Paper II – Geography of Maharashtra (English Version)-munotes

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MAHARAS HTRA: MAJOR RELIEF
FEATURES, RIVERS AND CLIMATE
After going through this chapter you will be able to understand the
following features.
Unit Structure:
1.1 Objectives
1.2 Introduction
1.3 Subject - Discussion
1.4 Major relief features of Maharashtr a
1.4.1 Hill ranges
1.4.2 Plateaus
1.4.3 Plains
1.4.4 Peaks
1.5 Major rivers of Maharashtra and their tributaries
1.6 Climate of Maharashtra
1.6.1 Variation in temperature
1.6.2 Rainfall distribution
1.6.3 Rain shadow zone
1.7 Summary
1.8 Check you r Progress/ Exercise
1.9 Answers to the self learning questions.
1.10 Technical words and their meaning
1.11 Task
1.12 References for further study
1.1. OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit you will be able to understand:
 The location and distribut ion of ma jor relief features of
Maharashtra munotes.in

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Geography of Maharashtra

2  The flow of major rivers and their tributaries in Maharashtra
 Climate of Maharashtra with reference to its variation in
temperature and rainfall distribution.

1.2. INTRODUCTION
The State of Maharashtra was forme d on 1st May 1960. The movement
by Sanyukta Maharashtra Samiti led to the division of the Bombay State
into Gujarat (speaking Gujarati and Kutchhi) and Maharashtra (speaking
Marathi and Konkani through Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960 enacted
by the Parliam ent of In dia on 25 April 1960. The act came into effect on 1
May 1960. Mumbai is the Capital of the state and financial capital of the
country as it contributes to the highest revenue earning deposits to the
country. Presently the state has 36 districts as Palghar has been formed as
the new district of the state carved out from Thane district on 01st August
2014.
* Location and Size:
i) The absolute location is given with reference to latitude and longitude
extent of any area. Thus the absolute latitudinal and longitud inal extent is
15044 t o 2 206 north latitudes and 72036 to 80054 east longitudes of
Maharashtra State.
ii) Relative location is explained with reference to its neighbouring area in
different directions. Thus state of Maharashtra is confined with lan d
boundar ies of Madhya Pradesh to its north, Chhattisgarh to its east,
Telangana to its south east, Karnataka to its south, Goa to its south west
and, the natural water front boundary of Arabian Sea to west, Dadra and
Nagar Haveli (union territories) and G ujarat state to its north -west
iii) Size: Size is explained with reference to its total area and extent.
Thus total area of Maharashtra state is 3, 07,690 square kilometres ( sq.km ).
Its length (north -south extent) is 720 km. and its bread th (east -west
extent) is 800 km. Its total coastline along Arabian Sea is 720 km.
while its land boundary with all the neighbouring state is km. When
compared with the share of its land and population to India it is 9.36 %
of land area and 9.29% s hare of p opulation (2011 Census). It is the
third largest state in terms of land area and second largest populated
state of the country.
1.3. SUBJECT DISCUSSION
Relief features also play an important role in determining the
climate and drainage system of a region. The consolidated interaction
effect of these elements get reflected and recognised in its landscape cover
of varied natural vegetation in a region. munotes.in

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Maharashtra: Major Relief
Features, Rivers and
Climate
3 The State of Maharashtra is bestowed with great relief features ranging
from mountain and hills; pe aks and c liffs; ghats and valleys; plateaus;
river and coastal plains; beaches and creeks. Its drainage system in the form
of large rivers with its tributaries and rivulets; springs, ponds and lakes
provide with fresh water resources. The state has tropica l monsoon
climate with seasonal rains as heavy as over 400 cm in some regions.
Warm summer starts from March onwards up to late October, while
winters are mild. Let us discuss these above mentioned aspects in detail as
under:
1.4. MAHARASHTRA RELIEF
5.4.1. Introduct ion: Physiographically the state of Maharashtra largely
comprises of three broad divisions:
a) The Mountain range of Sahyadri’s or Western Ghats
b) The Plateau region of Deccan
c) The Coastal Plain of Konkan
a) The Mountain range of Sahyadri’s or Wester n Ghats: is the
mountainous faulted and eroded edge of the Deccan Plateau. The average
elevation in this mountain is 1000 to 1200 meters above mean sea level.
The Sahyadri mountain range runs parallel to the Arabian seacoast. There
are many offshoots branc hing east wards from the main Sahyadri ranges
such as Satmala, Ajanta, Harishchandra, Balaghat and Mahadeo hills.
Its highest peak is Kalsubai at an altitude of 1650 meter. Most of the
rivers in Maharashtra originate in the Sahyadri that forms the water -
divide to produce eastward and westward flowing rivers. These ranges
are also characterised by a number of ghats (passes), the important
ones being Thal, Bor, Kumbharli, Amba, Phonda and; Amboli from
transport view point since ancient times.

Fig: Sahyadri main wate r divides munotes.in

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Geography of Maharashtra

4 b) The Plateau region of Deccan: In the north the plateau is flanked
by Satpura ranges, which run in the East -West direction in Maharashtra. It
is important to note that a large area of Maharashtra state is a
highland of Deccan plateau form ed by the volcanic activity and the
subsequent cooling down of the lava. The rocks are of igneous type
mainly basalt and granite. The altitude of the plateau varies from 450 to
750 meters. Important cities of this region are Pune, Nagpur and Solapur.
c) The C oastal Pl ain of Konkan: Konkan coastal region is a narrow
plain that stretches from the states of Gujarat to Kerala lying to the west
between the Arabian Sea and the western ghats of the Sahyadri range. This
coastal strip is barely 50 km in width which is wider in the north and
narrows down to the south. The coastline is dissected by the branches of
Sahyadri’s and wave -cut platforms that form river creeks up to the
coast.
 The Konkan coastal plains of the State extend from Daman in the
north to the Terekhol creek in the south for about 750 km to the west
of Sahyadri.
 The important creeks in Konkan from north to south are
Vaitarna, Thane, Dharamtar, Dabhol, Rajapuri, Vijaydurg and
Terekhol.
 The Konkan coastal districts of Maharashtra are Palghar,
Thane, Greate r Mumbai, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.
 Konkan coastal lowland is just 20 to 40 km in width in the southern
districts of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. While the northern
districts of Thane and Palghar have relatively wider coastal lowland
with 80 to 100 k m. width. The relief of this lowland is dominated
and interspersed with numerous scattered low hills.
 Greater Mumbai is an island with Salsette largely coalesced by
reclaiming the low -lying area of the sea.
 The Konkan coastal region is marked by h illy and narrow valleys,
highly dissected with transverse ridges of the Western Ghats and
at many places extending as promontories, notches, sea caves,
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Maharashtra: Major Relief
Features, Rivers and
Climate
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Fig: Major hill ranges and Rivers in Maharashtra
1.5. MAJOR R IVERS AND RIVER SYSTEM OF
MAHARASHTRA
1.5.1. Drainage system: Tapi, Godavari, Bhima and Krishna are the main
rivers of the state. About 75% area of Maharashtra is drained by
eastward gently flowing rivers of the Godavari and Krishna into the
Bay o f Bengal. Other 25% area is drained by westward flowing rivers
of Narmada and Tapi ; and short -swift flowing Konkan Rivers rising
from cliffs of Sahyadri viz: Ulhas, Savitri, Vashishthi and Shastri
flowing into the Arabian Sea.
The rivers of Konkan rise fr om the cl iffs of Sahyadri and have a short
swift flow into the Arabian Sea. Some important rivers are Ulhas, Savitri,
Vashishthi and Shastri. munotes.in

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Geography of Maharashtra

6 Climatically the State of Maharashtra overall enjoys tropical monsoon
type of climate which is hot and humid for m ost part of the year.
Maharashtra receives its rainfall mainly from south -west monsoon.
The rainfall in state varies considerably with as heavy as over 400 cm in
some regions. There is heavy rainfall in the coastal region, scanty rains in
rain shadow areas in the c entral part and moderate rains in eastern parts of
the state. The state however experiences four seasons:
i) The Summer season from March to May
ii) The rainy season from June to September
iii) The Post monsoon season from October to November iii) The Wi nter
season from December to February
1.4.3 Physiographically this state may be divided into three natural
divisions –
1. the coastal strip (the Konkan), consists undulating low lands.
2. the Sahyadri or the Western Ghats, running almost parallel to the sea
coast.
3. a. the plateau
b. The Shambhu Mahadeo, Harischandra -Balaghat and Ajanta Satmal
mountain ranges, again divide Deccan plateau region into three
subdivisions separating:
Krishna basin
Bhima basin
Godavari basin
Tapi-Purna basin
1.4.4. The major relief f eatures o f Maharashtra are as follows: 1. The
Sahyadri Range:
 The Western Ghats of Maharashtra known as the ‘Sahyadri’ mountain
ranges have an average elevation of 1000 -1200 m above the MSL.
 It extends from near the Tapi mouth to much further beyond the southern
limits of the state.
 The Sahyadri hills run southwards, parallel to the seacoast, with many
offshoots branching eastwards from the main ranges, for example,
Satmala, Ajanta, Harishchandra, Balaghat and Mahadeo.
 The slopes of the Sahyadri gently des cend towa rds the east and south -
east.
 The Western Ghats are not true mountains, but are the faulted edge of
the Deccan plateau and are believed to have been formed during the munotes.in

