Gangotri national park (GNP) authorities would soon be transferring around 50 hectares of land to the Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to develop new bunkers and border outposts near the LAC.
About Gangotri National Park:
- Location:
- It is located in the Uttarkashi District region of the state of Uttarakhand.
- It sits along the upper catchment of the Bhagirathi River.Â
- The northeastern section of the park forms the international boundary of India and Tibet (China).Â
- The area enclosed by the park also borders Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and Govind National Park.
- The park spans 2,390 sq km (920 sq mi) of land across a highly mountainous part of the country.
- The mountains in the park are part of the Gangotri Group of the Garhwal Himalayas, which are a subrange of the eastern Himalayas.
- Peaks: Major peaks within the park include Chaukhamba I, Satopanth, Chaukhamba II, Chaukhamba III, and Kedarnath Main.
- The famous Gangotri Glacier is located in the park boundaries and is known for being one of the primary sources of the Ganges.
- Ecology:
- It is home to high-altitude ecosystems that are common in the Himalayas.
- Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests dominate the lower elevation These forests are filled with fir trees intermixed with deodar, oak, spruce, and rhododendrons trees.
- Higher elevations in the park are home to Western Himalayan alpine shrubs. Alpine meadows are also common beneath the massive glaciers.
- Fauna:
- It is home to the ever-elusive snow leopard.
- Other species include brown bear, blue sheep, musk deer, Asian black bear, and the Himalayan tahr, among others.