Eastern Ghats

Coordinates: 15.418°0′N 78.789°0′E / 15.418°N 78.789°E / 15.418; 78.789
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Eastern Ghats
Igneous, Iron and Limestone

The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats pass through the states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu by, passing parts of Karnataka and Telangana on the way. They are eroded and cut through by four major rivers of peninsular India, the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. Zindagad Konda is the highest point in both Andhra Pradesh and the Eastern Ghats at 1,690 metres (5,540 ft). The Biligiriranga Hills in Karnataka are the tallest hill range in the Eastern Ghats, with many peaks above 1500 m in height.

Geology

The Eastern Ghats are made up of

strike-slip faults along its range.[2] Limestone, bauxite and iron ore
are found in Eastern Ghats hill ranges.

The Eastern Ghats are an ancient

Western Ghats.[3]

The

Tirumala Hills is a major discontinuity of stratigraphic significance that represents an extensive period of erosion and non-deposition. It can be seen at the steep natural slopes, road scars and ravines in the Tirumala ghat roads in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh.[4][5]

Hill ranges

Eastern Ghats near Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh
Long view of Seshachalam Hills
Topography of the Eastern Ghats (Southern part)

As with the Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats have local names along the discontinuous hill ranges.

The Ponnaiyar and Palar rivers flow from headwaters on the Kolar Plateau eastward through gaps in the Ghats to empty into the Bay of Bengal. The Javadhu Hills lie between the two rivers. There are waterfalls along remote stretches of the rivers, such as Kiliyur Falls.[6]

Madhurawada Dome in the Eastern Ghats mobile belt was formed by a tectonic arrangement with the khondalite suite and quartzite Archean rocks north of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.[7]

The Maliya Range is located in the northern portion of the Eastern Ghats, generally ranging between elevations of 900–1,200 m. The tallest peak in this range is Mahendragiri (1,501 m).[8]

The Madugula Konda Range is also located in the northern portion of the Eastern Ghats. It is higher than the Maliyas and generally ranges between elevations of 1,100–1,400 m. Prominent summits include the highest peak of the Eastern Ghats, Arma Konda (1,690 m), along with Gali Konda (1,643 m) and Sinkram Gutta (1,620 m).[8]

The Similipal massif is considered the furthest northeast extension of the Eastern Ghats.[9]

Rivers

Mahanadi River
flowing through Eastern Ghats

The Eastern Ghats are the source area for many small and medium rivers of the east coastal plains of South India.[10]

Rivers flowing through the Eastern Ghats include:

Rivers originating on the Eastern Ghats include:

Fauna

The

shieldtail snake (Rhinophis goweri), Shortt's shieldtail snake (Uropeltis shorttii) and the Nagarjun Sagar racer (Platyceps bholanathi).[citation needed
]

Mammals

Indian Elephant in the Eastern Ghats

Mammals found in the Easter Ghats include the

Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) and Indian mole-rat (Bandicota bengalensis).[12] There are about 400 tigers living in the Eastern Ghats.[citation needed
]

Birds

A survey conducted by

Oriental white ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus), Indian pitta (Pitta brachyura), Indian paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi), red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer), red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus), jungle babbler (Turdoides striata), painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala), black-rumped flameback (Dinopium benghalense), brahminy kite (Haliastur indus), jungle myna (Acridotheres fuscus), Indian spotted eagle (Aquila hastata), Indian vulture (Gyps indicus)[14][15] and Malabar whistling thrush
(Myophonus horsfieldii).

Amphibians

Up to 30 species of amphibians live in the Eastern Ghats, including Gunther's toad (

Raorchestes terebrans), the recently described caecilian Gegeneophis orientalis, and an Ichthyophis species that is known only from old records.[16][17]

Reptiles

Nearly 100 species of reptiles occur in the Eastern Ghats. Many endangered species are also present, including the mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), Indian black turtle (Melanochelys trijuga), Indian flapshell turtle (Lissemys punctata), Indian tent turtle (Pangshura tentoria), Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) and Leith's softshell turtle (Nilssonia leithii), many of which are found in the northern rivers and riverine valley tracts.

A crocodile at Bhitarkanika National Park Odisha

Among the

Sepsophis punctatus, Barkudia melanosticta and Barkudia insularis that are known only from the northern ranges and along the adjoining Eastern coastal plains in northern Andhra Pradesh and Odisha
.

Among

Bungarus fasciatus) are also known from parts of this region.[16][17]

Protected areas

Panoramic view of Sri Venkateswara National Park near Talakona, Andhra Pradesh

Sanctuaries and national parks of the Eastern Ghats:

National Parks

Wildlife Sanctuaries

Reserves

According to a study published in 2018, the forest cover of the Eastern Ghats has shrunk drastically since 1920, and several plant species endemic to this region face the threat of extinction.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ SOI Sheet Number 65J/12, available on the Onlinemaps Portal
  2. S2CID 126925893
    .
  3. ^ Eastern Ghats: an ancient orogenic, older than the Western Ghats lakesofindia.com 27 August 2022
  4. ^ "Eparchaean Unconformity, Tirumala Ghat section". Geological Survey of India. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
  5. ^ Geological Monuments of India. Geological Survey of India. 2001. pp. 5–8. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  6. ^ "Jungle Look". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 11 February 2006. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007.
  7. ^ Jagadeeswara Rao, P.; Harikrishna, P.; Srivastav, S.K.; Satyanarayana, P.V.V.; Vasu Deva Rao, B. (October 2009). "Selection of groundwater potential zones in and around Madhura wada Dome, Visakhapatnam District - A GIS approach" (PDF). J. Ind. Geophys. Union. 13 (4): 191–200. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-81-7387-135-1
    . Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  9. ^ "National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan profiles the Eastern Ghats of southern India" originally from http://sdnp.delhi.nic.in/nbsap/dactionp/ecoregion/eghatdraft.html[permanent dead link]
  10. ISBN 978-81-87498-49-0
    .
  11. ^ Basundhara Chettri; S. Bhupathy (26 July 2010). "Three little known reptile species from the Araku Valley, Eastern Ghats with notes on their distribution" (PDF). Journal of Threatened Taxa. 2 (8): 1109–1103.
    doi:10.11609/JoTT.o2329.1109-13. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 1 November 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  12. ^ No.1,2006.pdf The Eastern Ghats[dead link]. Archive of No.1,2006.pdf original site [dead link]
  13. ISSN 0971-751X
    . Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  14. ^ Endangered vultures sighted in Raichur. The Hindu (29 August 2012). Retrieved on 28 July 2013.
  15. ^ Critically endangered vulture found in Adilabad district. The Hindu (5 June 2013). Retrieved on 28 July 2013.
  16. ^ a b Srinivasulu, C., & Das, I. (2008). The herpetofauna of Nallamala Hills, Eastern Ghats, India: an annotated checklist, with remarks on nomenclature, taxonomy, habitat use, adaptive types and biogeography. Asiatic Herpetological Research, 11, 110-131.
  17. ^ a b Ganesh, S. R., & Arumugam, M. (2015). Species Richness of Montane Herpetofauna of Southern Eastern Ghats, India: A Historical Resume and a Descriptive Checklist. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 23(1), 7-24.
  18. ISSN 0971-751X
    . Retrieved 13 October 2018.
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