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Maharashtra: Major Relief
Features, Rivers and
Climate
7 break -up of the super continent of Gondwana some 150 million years
(mya) ago.
 The special features are the hills of Trimbakeshwar, Matheran and the
Mahableshwar plateau.
 Its highest peak is Kalsubai at an altitude of 1650 m., near Igatpuri. The
other important peak is Salher (1567 m) situated about 90 km north of
Nasik.
 A number of spurs and ri dges shoot off to the west and descend down
to the sea often forming rocky headlands and promontories jutting into
the sea.
 Most of the rivers in Maharashtra originate in the Sahyadri and then
divide to join the eastward and westward flowing river s.
 These ranges are also characterised by a number of ghats, the
important ones being Thal, Bor, Kumbharli, Amba, Phonda and Amboli.
 The Ghats are a succession of steep hills, periodically bisected by narrow
roads. Most of the famous hill stations of the s tate are at the Ghats.
 The Western Ghats form one of the three important watersheds of
India, from which many South Indian rivers originate, like Godavari,
Bhima, Koyna and Krishna.
 List of Maharashtra Mountains and Peaks
Rank Name Elevation in
meters Moun tain
Rang e District Significance
1 Kalsubai, 1,646 Kalsubai
Range Ahmednagar
/ Nasik Highest point
in Maharashtra
2 Salher 1,567 Selbari
Range Nasik
Highest fort in
Sahyadris and the
2nd highest peak
in Maharashtra
3 Dhodap 1472 Satmala
Range Nasik 2nd highest pe ak in Nasik
4 Taramati 1,431 Malshej
Range Ahmednagar
This is one of two
peaks on
Harishchandragad.
5 Saptashrungi 1,264 Satmala
Range Nasik It is a site of Hindu
pilgrimage
6 Torna 1,403 Pune Range Pune It is the first fort
captured by Shivaji
Maharaj in 1643 munotes.in

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Geography of Maharashtra

8 7 Purandar 1,387 Pune Range Pune It is the birthplace
of Sambhaji Raje
Bhosale son of Shivaji Maharaj
8 Mangi -Tungi 1,331 Selbari
Range Nasik Only twin-
pinnacled
peak with
plateauin
between.
9 Rajgad 1,318 Pune Range Pune Formerly know n as
Muru mdev, it was
capital of the
Maratha Empire
during the rule of
Chhatrapati Shivaji
Maharaj for almost
26 years, after
which he moved
the capitalto
Raigad.
10 Sinhagad 1,312 Pune Range Pune Location of the
renowned Battle of
Sinhagad.
11 Ratangad 1,297 Malshej
Range Ahmednagar 2nd highest peak
in Ahmednagar.
12 Brahmagiri 1,295 Trimbakesh
war Range Nasik Site of origin of
the sacred Godavari
river is near Trimbak.
13 Anjaneri 1,280 Trimbakesh
war Range Nasik According to Hindu
scriptures, it is the
birthpla ce of Lord
Hanuman and
thus is named after his mother
14 Pratapgad 1,080 Satara
Range Satara Significant as the
site of the Battle of
Pratapgad, the fort
is now a popular
tourist destination.
15 Raigad 820 Pune Range Raigad Served as
the capital to
former Maratha
Kingdom ruler
Shivaji Maharaj in 1674.

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Maharashtra: Major Relief
Features, Rivers and
Climate
9 2. Maharashtra Plateau:
 Other than the Western Ghats and the Konkan coast, the remaining
portion of Maharashtra is a land of the high plateau of the Deccan,
having a latitudinal and longit udinal ex tension of 15° 44 -21° 40' N
and 73° 15' - 80° 33' E respectively.
 This region includes the entire state of Maharashtra except the Konkan
coast and the Sahyadris.
 It starts form the Sahyadri ranges in the west and slopes gradually
east wards to Nagp ur.
 It is separated from the Konkan coastline by 'Ghats'.
 From the east of Sayadris, hills like Satmal, Ajanta,
Harishchandra, Balaghat and Mahadeo stretch across the Maharashtra
Plateau towards east with a decreasing height in the same direction.
Between these ran ges lie the valleys of Godavari, Bhima and Krishna
rivers.
 The plateau is therefore divided into different units such as the
i. Ajanta hills the Godavari valley
ii. The Balag hat plateau the Bhima basin.
iii. The Mahadeo uplands and the Krishna basin.
 In the nort h the plateau is flanked by Satpura ranges, which run in the
East-West direction in Maharashtra.
 The river Narmada flows along the north boundary of
Maharashtra, and other major rivers like Krishna, Godavari, Bhima,
Penganga -Wardha, and Tapi -Purna h a v e c a r ved the plateau in
alternating broad river valleys and intervening highlands.
 The plateau character and the topography, which is a dominant physical
trait of the state, owe its origin to the cooling down of the lava during
the periods of volcanic activity.
 Much of the region except the eastern part of Wardha Wainganga basin
and a small littoral patch in Ratnagiri is underlain by basaltic rocks
of the Deccan Trap.
 Important ridges on Plateau:
 The Mahadeo range branches off from the main ridge at abo ut 18o N
and runs towards south east.
 Another ridge named Harishchandra Ghat lies in its western part while
Balaghat range in the east.
 These ridges are characterised by extensive plateaus on their top. munotes.in

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Geography of Maharashtra

10  The Mahabaleswar and Panchgani Plateau lie on the Mah adeo Hills
whereas Ahmadnagar Plateau lies on the Balaghat range.
 Further north of the Harishchandra Ghat range, from west to east runs
a series of detached hill masses known as the Ajanta range. At its eastern
extremes this ridge has again divided itself into two spurs. The southern
one passing through the Parbhani and Nanded districts called the Nirmal
range. The northern one passing through the Yavatmal district is known as
the Satmal range.
 On the top of the Ajanta -Satmal range lies the Buldhana plateau of
weste rn Vidharbha and Malegaon plateau closer to Sahyadri range.
 Although the Satpura range lies mostly outside the northern limits of
the state its sharp crested ridge occurs in the west in Dhule district and
as Gawilgad hills in the northern part of Am ravati .
 Toranmal is a small plateau which rises to 1 150m.
 The highest peak is Astamba Donger 1325m. It overlooks the Tapi
valley.
 The southern slopes of these ranges fall abruptly from the height of
about 1200 m. To below 300 m.
 The cliffs run in ENE d irection.
 The linear trend of the scarp face indicates that faulting was partly
responsible for the formation of this scarp.
1.5. THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM OF MAHARASHTRA
 Maharashtra’s topography is traversed by river systems draining as far
as to the Bay of Ben gal Sea i n the east and as short and swift flowing
rivers to the west into the Arabian Sea.
There is concordance between underlying structure and drainage
of the region. The direction of the flow of the streams is well adjusted
to the structural features a nd water divides of the Deccan plateau
(Padhye 1963).
 The river Narmada flows along the north boundary of
Maharashtra. River Krishna, Bhima, Godavari and Wardha Wainganga
flow towards east and south east cutting through the plateau region to
develop well d efined ri ver valleys of the state. However Tapi and its tributary
Purna are exception as they flow towards west through a rift valley. These
are the lifeline of Maharashtra.
The west flowing rivers of Konkan region due to steep slope of the
Sahyadri’s hav e formed many swift flowing streams that end up as
estuaries.
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Maharashtra: Major Relief
Features, Rivers and
Climate
11 1.5.1. The river system of Maharashtra can be broadly divided five
major systems, such as:
1. The rivers of the Konkan
2. The Krishna -Bhima system
3. The Godavari system
4. The Tapti -Purna System 5. The Wa rdha syst em
1. The rivers of the Konkan or the West flowing rivers of the
Western Ghats
 The Konkan coastland stretches south of the Tapti valley, along the
Arabian Sea.
 It is flanked in the east by an escarpment known as the Sahyadri
Mountain or the West ern Ghats .
 The foothills of the Sahyadri Mountains reach within 6.4 -km of the
Arabian Sea in the Konkan.
 The Konkan coastland is narrow, interspersed with hilly spurs from the
Sahyadri Mountains and is drained by many small swift west -flowing
rivers - of these, the Ulhas in the north is the biggest.
 Characteristics of the Konkan rivers are as follows:
 The rivers of the Konkan are not significant in their length and
catchment area as compared to rivers to Maharashtra Plateau.
 They are swift flowing and short in lengt h.
 They have their sources in the Western Ghats with lengths varying
between 50 km. to 155 km.
 They flow generally parallel to each other.
 Maharashtra has more than 11 important west flowing rivers including
Damanganga, Surya, Vaitarna, Ulhas, Sav itri, Kundalika,
Patalganga, Vashisti, Shastri, Karli, Terekhol etc.
 There are numerous smaller rivers joining the creeks
 These rivers contribute to about 44.54% of the yield at 75%
dependability of Maharashtra
 Development of large dams over these rivers h as not oc curred due to
their geographical location, difference in elevation, smaller valleys
and weaker economies

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Geography of Maharashtra

12 The rivers of the Konkan may be classified into
a. North Konkan rivers
b. Central Konkan rivers
c. South Konkan rivers
a. The major rivers of North Konkan area are as follows:
1. The Damanganga river:
 The Damanganga river rises in the Sahyadri hill ranges near village
Ambegaon in Dindoritaluka of Nasik district of Maharashtra
State at an elevation of 950 m above MSL and traverses a total
distance of about 131 km before it drains into the Arabian Sea.
 The important tributaries of the Damanganga river are Dawan, Shrimant,
Val, Rayte, Lendi, Vagh, Sakartond, Dongarkhadi, Roshni and Dudhni.
 The Damanganga basin drains total area of 2331 sq km in Maharashtra
State, Gujarat State and the Union Territories of Dadra, Nagar Haveli
(DNH) and Daman & Diu before it drains i nto the Arabian Sea.
2. Vaitarna basin
 Vaitarna is the principal river of Thane district.
 The river Vaitarna is one of the west flowing rivers in the region North of
Mumbai and South of the Tapi river.
 It rises in the Tryambak hills in the Nashik district opposite the source
of Godavari and enters Thane at Vihigaon near Kasara.
 It has a length of 154 -km.
 The river rises in the Sahyadri hill range in the Nasik district of
Maharashtra State and after traversing a distance of about 171 km in
Maharashtra joins the Arabian Sea.
 The principal tributaries of river Vaitarna are Pinjal, Surya and Tansa.
 The Pinjal river which is a tributary of Vaitarna river flows
entirely in Maharashtra State.
3. Ulhas River
 The Ulhas River is one of the West Flowing Rivers in
Mahar ashtra falling into the Arabian Sea.
 The Ulhas basin lies between North latitudes of 18° 44’ to 19° 42’ and
East longitudes of 72° 45' to 73° 48’
 The Ulhas with a course of 130 km is the longest river of the Konkan
coast. munotes.in

