CHAPTER II CHAPTER II PHYSIOGRAPHIC APPRAISAL FOR ECOTOURISM Topic No. Page Number 2.0 Introduction: 40 2.1 Physiography: 40 2.1.1 Western belt: 40 2.1.2 Central belt: 41 2.1.3 Eastern belt: 43 2.2 Geology: 43 2.3 Drainage: 45 2.4 Climate: 47 2.5 Soils: 50 2.6 Vegetation: 53 2.7 Wildlife: 63 2.8 Historical background: 68 2.9 Tourist attractions of the study area: 69 2.10 Resume: 77 CHAPTER II PHYSIOGRAPHIC APPRAISAL FOR ECOTOURISM 2.0 Introduction: Development of tourism is primarily depends upon natural and cultural factors. These together are responsible for availability of related facilities and marketability of tourist places. Ecotourism development mainly depends upon the characteristics of natural and cultural features of the region. This chapter mainly deals with physiographic set up and appraisal of sites for ecotourism along with brief historical background. 2.1 Physiography: Pune district is almost triangular in shape and covers 5.09 % area of Maharashtra. Physiographically Pune district may conveniently be divided into three divisions viz. 1) Western belt 2) Central belt 3) Eastern belt (Fig. 2.1). The area of interest with respect to ecotourism lies in the first two belts. A brief account of each belt is presented below. 2.1.1 Western belt: It is a 5 to 25 km wide and 118 km in length of mountains region called Ghatmatha. The altitude ranges between 900 to 1200 m with some peaks rise to even more than 1300 m, e.g. Torna (1404 m), etc. It runs from north to south and forms the main range of the Sahyadris. The Western belt consist the main crestline of the Sahyadri ranges, which run along the entire western border of the district. It rises from the Deccan plateau in gentle slope and falls west into the Konkan in the form of sheer cliff (Plate 2.2). In this belt several ecotourism destination may be identified. The relief of the region is an extremely undulated and some interesting features like lofty peaks, clear-cut ridges, steep slopes and deep ravines with interfluves and round top hill in the form of residue of erosion are characterising the landscape. The major interfluves of the plateau rise westward in steps, the ideal 'Piedmont Trappean (Plate 2.3) and represent erosional surface. There are some passes across this range. Such passes have provided favourable location for construction of roads and railways joining Konkan and Desh region e.g. Naneghat, Malshej ghat, Borghat and Varnadha ghat etc. The first range situated at western part of district, the main crestline of the Sahyadries. There are number of noticeable peaks in Sahyadris like Jivdhan, Dhak, Ahupe 40 and Nagphani (Duke Nose), the famous double-peaked fort of Rajmachi, etc. At the south of Duke's Nose and slightly inland from the line of the Sahyadri ranges lie the lofty striking range known as the Jambulni hills. Further south the isolated rocks of Koiri and Majgaon control the Ambauni and Amboli passes, 10 km further is the prominent bluff of saltar, and 32 km beyond is Tamhini near the south-west corner of the district. The forts have been built on most of these peaks, having strategic location to keep watch and control on the kingdom by various dynasties. 2.1.2 Central belt: It is the second highest belt surrounding the Ghatmatha on the eastern side. This also narrow belt having width about 15 to 30 km. It consists of offshoots of Sahyadris and characterised by Small Mountain and hilly ranges that stretch eastwards and gradually sink into the plain. These ranges separated by river valleys through which access to tourist places along the branches of Sahyadris has been possible. There are four hilly ranges running eastwards from the main crestline in this belt. The first and third from the north consist of parallel ridges running eastward. The second and fourth belts are full of deep narrow ravines and gorges cut through hills with terraced sides and broad flat tops. It covers hill ranges of Harichandra, Shingi, Tasubhai, Mandvi, Tamini, Ambala, Purandhar, and etc. These hill ranges separated by eastern flowing rivers, e. g. Shingi hill between Bhima and Bhama, Tasubhai hill between Bhama and indryani, Mandvi hill between Pawana and Mula. Tamini hill between Mula and Mutha, Ambala hill between Mutha and Nira. These small hill ranges are eastern offshoots of the Sahyadris. The first belt is at the northern most, which is about 25 km broad located in the Junnar tahsil. It has three well-marked narrow ridges, the crests occasionally broken into peaks with steep rocky slopes. South of Harishchandragad ridge two short ranges spread about 32 km with chief peaks Hatkeshvar, about more than 600 m above the Junnar plain, further it divides the Madhner and Kokadner valleys. About half way between Hatkeshvar and the Sahyadris on a half-detached ridge at right angles to the main spur is Hadsar, a great rocky mass about 400m above the plain. Chavand hill is located about 6.5 km to southwest. A famous shivner hill is located further east, between the Kukdi and the Mina river. 