National Parks of India

National parks are natural landscapes used for conservation purposes, created and protected by the national government. It is usually a protected area of ​​natural, semi-natural or developed land declared or owned by a sovereign state. Although various countries designate their own national parks differently, they have a common idea: to protect "wild nature" for future generations and as a symbol of national pride.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and its World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) have defined "national parks" as a second category (type II) of protected areas.

When compared to the wildlife sanctuary, the national parks have more restrictions. Its limits are also fixed. The main objective of the national park is to protect the natural environment and the biodiversity of the area. Also, promote education and entertainment. In India, national parks are IUCN Class II protected areas. In 1936, India's first national park was established. It was then named Hailey National Park, it was later renamed, and now it is called Jim Corbett National Park, which is located in Uttarakhand.

An important point to understand while studying the national parks is that both the central government and state governments can declare land as a national park. Another point to note is that unless the state legislature passes a resolution, the national park boundaries cannot be changed.

The article focuses on the discussion about national parks, their definition, the objective of national parks, features, and the activities that are allowed and prohibited in the national park. The article also briefly discusses the features of Jim Corbett national park and Sanjay Gandhi national park.  

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Definition of National Parks

In 1969, IUCN declared that the national park is a relatively large area with the following defining characteristics mentioned below.

• One or more ecosystems that have not undergone substantial changes due to human development and occupation, in which plant and animal species, landforms, and habitats have special scientific, educational, and recreational interests or contain beautiful natural landscapes. 

•  The top national authorities have taken measures to prevent or eliminate exploitation or occupation as quickly as possible throughout the region and effectively respect the ecological, geomorphic or aesthetic characteristics that led to its establishment. 

•  Under special conditions, visitors can enter for motivational, educational, cultural and entertainment purposes.

In 1971, these standards were further expanded, resulting in an increasingly clear benchmark for evaluating national parks. These standards are mentioned below.

• In areas where nature protection prevails, the minimum area is 1,000 hectares. 

•  Statutory legal protection. 

•  Sufficient budget and personnel to provide adequate and effective protection. 

•  It is forbidden to exploit natural resources (including the development of dams) that meet the conditions of activities such as sports, hunting, fishing, management needs, and facilities.

Although the definition is given by the IUCN, the protection and management of the protected are managed by the state and central government of the country together. An example of a national park located in India is Jim Corbett national park. There are also some other national parks: Sanjay Gandhi national park, Dudhwa national park, Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, and Orang national park.

The Objectives of National Parks

As discussed earlier, the national parks are constructed to protect the flora and fauna of a particular landscape. Although different national parks are concerned with the protection of different vulnerable animal and plant species, they all essentially have the same main objective to protect animals and plants. Some of the objectives of national parks are summarised into the following points. 

• National parks are designated to manage the physiographic regions, biotic communities, genetic resources, and unimpaired natural processes.

•  National parks contribute to the protection of a wider range of species, regional ecological processes and migration routes. 

•  Maintain a vigorous and ecologically functional population. In the long term, it is done to protect the integrity and resilience of the ecosystem and for this density of native species combination. 

•  For inspirational, educational, cultural and recreational purposes, to manage visitor use in a way that does not cause significant biological or ecological degradation of natural resources. 

•  Consider the needs of indigenous peoples and local communities, including the use of survival resources. So far, these will not have a negative impact on the main management objectives. 

•  National parks contribute to the local economy through tourism.

National parks are categorised as Type II protected landmass; the area is usually very large and retains a functional "ecosystem". To achieve this goal, the protected area may need to be supplemented by integrated management of the surrounding area.

Do’s and Don'ts’ of National Parks

As we have understood what national parks are, we can now understand the regulations in national parks. Human activities are not allowed in the national park. Furthermore, livestock grazing and private land use rights are not allowed. The use of the species mentioned in the appendix of the Wildlife Law for hunting or capture purposes is also not allowed. No one can remove, develop or destroy any wild animal from the national park. No one is allowed to destroy or destroy the habitat of any wild animal or deprive it of any wild animal in the national park.

A very important point to remember related to the status of the national park is that they cannot be demoted to "sanctuary" status. Both the central government and state governments can declare national parks. However, changes to national park boundaries are accepted by resolutions passed by the state legislature.

Jim Corbett National Park

Jim Corbett National Park is the first national park established in India, located in the Nainital District of Uttarakhand. India’s first national park was built during British rule in 1936 and was named Hailey National Park to commemorate the governor of the Union Province at that time. In 1956, nearly ten years after India’s independence, it was renamed Corbett National Park after the hunter and naturalist Jim Corbett, who played an important role in the establishment of the park. The park was the first to become part of the Protect Tiger initiative.

Jim Corbett National Park includes 520.8 square kilometres (201.1 square miles) of hills, river belts, swamp depressions, grasslands, and a large lake. The altitude ranges from 1,300 to 4,000 feet (400 to 1,220 m). It generally rains from July to September. The park has the geographical and ecological characteristics of the sub-Himalayan zone. 

The dense and humid deciduous forest is mainly composed of sal, haldu, peepal, rohini and mango trees. Forests cover almost 73% of the park, and 10% of the area is composed of grassland. It is home to approximately 110 species of trees, 50 species of mammals, 580 species of birds, and 25 species of reptiles.

As an ecotourism destination, the park has 488 different plants and varied fauna. Increased tourist activities and other problems continue to pose serious challenges to the ecological balance of the park. The Indian government has organised ecotourism workshops in Corbett National Park and Garhwal to ensure that local residents benefit from tourism while the park is protected.

Sanjay Gandhi National Park

Sanjay Gandhi National Park is an 87 square kilometre (34 square miles) protected area in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was established in 1996 and is headquartered in Borivali. The rich flora and fauna of Sanjay Gandhi National Park attract more than 2 million visitors every year. Tourists also like to visit the 2,400-year-old Kanheri caves, which are carved into the rocky cliffs in the park. The Sanjay Gandhi National Park area has a long history that dates back to the 4th century BC.

The park occupies most of the northern suburbs of Mumbai. To the west are the suburbs of Goregaon, Malad, Kandivali, Borivali and Dahisar. To the east are the suburbs of Bhandup and Mulund. To the south is the Aarey Milk Colony and IIT Bombay University campus. The northern end of this forest is the city of Thane. The park and its surrounding areas (except Thane City) are part of Mumbai. It is the only protected forest located within the city limits. 

The area is mountainous, with elevations ranging from 30 to 480 m (98 to 1,575 feet). The park has two lakes, Lake Vihar and Lake Tulsi, which meet part of the city's water needs. It is said that the park is the lung of the city because it purifies most of the air pollution in the city.

The park is a thriving forest with an estimated 800 species of mauve. This flower is native to the park and surrounding areas, including Kanara, Yeoor Mountain, Tungareshwar, and parts of Goregaon. The park is also home to a small number of leopards.

The park is home to many endangered plant and animal species. The park’s forest area has more than 1,000 species of plants, 251 species of migratory birds, terrestrial and aquatic birds, 5,000 species of insects, and 40 species of mammals. In addition, the park also provides shelters for 38 reptiles, 9 amphibians, 150 butterflies and a wide variety of fish.

In conclusion of the article, it can be said national parks are important initiatives that are aimed at the conservation of the natural flora and fauna of a place; it also helps in the development of the nearby area by providing ecotourism destinations.