Bharatpur-Keoladeo National Park is located in eastern Rajasthan, 2 km southeast of Bharatpur and 50 km west of Agra. The area is a flat patchwork of swamps in the Gangetic plain, artificially created in the 1850s and maintained since then by a system of canals, sluice gates and dams. Normally, the floodplain is flooded twice a year by the Gambira and Banganga rivers, which are diverted from cultivable land by an artificial dam called Ajan Bund to the south of the park. The first time is usually in mid-July, soon after the onset of the monsoon and the second time is in late September or October when the Ajan Bund is prepared for winter cultivation. Thus, the area remains submerged to a depth of 1-2 m throughout the monsoon (July-September), after which the water level falls. The land starts drying up from February and only some water remains by June. The wetland covers only 1,000 hectares for most of the year. The soil is mainly alluvial – some soil has formed as a result of periodic inundation.
In the semi-arid biotype, the park is the only area with much vegetation, hence the term ‘Ghana’ meaning ‘dense’. The main vegetation type is tropical dry deciduous forest, mixed with dry grasslands in areas where the forests have been degraded. Apart from artificially managed swamps, most of the area is covered with medium-sized trees and shrubs. The forests, which are mostly in the north-east of the park, are dominated by kalam or kadam, jamun and acacia. The open forest is mostly acacia with a small amount of kandi and ber. The shrublands are dominated by ber and kair. The aquatic vegetation is rich in species and is a valuable source of food for waterbirds. ( Courtesy Rajasthan Tourism )