41 RELIEF FEATURE OF THE STUDY AREA Figure No. 2.1 N ig a p KM 450- 600 M. 600- 900 M. 900- 1200 M. ABOVE 1200 M 42 The second belt of eastern hills runs mainly in the Khed tahsil. This belt stretches from Bhimashankar in the northwest to Shingi and Khondeshvar hills in southeast. The slopes are broken by terrace with good soil, which are cultivated in places. The third belt like the first belt includes several spur or ridges. These are the Tasobai ridge between the Bhama and the Andhra river. Shridepathar marks the interfluves between the Andhara and the Kundali valleys. The water divide between the Indrayani and the Pauna is marked by Sakhupathar plateau, and the four peaks of Lohgad, Visapur, Batrasi, and kudva. To their south are located the two peaks of Tung and Tikona. The fourth belt constitutes the hills like Sinhgad, Katraj, Malhargad, Dhavleshvar, Purandhar, Vajragad, Kharepathar, etc. it forms the southern boundry of mula mutha basin. These ranges are broken due to erosion by tributaries the Mula river on one side and that of river Nira on the southern side. Having altitudes about 700 to 800 m offer favourable site for trekking with some peaks rising above 1200 m contour e.g. Purandhar. 2.1.3 Eastern belt: It is gently sloping wide (80 to 115 km) region, which is changing gradually from valleys and broken upland to a bare open plain. This belt is part of fertile zone of western zone of Maharashtra. Due to its topographical situation it has little potential for ecotourism activity. However, this region can be considered as nearest market zone for ecotourism to be established in the western a central belt of district. Aforementioned that the study region covers mainly by the western margin of the ghats ranges of sahyadri. Some interesting features like lofty peaks, clear-cut ridge, steep slops and deep valleys and round top hill are characterising the landscape. The overlooking picturesque Konkan area from the sahyadri crest line and numerous waterfalls cascading down all over the region are observed in the rainy season. There are number of hill forts located at various physiographically strategic positions and number of historical caves along the mountain slope. Pleasing view of mighty sahyadri while passing various ghats roads also enthrals visitors. Thus, physiographic arrangement of the region creates paradise for tourism. 2.2 Geology: From Geological point of view, almost all-geographical area of the Pune districts is covered by stratified trap called 'Deccan trap' with inter- trappean beds. It is the youngest mega- geomorphic unit of the Indian peninsula (Kale 2000). Deccan trap means step like 43 topography of the volcanic terrain of the Deccan region. This is mainly formed from basaltic rocks. It has resulted from the consolidation of the lava that was erupted during the cretaceous and early Eocene, about 60 to 65 million years ago (Krishana, 1963). The structure of such rock observed mainly in two categories. The non- vesicular type is hard, tough, compact and medium to fine grained with conchoidal structure. The second one is amygdaloidal type, which is comparatively soft and breaks more easily. The layer of basalt is thick in western Maharashtra and the same goes on decreasing towards the east and south. It has been disturbed by diastrophic movement and has undergone to sub-aerial process, which have led to produce a multitude of microforms. The most striking feature is the 1000 m fault escarpment that forms the western margin of the district. The most widespread view about origin of escapement i.e. Western Ghat is formed by faulting during the paleocene. In recent years, the most widely accepted explanation is that the present escapement represents a continental edge, created by rifting and separation of the Seychelles micro-continent in late cretaceous. The rifting has been generally ascribed to the northward movement of the Indian plate, giving rise to the present shoreline of the Arabian Sea (Kale, 2000). The plateau after the catastrophic phase of faulting has remained relatively stable and has undergone a succession of cycles of erosion and hence polycyclic landforms are observed (Dikshit, 1971). The inter trappeans beds separating layers of lava formed in different periods are exposed to sub-aerial processes and are identified as red boles at many places. Red boles are reddish or greenish layer occurring between consecutive lava flows representing baked soils developed over old lava flows. It is also knows as a fossil laterite.