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Maharashtra: Major Relief
Features, Rivers and
Climate
13  It rises in the ravines of Bhor Gh at and forms an amphitheatre like
basin near Mumbai.
 The boundary of the basin consists of the main Sahyadri hills on the East,
Westerly off shoots on the North and South and on the West, a narrow
opening at the end leading to the sea.
 It flows in western direction and enters into Thane as well as Raigad
district.
 In its course, it meets River Barvi.
 It gets emptied in Bombay Harbour.
 Its significant tributaries are - Bhatsa, Kalu and Bharvi rivers.
 The Ulhas drains an area of 4,637 sq km which lies complete ly in
Maharashtra. The Thane, Raigad and Pune districts fall in the basin. The
Ulhas rises from Sahyadri hill ranges in the Raigad district of
Maharashtra at an elevation of 600m above M.S.L. The total length of
this West flowing river from its origin to i ts outfall in to the Arabian
Sea is 122 km.
 The important tributaries of the Ulhas River are Pej, Barvi, Bhivapuri,
Murbari, Kalu, Shari, Bhasta, Salpe, Poshir and Shilar. The Kalu and
Bhasta are the major right bank tributaries which together accounts for
55.7% of the total catchment area of Ulhas
b. The major rivers of Central Konkan areas are as follows:
1. Patalganga river
 Patalganga River rising through western scraps is present in
Matheran uplands and then branches off through main ridge and
that is p resent near to the Khopoli and it maintaining the general
westward flow it then joins Dharamatar creek, a wide estuary.
2. Amba river
 The river Amba originates in the Borghat hill of the Sahyadri
ranges near Khopoli -khandala road at an altitude of about
554 m.
 Initially, the river flows in the South direction and then turns
further into the North West direction till it joins the Arabian Sea
in Dharmatar creek near village Revas.
 The total length of the river is about 76 kms before joining the sea.
3. The Ku ndalika river
 The river Kundalika, one of the west flowing rivers, in
Maharashtra originates in the Sahayadri hills of the Western Ghats
near the village Bhamburda munotes.in

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Geography of Maharashtra

14  Initially the rivers flow in south West direction up to Patnus
village and then turns to nor th-west till it joins the Arabian sea.
4. The Kal river
 The Kal River is one of the West Flowing Rivers in Maharashtra.
 This is a major tributary of the river Savitri.
 The Kal basin lies between North latitudes of 180 05' to 180 25' and
East longitudes of 73 0 10' to 730 13' approximately.
 The Kal rises from Sahyadri hill ranges in the Raigad district of
Maharashtra at an elevation of 652m above M.S.L.
 The total length of this West Flowing River from its origin to its
confluence with the Savitri River is 40 km.
 The Kal River drains a total area of 670 sq km., in Raigad
district of Maharashtra. This is an important tributary of the
Savitri river on the right and accounts for 23% of the total
catchment area of the Savitri Basin.
5. River Shastri
 Originates nea r Prachitgad, on the crest line of the Western Ghats, 17
Degrees 27' W and 73 Degrees 48' E on the western slopes of the Western
Ghat complex in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, at an elevation of
839 msl.
 It falls entirely in the Ratnagiri district, cove ring three talukas of
Sangameshwar, Ratnagiri and Guhagar.
 Its length is approximately 80 kilometers, with first 20 kilometers in hilly
areas of severe slope.
 Basin area is 2173.55 square kilometres
 Tributaries of the river include rivers and rivulets of G adgadi, Bav,
Gad, Asavi and Gandagi which join Shastri at various points.
 It meets the sea at Jaygad,
6. Vashishti river
 The main part of Vashishti basin falls in Ratnagiri district and covers an
area of 2233 sq kms, in the blocks of Guhagar, Dapoli, Khed and
Chiplun
7. Savitri River
 Savitri River is one of the 5 rivers which originate from Mahabaleshwar
in Maharashtra state in India.
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Maharashtra: Major Relief
Features, Rivers and
Climate
15  It originates in Mahabaleshwar and flows through Raigad district and
eventually meets Arabian Sea at Harehareshwar.
 It pass es through Poladpur, Mahad, Mangaon and Shrivardhan tal u ks.
 In last 100 km it forms the border between Raigad and Ratnagiri.
 Its major tributary is the Kal River which enters from the right (north)
near Dasgaon.
C. The major rivers of South Konkan areas are as follows: .
1. Kajavi River
 The Kajavi River rises in the Vishalghat region of Sahyadri hills and
flows West ward and joins the Arabian Sea near Ratnagiri port where a
10 km. long creak named Bhatya Creak has been formed.
 During monsoon, tidal effec t is felt up to village Hercheri that is about 25
km. from the mouth of river.
 The nature of Bed is sandy mixed with gravels.
2. The Gad river
 The Gad Basin lies between North latitude 16o to 16o 20' and East
longitude 73° 30’ to 74° approximately.
 The Gad River is another West Flowing Rivers in Maharashtra falling
into Arabian Sea
 The Gad drains an area of 890 sq km which lies completely in
Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.
 The Gad rises from the Sahyadri hill ranges in the Sindhudurg
district of Maharas htra at an elevation of 600m above M.S.L.
 The total length of the River from its origin to its outfall into the Arabian
Sea is 66 km.
 The important major tributary of the Gad River is Kasal.
 The Kasal River joins river Gad near the village Chunavara.
 Durin g monsoon, tidal effect reaches up to this village.
 The Kasal River accounts for 20.8% of the total catchment area of the
Gad.
Other Konkan rivers are as follows:
a. Bhogeshwari
 The river Bhogeshwari rises in the Western ghats near village Bhogeshwari,
District - Ra ig ha d of Ma ha ra sh t ra at a n al t i t ud e of about 228.6 m above
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Geography of Maharashtra

16  The river flows in the West direction through the Taluka - P e n and
merges in the Dharmtar creek near village Antora.
 The total length of the river is about 40 kms. before j oining the sea.
b. The Mithi River:
 The Mithi River is known by the name of Mahim river and it is situated
at Salsette Island and this is the place where Mumbai city is located.
 River is the combination of Tail Island and that has been
discharged through V ihar and Powai Lakes.
 It is regarded as the seasonal river as fed in monsoons.
 It rises through valley that is located adjacent to Sanjay Gandhi Park and
gets merged in Arabian Sea, present at the Mahim Creek.
 Oshiwara River originates through Aarey Milk c olony and then it gets cut
into Goregaon hills that is present across Milk colony and this would
happen before getting emptied into Malad creek.
2. The Krishna -Bhima system
Krishna River:
 The Krishna River rises in the Western Ghats at an elevation of 1337m
north of Mahabaleshwar, near the Jor village, district Satara, about 64 -
km from the Arabian Sea and flows for about 1400 -km and outfalls into
the Bay of Bengal.
 The Ghat aprabha, the Malaprabha, the Bhima, the
Tungabhadra and the Musik are the principal tributaries joining Krishna.
Krishna Basin extends over in three states with an area of 258,948 km2,
which is nearly 8% of the total geographical area of the country.
 The b asin lies in the states of Karnataka (113,271 km2), Andhra Pradesh
(76,252 km2) and Maharashtra (69,425 km2). Krishna River has a
catchments area of 25.9 m.ha.
 Most part of this basin comprises rolling and undulating country except
the western border, whic h is formed by an unbroken line of ranges of
the Western Ghats.
 The important soil types found in the basin are black soils, red soils,
laterite and lateritic soils, alluvium, mixed soils, red and black soils and
saline and alkaline soils.
 An average annua l surface water potential of 78.1 km3 has been
assessed in this basin.

