakhand (6) 1.      Corbett NP 1936 520.82
96 2.      Gangotri NP 1989 2390.02
97 3.      Govind NP 1990 472.08
98 4.      Nanda Devi NP 1982 624.6
99 5.      Rajaji NP 1983 820
100 6.      Valley of Flowers NP 1982 87.5
101 West Bengal (6) 1.      Buxa NP 1992 117.1
102 2.      Gorumara NP 1992 79.45
103 3.      Jaldapara NP 2014 216.51
104 4.      Neora Valley NP 1986 159.89
105 5.      Singalila NP 1986 78.6
106 6.      Sunderban NP 1984 1330.1
~41,157
30 Largest National Parks in terms of area   Descending order of States in terms of number of National Parks
Rank National Park Area (km2)   Rank State No. of NPs
1 Hemis NP 3,350 1 Madhya Pradesh 10
2 Desert NP 3,162 2 Andaman & Nicobar 9
3 Gangotri NP 2,390 3 Assam 7
4 Namdapha NP 1,808 4 Kerala 6
5 Khangchendzonga NP 1,784 5 Maharashtra 6
6 Guru Ghasidas (Sanjay) NP 1,441 6 Uttarakhand 6
7 Sunderban NP 1,330 7 West Bengal 6
8 Indravati (Kutru) NP 1,258 8 Himachal Pradesh 5
9 Papikonda NP 1,013 9 Karnataka 5
10 Kanha NP 940 10 Rajasthan 5
11 Bandipur NP 874 11 Tamil Nadu 5
12 Kaziranga NP 859 12 Gujarat 4
13 Simlipal NP 846 13 J&K UT + Ladakh UT 4
14 Rajaji NP 820 14 Andhra Pradesh 3
15 Great Himalayan NP 754 15 Chhattisgarh 3
16 Khirganga NP 710 16 Telangana 3
17 Pin Valley NP 675 17 Arunachal Pradesh 2
18 Nagarahole (Rajiv Gandhi) NP 643 18 Haryana 2
19 Nanda Devi NP 625 19 Meghalaya 2
20 Kudremukh NP 600 20 Mizoram 2
21 Satpura NP 585 21 Odisha 2
22 Panna NP 543 22 Tripura 2
23 Corbett NP 521 23 Bihar 1
24 Manas NP 500 24 Goa 1
25 Dudhwa NP 490 25 Jharkhand 1
26 Mouling NP 483 26 Manipur 1
27 Govind NP 472 27 Nagaland 1
28 Sanjay NP 467 28 Sikkim 1
29 Bandhavgarh NP 449 29 Uttar Pradesh 1
30 Campbell Bay NP 426 Oldest National Parks
Smallest National Parks in terms of Area   NP Year
Rank National Park Area (km2) 1 Corbett NP 1936
1 South Button Island NP 0.03 2 Kanha NP 1955
2 Fossil NP 0.3 3 Tadoba NP 1955
4 North Button Island NP 0.4 Newest National Parks
5 Middle Button Island NP 0.9 NP Year
6 North Button Island NP 1.3 1 Dihing Patkai NP 2021
7 Dinosaur Fossils NP 1.4 2 Raimona NP 2021
8 Pambadum Shola NP 1.4 3 Jaldapara NP 2014
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About the Author: Abirlal Mukherjee (Mukhopadhyay)

Assistant Professor (Amity University), Digital Humanist
Ph.D in English (GITAM, India), M.A. and B.A. in English (B.C.C., B.K.U, India), P.G.D.E. -I by Research (B.C.U, UK), TESOL Prof. Certification (Arizona State University, USA)

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