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17 3. The Godavari system:
Godavari River:
 This is one of the main river of Maharashtra as well as of central India.
 It originates from Western Ghats Timbakeshwar in Nashik district, at
the elevation of 1067m and flows for a length of about 1 ,465 -km,
eastwardly across the Deccan plateau through the state of Maharashtra,
before falling to Bay of Bengal.
 It runs from western to southern India.
 It is India's second largest river after the great Ganga.
 It is considered to be one of the big river basins in India.
 The basin lies in the states of Maharashtra (152,199 km2), Andhra
Pradesh (73,201 km2), Madhya Pradesh (65,255 km2), Orissa (17,752
km2) and Karnataka (4,405 km2).
The Pravara, the Purna, the Manjra, the Indravati, the Wainganga,
the Wardha, the Pench, the Kanhan, the Kolab and the Penganga are the
major tributaries of the river.
The peculiar characteristic of the river Godavari is that it receives
most of its water not from the Western Ghats but in the lower reaches.
The Manjira, the Pranahita, the Indravati and Sabari contribu te 6%,
40%, 20% and 10% of the waters respectively.
Godavari Basin extends over an area of 312,812 km in five states,
which is nearly 9.5% of the total geographical area of the country.'
Godavari River has a catchments area of 31.3 m.ha.
The following tabl e shows:
Particulars of the Principal Tributaries of Godavari
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18 The Godavari basin consists of large undulating plains divided by low
flat-topped hill ranges.
An average annual surface water potential of 110.5 km3 has been
assessed in this basin.
The impor tant soil types found in the basins are black soils, red soils,
lateritic soils, alluvium, mixed soils and saline and alkaline soils.
Vishnupuri Prakalp', Asia's largest Lift irrigation project is constructed
on the river just 5 km away from Nanded city.
4. The Tapi -Purna System
Tapti River is a river in central India.
 Tapi River rises from a place with an elevation of 752m near
Multai in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh.
 It is one of the major rivers of Indian peninsular with a length of
around 724 km. before falling out into the Arabian Sea through the
Gulf of Cambay.
 It is India's only third river which flows from east to west after the
Narmada River and Mahi River.
 The river rises in the eastern Satpura Range of Southern
Madhya Pradesh state, and flo ws westward, Madhya Pradesh's
Nimar region, Maharashtra's Khandesh and to the south Gujarat
before emptying in Gulf of the Cambay of the Arabian Sea.
 The major tributaries of Tapti Rivers are Purna, Girna, Panjhra,
Vaghur, Bori, and Aner. are the principal tributaries of Tapi.
 Tapi Basin extends in three states with over an area of 65,145
km2, which is nearly 2.0% of total geographical area of the
country.
 Though smaller than Narmada, Tapti is a rich source of alluvium
and produces good agricultural soil
 An a v e r a g e a n n u a l s u r f a c e w a t e r p o t e n t i a l o f 1 8 k m 3 h a s b e e n
assessed in this basin.
5. Wardha:
Wardha is the tributary of River Godavari.
 It originates from the Mutai plateau of the Satpura range and
flows along the entire northern and western border of the
Wardha district.
 The main tributaries are Bor, Dham, Pothra, Asoda and Wunna.
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19  Upper Wardha Dam is situated at Simbhora, 8 -km towards the
East from Morshi and 56 -km from Amravati. It is build up on the
Wardha River. It is an earthen dam with height of 36m a n d 7 -km
length and on the boundary of Amravati and Wardha Districts.
 Its irrigation capacity is nearly 75,000 Hectors of land in these two
districts.
 A tourism centre is being developed at this site. It is now named as
Nal - Damyanti Sagar.
1.5.2. The Ot her Important Tributaries I. Manjira
 Major tributary of Godavari, arising in Balaghat hills.
 It contributes to around 6% of the total waters of Godavari.
 Manjira River flows along the eastern boundary of the Nanded district
towards the north. Later it mee ts the Godavari.
 Manyad and Lendi are the tributaries of the river.
II.Mula And Mutha
 Pune centre is bordered on the north by the River Mula and to the west
by the River Mutha - the two join in the Northwest to form the Mutha -
Mula, at Sangam Bridge (previ ously Wellesley Bridge).
III.Penganga
 Penganga River is one of the tributaries of Godavari River.
 Kayadhu is the tributary of this river.
 It flows along the northern boundary of the Nanded district and a huge
amount of land is irrigated by a project named " Upper Penganga Prakalp"
built on this river.
 The famous Sahastrakund falls on this river.
IV.Rivem Pumna
 The river Purna which is tributary of Godavari, rises in Betul district of
Madhya Pradesh and flows due west across Akola district into
Buldana distr ict of Maharashtra.
 It passes from east to west through the northern part of the Parbhani
district and joins the Godavari at Kantheshwar in Purna Taluka.
 The chief tributaries of the Purna on the south bank are the Pendhi,
Uma, Katepurna, Nirguna and Man.
 The Katepurna, the largest of all tributaries, rises within a few kilometres
of Washim and flows across the eastern side of Akola tehsil and the
north -western corner of Murtizapur. munotes.in

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Geography of Maharashtra

20  Major Dams on the Purna River are Yeldari Dam (Hydroelectric Power
Station) in Jintur Tehsil of Parbhani district.
V.Pench And Kanhan:
 The chief rivers of the eastern tract are the Pench and Kanhan,
both of which flow down from the Saptura range in the
Chindward district and meet near Kamptee when they are also
joined by the Kola r.
 The Kanhan entering the Jalna district near Bargaon takes a south
easterly course past Khapa to Kamptee where it receives the Pench and
Kolar.
In its subsequent course it marks the boundary of the Ramtek tehsil,
and after receiving the Nag river near th e hills of Bhivakund,
finally empties into the Wainganga at Gondpipri in Bhandara.
VI.Mira:
It is an important tributary of Bhima River.
It flows along the northern boundary of Satara district and latter south -
eastwards.
VII.Sina:
A tributary of Bhima Rive r, it flows from north to southeast parallel
to Bhima, drains eastern Karmala, Central Madha, Barshi, eastern
Mohol and Sholapur North and South.
VIII.Wainganga:
Wainganga is the tributary of River Godavari.
Wainganga River receives numerous tributaries on either bank and
drains the western, central and eastern regions of the Chandrapur and
Nagpur district.
The chief tributaries of the Wainganga are Garhavi, Khobragadi, Kathani
and Potphondi on the left bank and Andhari on the Right Bank.
IX.Nira:
Nira a tributary of Bhima River and it flows in southern
boundaries of Pune for a considerable distance.
1.6. CLIMATE OF MAHARASHTRA
The location of Maharashtra, in the western part of India, has accorded the state
with a tropical monsoon type of climate as it rece ives a heavy rainfall
during the monsoon season with the hot summers and chilly winters. The munotes.in

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Maharashtra: Major Relief
Features, Rivers and
Climate
21 State experiences four seasons during a year. March to May is the
summer season followed by rainy season from June to September. The
post monsoon season is October and November. December to February is
the winter season.
1.6.1 Influence of physical features on climate of Maharashtra:
The Western Ghats hill ranges that run north to south separates the coastal
districts of Thane, Mumbai, Raigarh, Ratnagiri and Sindhud urg from rest
of the State. The average height of these ranges is about 1000 m above
msl form an important climatic divide.
 Arabian Sea located to the west of Maharashtra has a strong influence on
the temperature of the Konkan region of the state. It is ob served that the
range of temperature is less in the coastal region while it is more in the
areas away from the coast as in Nagpur.
 The other major relief category is the plateau which is a part of the
Deccan tableland.
1.6.2 Temperature variation
 Maharasht ra has got variable climate from continental to typical maritime
depending upon the location and physiography.
 The coastal districts of Konkan experience heavy rains but mild winter.
 The weather, however, is mostly humid throughout the year.
 The maximum an d minimum temperature varies between 27°C and
40°C & 14°C and 27°C respectively.
 The maximum summer temperature varies between 36°C and 41°C and
during winter the temperature oscillates between 10°C and 16°C.
 The average annual temperature of Maharashtra r emains 25°C to 27°C
in most regions. However, the annual temperature varies in different
regions of Maharashtra as it is influenced by different geographical
factors.
1.6.3. Temperature variation in few selected districts of Maharashtra:
A few districts re presenting maritime and continental region of
Maharashtra are considered here to observe the differences in
temperature variation as under:
1. Thane District: The district is located in the windward side of the
Sahayadri mountain / western ghats that exper iences moderate to heavy
rainfall distributed over 4 months of a year ( from June to September)
 Coastal / maritime district of the state experiences average daily
maximum temperature in summer at 32.9 °C (maximum recorded at
Dahanu is 40.6 °C on 19 April 1 955) and in winter average mean daily
minimum temperature is 16.8 °C (minimum recorded at Dahanu is 8.3 °C
on 8 January 1945).
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22  But in the interior parts of the district, the average daily minimum
temperature is slightly lower in the winter season and the a verage daily
maximum temperature is higher in the summer.
2. Ratnagiri district
 Coastal / maritime district of the state during summer season experiences
rise in temperatures from March to May. May is the hottest month.
 However during June with the onset o f the monsoon,
temperature drops by three to four degrees.
 In the post monsoon months of October and November, day
temperatures increase as hot as in May. Winters are short and mild
from late November to February. Winters night temperatures
are the lowest in January.
 Areas within 20 to 25 kilometres from the coast are the most pleasant
particularly in the hot months with the sea breeze blowing, nearly
throughout the day.
 Further inland (distantly located from the coast) during the hot months
both days and n ights can be oppressive and more so in the tract at the
foot of the Western Ghats. Along the coast the maximum temperature
rarely goes beyond 38°C but in the interior may reach 40° or 41°C.
3. The district Satara
It is a continental district located on the leeward side of the
Sahyadri’s/Western Ghats popularly known as rain -shadow area receiving
low to scanty rainfall.
 The cold weather starts by about the end of November and continues to
about the middle of February, December being the coldest month.
 In thi s season the mean daily maximum temperature in the plains is
28.4 oC while the mean daily minimum temperature is 14.4 o C.
 At Mahabaleshwar the mean daily maximum temperature in December
is only 23.1◦C and the mean daily minimum is 13.8◦C.
 The period from the middle of February to the end of May is one of
continuous increase in temperatures. The rise in temperatures
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Maharashtra: Major Relief
Features, Rivers and
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23

Fig: Range of temperature, Maharashtra
 May is the hottest month in the year and the mean dail y
maximum temperature in the plains is 36.8◦C.
 The day temperatures in the south -west monsoon months are even
lower than in the cold season.
 After the withdrawal of the south -west monsoon, day
temperatures show an increase in October.
 At Mahabaleshwar the highest maximum temperature ever
recorded w as 36.1◦ C on April 3, 1934 and the lowest minimum was
3.9◦ C on February 1, 1942.
4. The district Aurangabad
 Cold weather commences by about the end of November when
temperatures begin to fall rapidly. December is the coldest
month of the year with the me an daily maximum temperature at
28.7◦C and the mean daily minimum at 13◦ C.
 In the cold season the district is sometimes affected by cold
waves in association with the eastward passage of western
disturbances across north India, when the minimum
temperatur e may drop down to about 2◦ C to 4◦ C
From the beginning of the month of March there is a rapid rise in both day
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Geography of Maharashtra

24 May is the hottest month of the year with the mean daily maximum
temperature at 39.8◦ C and the mean daily minimum at 24.4◦ C.
During the hot season the heat is often intense and the day temperatures
on individual days may rise to about 45◦ C to 46◦ C.
The highest maximum temperature ever recorded at
Aurangabad was 45.6◦ C on 25th May 1905.
The lowest minimum temperature w as 22◦ C on 2nd February 1911.

Fig: Maharashtra rainfall distribution
1.7. RAINFALL DISTRIBUTION IN MAHARASHTRA
 Rainfall starts in the first week of June and July is the wettest
month. Rainfall in Maharashtra differs from region to region.
 The State expe riences extremes of rainfall ranging from 6000 mm
over the Ghats to less than 500 mm in Madhya Maharashtra.
 The Konkan sub -division comprising of coastal districts and Western
Ghats receive the heaviest rains, the Ghats receive more than 6000 mm
and the pl ains 2500 mm.
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25  Rainfall decreases rapidly towards eastern slopes and plateau areas
where it is minimum (less than 500 mm).
 It again increases towards east i.e. in the direction of Marathwada
and Vidarbha and attains a second maximum of 1500 mm in the easte rn
parts of Vidarbha.
 Thus, the Madhya Maharashtra sub -division is the region of the lowest
rainfall in the State.
 The State receives its rainfall chiefly during the south west monsoon
season (June to September) while Konkan receives almost 94% of the
annual rainfall during the monsoon season.
 The other sub -divisions namely Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada and
Vidarbha receive 83%, 83% and 87% respectively during this season.
 The numbers of rainy days have great significance in artificial recharge
to ground w ater.
 These vary from 75 to 85 in Konkan and 30 to 40 days in Madhya
Maharashtra and Marathwada.
 The number of rainy days in Vidarbha is around 40 to 50 days during
south west monsoon season.
 The intensity of rainfall plays a vital role in artificial recha rge to ground
water.
 In general, the intensity of rainfall is high in coastal and Ghat areas as
compared to the other parts of the state.
 The intensity of rainfall varies from storm to storm and with occurrence of
depression and low -pressure areas during m onsoon season.
 The variability of annual rainfall over the state in general, is high.
 Only in the coastal areas, the variability is less than 20% otherwise the
variability ranges between 20% and 35% over the state.
On sub -divisional basis, the variability of annual rainfall in
Konkan is the least (23%) while it is the maximum in
Marathwada (31%).
In Madhya Maharashtra and Vidarbha the variability is 30% and 26%
respectively.
The total annual rainfall varies in different regions.
The annual rainfall of the s tate can vary from 400 - 6000 mm and
occurs for 3 - 4 months in a year
The following table shows the average annual rainfall of
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26 Geographical Regions Annual Rainfall Konkan coast 3005 mm Madhya Maharashtra: 901mm Marathwada 882 mm Vidarbha: 1,034mm

Fig: Maharashtra rainfall
Maharashtra is divided into different regions on the basis of
distribution of rainfall.
a. Regions of heavy rainfall: The western slopes of Sahyadri and the
mountain top receive very heavy rainfall like Mahabaleswar (620 cm),
Amboli (750 cm.), Matheran (520 cm).
b. Regions of more rainfall: All along the coastal strip of Konkan in
Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts receive rainfall
about 200 -400 cm. Similarly the eastern slope of Sahyadri i.e. western
parts of Pune,Satara and Kolhapur districts also fall in this region
receiving the same amount of rainfall.
c. Regions of moderate rainfall: The narrow part of western Maharashtra
to the east of Maharashtra that is spread in the north -south direction and
the Bhandara. Chandrapur, Gadchiroli districts receive moderate amount
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Maharashtra: Major Relief
Features, Rivers and
Climate
27 d. Region of low amount of rainfall: Western Maharashtra, Marathwada,
Khandesh of Vidarbha receive very little rainfall (50 -100cm) hence fall
in this category.
e. Extremely less amount of rainfall: Here rainfall is very scanty and not
reliable and the amount is less than 50 cm. It reflects draught prone area
of Maharashtra. Part of Sangali, Satara, Pune, Ahmednagar and
Solapur district fall in this region.

Fig: Konkan receives maximum rainfall
1.8. TEMPERATURE VARI ATION AND
RAINFALL VARIATION IN DIFFERENT
SEASONS OF MAHARASHTRA
Summer
Summer in Maharashtra starts in the month of March and ends
in May with the temperatures being the highest.
The months of March, April and May are regarded as the hottest months.
These months also witnesses thunderstorms all over the state which is a
relief from the scorching heat.
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Geography of Maharashtra

28 During this time, the temperature varies between 22°C-39°C. Cities
like Pune though is not characterized by extreme heat witness
unbearable humidity durin g the daytime making the temperatures reach
above 40°C.
 Coastal areas like Mumbai experience high level of humidity making
the precipitation rate of 242. 2 cm annually.
 While Amravati region in Maharashtra experience hot and dry summers
and mild and cool w inters, Nagpur experience hot summers with the
temperature rising up to 49°C and cool winters going down to 10°C.
 The South western parts of Maharashtra like Kolhapur and
Sindhudurg, summer is less hot though it is more humid.
Monsoon
 Maharashtra experi ences a decent spell of rainfall every year.
 In Maharashtra, monsoon starts in the first week of June with July
being the wettest month. While August also gets rain, September
witnesses the retreat of monsoon.
 The maximum amount of rain is received by Konk an and Eastern
Vidarbha region while the central region of the state receives less rainfall.
 In districts of Thane, Ratnagiri, Raigad and Sindhudurg rainfall is
around 3000 mm while in other districts of Nasik, Pune,
Ahmadnagar, Dhule, Satara, Sangli, Jalg aon, Solapur and parts of
Kolhapur receive moderate to less rainfall of 500 to 700 mm.
 While Nagpur region witness’s heavy rainfall, Amravati region also
heavy rainfall for three to four months from the south Westerly
monsoons.
 Mumbai region also receives heavy monsoon of 2,200 mm, often
resulting in floods.
Winter
 Winter in Maharashtra starts in the month of November and it persists
till February.
 During this time, the state witness clear skies, pleasant weather and gentle
breeze. The average temperature during this time is between 12°C -
25°C. However, the e astern region of Maharashtra receives slight
rainfall with the temperature varying between 12°C -34°C. The winter in
North Western regions and hill stations in Nasik is cold and dry.
 The temperature varies from 4°C - 28°C. In cities including Mumbai,
winds blowing from North are cold and provide a chilling effect
during the winter with the day temperature of 27°C and the night
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Maharashtra: Major Relief
Features, Rivers and
Climate
29
In the month of January, the climate becomes foggy. While cities like
Pune experience extreme cold, areas like N agpur too experiences chilling
cold with the temperature going down to 12°C.
However, south western regions like Kolhapur experience pleasant
winter compared to Pune and Nasik.
Spring
Though not in the real sense of the term, the duration between the m iddle
of January to March are regarded as the spring in Pune and in the
nearby hill stations like Lonawala and Khandala.
During this time, the area witness pleasing weather and bright and warm
sunrays. The temperature and the climate are moderate with a sl ight but
negligible humidity.
1.9. RAIN SHADOW ZONE OF MAHARASHTRA
A rain shadow zone is a dry area on the leeward side of a mountainous area
(away from the wind). The mountains block the passage of rain -producing
weather systems and cast a "shadow" of dryness behind them.

Fig: Rain shadow zone
The above diagram shows the incoming warm and moist air is drawn by
the prevailing winds (windward direction) towards the top of the
mountains, where it condenses and precipitates before it crosses the top.
When t he air, without much moisture left, advances further to the other
side of the mountains it is almost dry without any moisture and so the other
side is called as the "rain shadow" region as it hardly receives any rain. The munotes.in

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30 part of Maharashtra that lies to t he east of Sahayadri is known as rain
shadow zone as the amount of rainfall is very low here.
As Maharashtra is situated in the west coast of India it receives rainfall
from the south west monsoon winds during the months June to September.
Normally south w est monsoon reaches Maharashtra in the first week of June.
The south west monsoon comes from the Arabian Sea from the south west
direction and hence there is heavy rainfall in the entire Konkan region of
Maharashtra. But the amount of rainfall decreases as we move from
south to north.
The monsoon winds while moving towards east are obstructed by
the hill ranges of Sahyadri. These winds are then forced to rise up along
the western hill slopes of the Sahyadri. Temperature decreases as air rises in
the upward direction and condensation takes place. As a result clouds are
formed which give heavy rainfall at the hill tops of Sahyadri for e.g. Amboli
(750 cm), Mahabaleswar (620 cm), Matheran (510 cm)
When the monsoon winds cross the Sahyadri air descend in the
downward direction and become warm. As a result its capacity to hold
moisture decreases and so the amount of rainfall decreases to 25 to 30 cm.
The rain shadow zone of Maharashtra includes part of Pune, Ahmadnagar,
Satara, Sangli, and Solapur, districts. Thes e districts receive about 25 to 30
cm. Monsoonal rainfall being unreliable and uneven this region
experiences acute shortage of water.
From the rain shadow zone the Monsoon winds move towards east to
Vidarbha -Nagpur. The amount of rainfall is slightly more about 150 cm.
Winds coming from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal converge at
Vidarbha and so the amount of rainfall increases in this region.
1.10. SUMMARY
After going through chapter we have learnt that the state of Maharashtra lies to
the western coast al state of India. It is surrounded by Goa and Karnataka
states in south, Telangana in southeast, Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and
Madhya Pradesh in north, Chhattisgarh in east, and the Arabian Sea in
west. Maharashtra has an extensive mountain range r unning parallel to its
840 km long coastline. This range is geographically part of the Sahyadri’s in
the Western Ghats which forms a crest along the western edge of the
Deccan plateau separating it from the coastal Konkan belt. Throughout its
extent it bea rs some renowned peaks, hill stations and valleys. Parts of the
Western Ghats have been designated as the Hottest Biodiversity Hotspots.
Dominant physical trait of the state is its plateau character which is formed
by volcanic eruption and covered by basal t rock. Physiographically this
state may be divided into three natural divisions - the coastal strip (the
Konkan), the Sahyadri or the Western Ghat and the plateau. The Konkan
region consists of steep slopes and deep valleys with undulating low
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Maharashtra: Major Relief
Features, Rivers and
Climate
31 The major physical characteristics of the state include many small plateaux
and river valleys.
The rivers of Konkan rise from the cliffs of Sahyadri and have a short
swift flow into the Arabian Sea. Some important riv ers are Ulhas, Savitri,
Vashishthi and Shastri.
Main Rivers of the state are Krishna, Bhima, Godavari, Tapi Purna and
Wardha -Wainganga. These rivers have carved the plateau in alternating
broad river valleys and intervening highlands. Maharashtra is known for its
tropical monsoon climate due to which the summers are really hot and humid
starting from March with the monsoons arriving during the month of June. The
state receives a heavy rainfall of 400 cm owing to the western sea clouds. Even
the windward sid e of the Konkan region is responsible for the heavy
rainfalls that make the atmosphere pleasant. In Sahyadri region, the
rainfall is limited to only 70 cm with the Solapur -Ahmednagar being the dry
regions. The Marathwada and Vidarbha areas receive the rain fall a little later
in the season.
1.11 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS/ EXERCISE
1. State whether the following statements are true or false.
a) The Maharashtra State receives its rainfall chiefly during the south
west monsoon.
b) It is surrounded by Goa and Karnataka stat es in north.
c) The most interesting part of the topography of Maharashtra is the
presence of the Western Ghats and the Deccan Plateau.
d) The Maharashtra plateau is hilly, narrow, highly dissected with transverse
ridges of the Western Ghats and at many place s extending as
promontories, notches, sea caves, embayment, submerged shoals and
offshore islands.
e) The important peaks in Konkan are Terekhol, Vijaydurg,
Rajapuri, Raigad, Dabhol, Daramthar, Thane and Vasai.
f) Maharashtra is traversed by river systems draini ng into the Bay of
Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
g) There is concordance between underlying structure and drainage of
Maharashtra region.
2. Fill in the blanks
a. Tapi and its tributary Purna flow towards west through a
valley.
b. The rivers of Konkan flow ge nerally _____________ to each other.
c. Wardha is the tributary of River . munotes.in

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Geography of Maharashtra

32 d. Maharashtra is surrounded by in southeast, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and
Madhya Pradesh in
north.
e. is the western coastal region, between the Western Ghats and the sea.
f. , which was a part of the pr incely state of
Hyderabad until 1956, is located in the south -eastern part of the state. is
the main city of the region.
g. Maharashtra State is bounded by North latitude _________________ and
and East Longitudes 72°30’ and 80°30’.
3. Multiple choice questions.
a. The slope s of th e Sahyadri gently descend towards
I.The east and south -east. II.The north and north -east III.The south and
south - west IV.The east
b. Most of the rivers in Maharashtra originate in the I.Eastern Ghats
II.Sahyadri
III.Deccan plateau
IV.Satpura hills
c. The Ghats are a succession I.of Steep plateaus
II.of steep ridges
III.of steep hills
IV.of steep valleys
d. The coast line of Maharashtra is dissected by I.river creeks and branches
of the Sahyadri II.rivers and plateaus
III.river creeks and rift valleys
IV.rive r creek s and branches Satpura hills
e. The Western Ghats are not true mountains, but are I.the faulted edge of
the Deccan plateau
II.the faulted edge of the coastal plain
III.the faulted edge of the Godavari basin
IV.the faulted edge of the Eastern Ghats

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Maharashtra: Major Relief
Features, Rivers and
Climate
33 4. Answe r the Following Question
1. State major relief features of Maharashtra and describe any one of them.
2. Write a short note on mountains and mountain peaks of Maharashtra
3. What are the major rivers of the Konkan in Maharashtra?
4. What are the major river basi ns of M aharashtra? Describe the course
and tributaries of any one of them.
5. What type of climate is found in Maharashtra? What is the
influence of physical features on climate of Maharashtra?
6. Describe rainfall distribution in the state of Maharashtra.
1.12. TASK
1. In a map of Maharashtra locate the Sahyadri, the Maharashtra Plateau
and the Konkan coast.
2. In a chart state the mountains and mountain peaks of Maharashtra.
3. In a map of Maharashtra point out
(i) river Godavari (ii) river Tapti (iii) Mahabale swar, M umbai, Thane and
Nasik
1.13 GLOSSARY
 Ghats: The Ghats are a succession of steep hills, periodically bisected
by narrow roads.
 Coastline : outline of the coast
 Drainage Basin: The area of land that is drained by a river and its
tributaries.
 Watershed : The b oundary of a river basin is called the
watershed
 Estuary: A drowned river valley in a coastal lowland area. Occurs near
or at the mouth of a river, where the tide meets the current and the fresh
and salt waters mix.
 Tributary: A stream or river that f e e d s into a larger
watercourse.
 Upstream: Opposite to the currents flow - towards the source of the
river
 Rain: Precipitation in the form of liquid water drops that have diameters
greater than 0.5 mm, or, if widely scattered, the drops may be smaller. munotes.in

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34  Southwest Monsoon: The south -westerly wind flow, occurring over most
parts of India. The Indian Seas give rise to southwest monsoon over India
from June to September.
 Temperature: The temperature of a body is the condition which determines
its ability to com municat e heat to other bodies or to receive heat from them.
Meteorologists are interested in the temperature of the air, of the soil and
of water bodies. Temperature is measured by means of a thermometer.
 Plateau: A topographic feature consisting of a larg e flat area at a
relatively high elevation with steep sides.
1.14. ANSWERS TO THE SELF LEARNING
QUESTIONS
1 .c. true
1 .d. false, coastal region
1.e. false. Creeks
1.f. true
1.g. true
2.a. rift
2.b. parallel
2.c. Godavari
2.d. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat
2.e. Konkan
2.f. Marathwada, Aurangabad 2.g. 15°40’ and 2 2°00’
3.a.I. 3.b.II 3.c.III 3.d.I 3.e.I

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35 2
MAHARASHTRA
SOIL AND NATURAL VEGETATION
After going through this chapter you will be able to understand the
following features.
Unit Structure:
2.1 Objectives
2.2 Introduction
2.3 Subject - Discussion
2.4 Definition of Soil
2.5 Characteristics of Soil in Maharashtra
2.6 Classification and Distribution of Soils in Maharashtra
2.7 Problems related with soils of Maharashtra.
2.8 Methods of Conservation of Soil in Maharashtra
2.9 Natural vegetation
2.10 Functions of Forest
2.11 Classification of forest
2.12 Problems associated with forests of Maharashtra.
2.13 Summary
2.14 Check your Progress/ Exercise
2.15 Answers to the self learning questions.
2.16 Technical words and their meaning
2.17 Task
2.18 References for further study

2.1. OBJECTIVES
By the end of t his unit you will be able to –
 Understand the definition of soil.
 Know the Characteristics of soil.
 Know the classification, distribution and problems related with soil
of Maharashtra.
 Understand the functions of Forest and classification,
distribution and problems of Maharashtra forestry munotes.in

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36 2.2. INTRODUCTION
In this chapter we will learn the components of soil and soil physical
properties of soil. We will also study about the natural vegetation of
Maharashtra and of the state. The problems and measures of soi l
conservation are also covered in this chapter.
2.3. SUBJECT DISCUSSION
Soils form the uppermost layer of the earth’s crust. It is a mixture of
loose rock particles and humus (organic matter). Soil serves as a source of
food and moisture for plants. The t echnical term used for soil formation is
paedogenesis. The type of soil and its fertility is determined by the
following factors:
a) Parent rock material.
b) On the process of denudation that determines the texture, and size
of rock particles.
c) Relief and Climati c conditions that influence the degree and type of
vegetation associated with its habitat.
d) Consolidated effect of above mentioned aspects produces different
types of soil, its degree of fertility, its composition and thickness of
soil layer.
Forests form t he repositories of invaluable gifts of nature in
the form of biodiversity and by destroying these we are going to lose the
biodiversity that may lead to ecological disequilibrium. Some of these
species have marvellous economic or medicinal value. These sto rehouses
of species which have evolved over millions of years would get lost due to soil
pollution or destruction of forest by deforestation.
2.4. SOILS OF MAHARASHTRA
2.4.1 Introduction:
Soils form an important natural resource for agricultural and associ ated
economic activities that favours economic development of a region.
Agricultural development and food processing, pasture lands -livestock and
dairying, forests and forest -based industries are all directly or indirectly
dependent upon the availability o f soils, its type, thickness and fertility
levels.
Various geographical factors like the parent rock, climatic conditions,
natural vegetation and its habitat, amount of organic material and presence of
micro organisms determine the formation and type of so il. Soil provides
nutrients to the plants. Plants are capable of taking nutrients from the soil
through their roots. munotes.in

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Maharashtra
Soil and Natural Vegetation
37 The relief and climate of Maharashtra is varied that has subjected 96.4 per
cent of the states geographic area different degrees of erosion . A cross
section of soil profile reveals that incidence of severe erosion is highest in
the Western Ghats (53.1 percent) and relatively less in other lower parts
of Maharashtra (11.5 percent).
2.5. CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS IN
MAHARASHTRA
 The soil and veget ation of Maharashtra are related to the climate
and the geology.
 Shallow, medium and deep -black soils are mostly found in the state of
Maharashtra.
 The soil status of Maharashtra is residual, derived from the
underlying basalts.
 In the semi -dry plateau, th e regur (black -cotton soil) is clayey, rich in
iron and moisture -retentive, though poor in nitrogen and organic matter.
 When re -deposited along the river valleys, the kali soils are deeper
and heavier, better suited for Rabi crops.
 Further away, with a bet ter mixture of lime, the morand soils form
the ideal Kharif zone.
 The higher plateau areas have pather soils, which contain more gravel.
 In the rainy Konkan, and the Sahyadri Range, the same basalts give rise to
the brick -red laterites, which are productiv e under a forest -cover, but
readily stripped into a sterile varkas when devoid of vegetative cover.
 By and large, the soils of Maharashtra are shallow and of
somewhat poor quality.

Fig: Maharashtra Types of Soil munotes.in

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38 2.1. Broad classification of soils of Maha rashtra
No. Type of Soil Region
1 Black cotton or Regur River valleys of Godavari, Krishna
and Bhima
2 Laterite Sahyadri hill range of south Konkan
in areas of Ratnagiri and
Sindhudurg.
3 Coastal sandy alluvial
soil North Konkan coastal areas
Palghar, Thane and Raigad
districts
4 Red- Yellowish brown
soil In eastern Maharashtra areas of
Chandrapur, Bhandara, and Sahyadri
hill ranges
5 Coarse soil Central Plateau region of Ajantha
and Balag hat.
6 Brown, grey soil River valleys of Wardha
and Wainganga .
7 Saline Marshy soil Along Creeks of Coastal region of
Maharashtra.

2.6. DIFFERENT TYPE SOILS OF MAHARASHTRA
1. Black cotton or Regur soil:
 This type of soil is mainly found in the river valleys and plateau region
to the east of the Sahyadri mountain range.
 Thick layer of this type of soil is mostly found in the river valleys.
 This soil is found at various districts viz. Jalgaon, Amravati, Vidarbha,
Vardha and Gondia district. It is also found in the valley between
Parbhani and Nanded district and in K rishna valley.
 The soil in the Deccan plateau, on the “Desh” region is made up of
black basalt soil.
 The colour of this rock is black due the presence of magnesium and iron
in it.
 Weathering of this rock has lead to the formation of black
coloured soil i.e . Black soil or Regur soil.
 This type of soil is rich in humus.
 This soil is highly fertile. Soils found on hill tops are composed of
sandy and stony material with murum. munotes.in

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Maharashtra
Soil and Natural Vegetation
39  This soil is shallow natured and the thickness ranges from few to 50
cm.
 The soil is commonly known as the black cotton soil because it is best
suited for the cultivation of cotton.
 The volcanic action which had taken place in the Deccan region has
given rise to the soil texture and composition.
 These igneous rocks break down into the blac k soil which is very
fertile.
 Black cotton soil is found in the regions having less than 100 cm of
rainfall.
 In some of the regions of Western Maharashtra black cotton soil has been
converted into Saline soil or Chopan soil due to excessive irrigation.
 This soil contains greater percentage of calcium and magnesium
carbonate but lacks in nitrogen, potash, phosphate and organic matter.
 This soil is sticky and has the capability of retaining water for a longer
period of time. Black cotton soil possesses peculi ar characters such as,
when it gets wet, it swells and become very sticky in nature while, when
dry, it shrinks.
 This type of soil has a natural resistance to wind and water erosion
because it is rich in iron and granular in structure. A very important
advantage of this type of soil is that it can retain moisture. This makes
the soil very reactive to irrigation.
 So, excessive irrigation is very harmful to this type of soil because
the salts of the soils get deposited in the top layer hence making the
soil s alty. This again makes the soil useless for agriculture.
 Black cotton soil covers about 26.3 % of the areas of the
Maharashtra state (Challa et.al., 1995).
2. Laterite Soil
 Lateritic soil is formed by lateritic rock in high elev ation.
 This type of soil is developed in the region having heavy rainfall
followed by extensive dry period.
 This soil is very stony because of the presence of weathering
fragments or iron concentration with acidic pH ranging 4.5 -6.0.
 Lateritic soil possess es seldom organic matter.
 Lateritic soil is found in Mahabaleshwar, southern part of
Mahabaleshwar, around Bhima Shankar and Matheran.
 It is useful for horticulture crops like mango, cashew, jackfruit
etc. munotes.in

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Geography of Maharashtra

40  The blocks of this type of soil are soft when they a r e e x t r a c t e d
from the Laterite mines but become hard after they are exposed in
the open air.
 These are known as “Chira” in Konkan and are used to
construct houses and forts.
3. Coastal Sandy or Alluvial soil:
 Alluvial soils are formed by alluvium found a t upstream region or
nearby relief.
 Alluvial soil is dark brown in colour and several meters in depth.
 Rivers of Konkan originate in the western hill slopes of Sahyadri
and move towards the west along the coast of Konkan to join
the Arabian Sea. The alluvi um brought by these rivers is
deposited at their mouth along the coast and is known as the
Coastal Sandy or Alluvial soil.
 It is also formed by erosion of sand bars and sedimentary
platform rock by water wave, tide and heavy rain fall.
 The proportion of sa nd and mud is more in this type of soil.
 This soil is useful for the cultivation of food crops like rice. It is
also used for coconut plantation and horticulture crops like
mango, cashew etc.
4. Red -Yellowish brown soil
 Red-Yellowish brown soil is formed a s a result of disintegration
of granite, gneiss rocks along with basalt due to heavy rain.
 Soils are light to pale yellowish to in red colour as it contains
greater proportion of sand and iron oxide.
 Soils are stony and non fertile.
 They are found in easte rn Maharashtra especially in Wardha
and Wainganga basins in Vidharbha and hill tops of Sahyadri in
Palghar, Thane, and Raigad districts in Western Maharashtra.
5. Coarse soil
 The soil is found along the western part of the Deccan plateau
where the amount o f rainfall is more about 600 cm.
 The soil is also found Ajantha plateau, Balaghat and Mahadeo
ranges.
 As the weathered material is washed away from the mountain
top the thickness of the soil is less to the eastern side than the west.
This type of soil is a cidic in nature and has a low water retention
capacity. munotes.in

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Maharashtra
Soil and Natural Vegetation
41  For the above stated reason crops which require less amount of water like
bajra, nachani etc. are grown in this soil.
 As this type of soil has low humus content it is not very fertile.
6. Brown -Gray S oil
 This type of soil is found in Wardha and Wainganga basins and formed
due to disintegration of granite and gneiss rocks.
 The proportion of iron and potash is less but carbonate is more found in
this soil.
 The soil is best suited for the cultivation of i nferior type of
millets.
7. Saline – marshy soil
 This soil is found in the creeks and coastal region.
 It is alkaline and proportion of salts is more.
 In semi arid climate of Maharashtra such as, Sangli, Satara, Solapur and
Ahmadnagar we fine saline, alkali ne and saline -alkaline soils.
2.7. PROBLEMS RELATED WITH SOILS IN
MAHARASHTRA
Soil, one of the most valuable gifts of nature to mankind, should be
utilized carefully. However, most of our present environmental problems
originate from population explosion, unscientific and inappropriate
technological applications, human greed that has caused ecological
disturbances. The resultant impact of this human act is change in the
physical and chemical properties of soils getting degraded as noticed
below:
2.7.1. Prob lems associated with soils in Maharashtra: Deforestation
and removal of top soil cover by soil erosion in uplands and siltation in
lowlands, over -cultivation, over grazing, and use of chemical fertilizers
and salanization or alkalization of soils, insectic ides and pesticides,
industrial and automobile emissions of air -pollutants and acid rain are
the major problems associated with soils of Maharashtra.
 Soil erosion by water is a major factor in Maharashtra.
 It is greater in the regions receiving short perio ds of heavy rainfall
and is also accelerated by the absence of vegetation and undulating
topography.
Of total degraded land area accounts for about 198 lakh ha of which
about 176 lakh ha is water eroded soils, and 16 lakh ha degraded forests
remaining is s alt affected, water logged soils, etc. munotes.in

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Geography of Maharashtra

42 i) The action of sea waves
Being a coastal state, it is further susceptible to land
degradation due to the action of sea waves and increased soil salinity as a
result of the ingression of salts from coastal waters.
ii) Salinity
The extent of saline and alkaline soils in Maharashtra has been
estimated by the Agricultural Department and about 5.34 lakh ha of
soils in the state are salt -affected.
The satellite data reveals the existence of salt affected lands to the tune
of 45,532 ha in Raigad, Kolhapur, Sangli and Thane districts.
iii) High deficiency in nutrients
Maharashtra’s soils are highly deficient in nutrients when compared
with the soils of other Indian states. They are lacking in phosphorous
(P), potassium (K) an d nitrogen (N), mainly because farmers in rain -
fed areas use very little fertilisers.
iv) Excessive use of water for irrigation
Further, excessive use of water for irrigation also leads to increasing
salinity of soils. For example, in the Kolhapur region, due to the location of
sugar mills, farmers started cultivating sugarcane which is a highly water
intensive crop. However, the region’s fine -grained black soils do not allow
penetration of water, leading to a continuous build up of salt levels. It is
estim ated that after a single harvest of sugarcane, the soil salinity increases
by 20 to 25 tonnes/ha. Excess salinity in the soil reduces the productivity of
land.
v) Deforestation: Tree roots hold soil particles and thus prevent soil
erosion but deforestation increases soil erosion.
Desertification - The spread of desert like conditions in the state due
to man’s influence or climatic change may be defined as
Desertification
Excessive cultivation
Excessive and unbalanced use of fertiliser
Wrong method of crop c ultivation
Other factors like increase in urbanisation, industrial expansion,
rural and urban migration, development of airport, highways, port, tourist
places etc., are also responsible for the encroachment on the agricultural
land.
• Soil erosion caused by the open cast mining through its
overburdens is a common phenomenon in the Western Ghats. munotes.in

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Maharashtra
Soil and Natural Vegetation
43 2.7.2. Conclusion
 As per the soil survey conducted by the National Bureau of Soil Survey
and Land Use Planning (NBSSLP), about 94 percent of Maharashtra’s
geograph ic area is prone to water induced soil erosion.
 Water induced soil erosion cause top-soil erosion amounting to
approximately 775 million tonnes / year in the state, thereby severely
affecting the rural economy.
 The survey has revealed that over 86 percent land area in the Western
Ghats and 75 percent in the Konkan Coast suffers from strong to severe
soil erosion, resulting in annual soil loss of 20 - 40tonnes/ha.
2.8. SOIL CONSERVATION
 Soil conservation is the prevention of soil loss from erosion or from its
reduced fertility caused by over usage, acidification, salanization or other
chemical soil contamination.
 Afforestation: The best way to conserve soil is to increase area under
forests. By afforestation soil erosion may be checked as the trees keep
the so il tight with their roots. In this method unplanned cutting of
trees has also been checked.
 Scientific methods of cultivation: T his method has been implemented in
a number of areas to check soil erosion by unscientific cultivation.
Contour farming is also introduced.
 Changes in our agricultural practices: We can save lot of our valuable
soil by bringing about certain changes in our agricultural practices.
 Grass filters: This method is used to conserve soil and to reduce soil
erosion along hill slopes. Trenc hes about 3 ft width are dug along the hill
slopes. Grass is planted in these trenches which act as filters and
obstruct moving of soil particles. Moreover, obstruction by grass also
reduces the velocity of water which in turn controls soil erosion.
 Contou r trenches: These trenches are dug along the contours of hill
slopes. Here also, grass that is planted in these trenches along the
contours act as filters and obstruct moving of soil particles in one
hand and reduces the velocity of water which in turn con trols soil erosion
on the other. As these trenches are parallel to each other and along the
contour lines they control soil erosion.
 Control on gullies: Barren slopes of the mountain are responsible
for gully formation as well as erosion of land. This can be controlled
by planting grass on the hill slopes. Grass roots hold soil particles and
thus prevent soil erosion.
 Cultivation of grass: As growth of grass is faster and spreads over large
areas it is planted along the slopes to prevent soil erosion. munotes.in

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44  Plant ing trees near the banks of rivers and small streams: Karanj,
Teak, Bamboo, Arjun etc. are planted near rivers and small streams to
check soil erosion.
 Terracing: Hill slopes are cut into terraces or step like
structures and trees are planted along the ste ps. These areas are again
used for cultivation. Terracing has many advantages like greater
percolation of water, soil conservation etc.
 Role of Maharashtra Government: The state’s Agricultural department
provides valuable information to the farmers about crops, seeds,
conservation of water, soil etc., Plants are provided at concessional
rates. Farmers are advised to take the advantages of these facilities.
2.9. NATURAL VEGETATION OF MAHARASHTRA
2.9.1. Introduction:
Forests play an important role in many asp ects of human wellbeing.
We know that the forests are one of the most important natural resources
of the earth and about 1/3rd of the earth’s total area is covered by the same.
In India 02% of the country's geographical area is now under green cover (as
per 2009 data) whereas the total forest cover in India is 6,90,899 km2.
2.9.2 Functions of forest.
 Sustainably managed forests fulfil a range of functions to the benefit
of both ecology and economy of man.
 Forests are not only important as suppliers of wood but also play a
vital role as protectors of soil, water, and climate. Forest’s role as a
protector flora and fauna is important too.
 As areas for recreation and relaxation for human beings, forests are
important source of revenue earnings
 Forests are indis pensable for the functioning of ecosystems.
2.9.3. Forests in Maharashtra
 Forests cover less than one -fifth of the state, Maharashtra. It is mainly
confined in the Western Ghats, to their transverse ranges, the
Satpura Range in the north, and the Chandrapu r region in the east. On
the coast and adjoining slopes, plant forms are rich with lofty trees,
variegated shrubs, and mango and coconut trees.
 The forests yield teak, bamboo, myrobalan (for dyeing), and other
woods.
 Thorny savannah -like vegetation occurs in areas of lesser rainfall,
notably in upland Maharashtra.
munotes.in

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Maharashtra
Soil and Natural Vegetation
45  Subtropical vegetation is found on higher plateaus that receive heavy rain
and have milder temperatures. Bamboo, chestnut, and magnolia are
common.
 In the semiarid tracts, wild dates are found. M angrove
vegetation occurs in marshes and estuaries along the coast.
 The national parks of Maharashtra are full of variety of plant species
that include Jamun, Palas, Shisam, Dhawada, Kalam, Saja/Ain, Bija,
Shirish, Mango, Acacia spp, Awala, Kadamba, Moha, Acacia spp,
Terminalia spp, Hedu, Ficus spp and many more.

Fig: Vegetation in Maharashtra
 Wild animals include tigers, leopards, bison, and several species of
antelope. The striped hyena, wild hog, and sloth bear are common.
Monkeys and snakes occur in g reat variety, as do ducks and other game
birds. The peacock is indigenous. Many of those animals can be viewed at
the state’s national parks at Tadoba, Chikhaldara, and Borivli. The state’s
abundant marine life in the waters off the western coast remains l argely
unexploited.
2.10. CLASSIFICATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF
NATURAL VEGETATION
1. Tropical evergreen forests:
 These are found in the regions having rainfall more than 200 cms.
particularly in the hill tops of Sahyadri, Mahabaleswar and surrounding
regions along the western slopes of Sahyadri. Various types of tall trees
along with bamboos, creepers are found here. munotes.in

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46 2. Tropical semi - evergreen forests:
 These are found in the regions having rainfall 160 to 200 cms. in the
border region of evergreen forests. A combination of deciduous and
evergreen type of trees is found here.
3. Tropical monsoon forest or humid deciduous forest:
 These are found in the regions having rainfall 120 to 160 cms.
 These forests receive rainfall from monsoon between June and September .
As a result availability of water in the forest is mainly for four
months.
 Deciduous type of trees is found here.
 Trees shed their leaves in December and January and new leaves
start growing on the onset of monsoon
 These types of forests are found in the Vidarbha Chandrapur, hills of
north Konkan, Mahadeo range, Harishchandra range and Satmala range.
 Useful and valuable trees like teak, Indian rose wood, dalbergia, latifolia,
crenulata are found in the monsoon forests.
4. Temperate evergreen forests:
 Thes e are found in the regions having rainfall more than 100 cms.
With cold climatic conditions.
 These are found in hill tops of Mahabaleswar, Panchagani, and Gavilgad
hills.
 Trees like mango, jamun, hirda, behada and anjan are found in these
forests.
5. Dry - deciduous forest:
 These are found in the regions having rainfall between 80 to 120
cms. especially in the Dhule district, Satpura hill ranges, and in the
lower section of the Ghat.
 This forest appears green in the monsoon season but appears barren and
leafless during winter.
6. Thorny forests:
 These are found in the regions having rainfall less than 80 cms.
 Tall grass and bushes along with the thorn trees are mainly found in
these forests. For example, Khair, Babhool, Neem.
7. Mangroves and swamps:
 These ar e found in the coastal areas especially in the tidal range
(zone between high and low tides).
 These plants can survive in the saline water of the sea.
 As these plants grow in the marshes, some roots of these plants grow in
the upward direction and appeared scattered around the main tree. munotes.in

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Maharashtra
Soil and Natural Vegetation
47  These fingers like roots are known as breathing roots.
 Mangroves are very useful as they protect coastal areas from erosion
by reducing the impact of tidal waves.
 They also protect the bio -diversity of the coastal region.
 These are found in Bordi, Dahanu, and Thane creek near Mumbai.
2.11. NATIONAL PARKS AND WILD LIFE
SANCTUARIES
 Maharashtra is the land of rich floral and faunal diversity. From
ever green forests of Western Ghats to deciduous forest of Vidarbha,
each region is bestowed with unique natural beauty.
 The tiger reserves like Tadoba, Melghat, Pench and Sahyadri may be
considered as jewels in the crown. Tigers, Leopards and Wild dogs
are found in Tadoba -Andhari Tiger Reserve. Nilay Lake and
Chanditibba tower in Nagz ira are equally famous. Mysterious
Melghat is awesome.
2.11.1. The state of Maharashtra has six national parks, forty seven wild
life sanctuaries and four reserved areas for conservation.
Table 2.2. Maharashtra: National Parks
No. National Park Area in sq Km. District 1 Chandoli 318 Sangli 2 Gugamal 361 Amaravati 3 Navegaon 134 Bhandara 4 Tadoba 625 Chandrapur 5 Sanjay Gandhi National Park 104 Mumbai
6 Pench 257 Nagpur

2.11.2. Characteristics of the national parks and sanctuaries
 These national park s and sanctuaries are home to many rare species of
flora and fauna. The state government has safeguarded and
tried to upgrade these national parks and sanctuaries every year to attract
foreign and domestic tourists.
 Modern amenities such as jeep rides, nig ht safaris, library and audio -
visual facilities, comfortable accommodation and efficient transport are also
available at these parks at a nominal charge. Most of the sanctuaries and
the park have lakes with serene beauty.
 National Parks and wildlife sanctu aries are designed to get multiple
benefits. The main objective is to provide protected natural
environment to the wildlife for their conservation.
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48
 There is a rapid decrease in the number of tigers. In order to conserve
tigers a number of sanctuaries have d e v e l o p e d i n different districts of
Maharashtra.
2.12. MAJOR WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES
AND RESERVES OF MAHARASHTRA
1. Anerdam Wildlife Sanctuary: Located In Shirpur Tehsil of Dhule
District – Maharashtra
 Location: The sanctuary is situated on south -western ran ge of Satpura
range in Shirpur Tehsil of Dhule District.
 It shares boundaries with Yawal sanctuary other sanctuaries in Madhya
Pradesh.
Fauna:
 Once very rich in wildlife, the sanctuary, is now trying to regain its
previous status.
 Common animals found in this area are Barking Deer's,
Chikaras, Hares, Porcupines and Jungle Cats.
 Common Reptile - Monitor Lizard is the common reptile in this
sanctuary.
 Migrant Animals - Hyenas, Jackals, Wolves and Wild boars are the
common migrant animals find found here.
 Com mon resident birds - These include Peafs, Qualis, Partridges,
Egrets, Herons, Cormorants, Corts, Spot Bills, Eagle Hamers, and Owls
etc.
 Variety of birds, which migrate, can be seen in this area. Significant
among them are Brahming Ducks, Cranes, Stokes and many Waders.
2. Bhamragarh Wildlife Sanctuary: Located Chandra District -
Maharashtra
 Location: This sanctuary is located in Chandrapur district in the
Vidharba region of Maharashtra.
 Majority of the area is under thick forest that is woodland, with smal l
patches of grass lands distributed over the entire protected area.
 Even wetlands in the protected area can be found. Notable among
them are Pamalgautam and Parlkota rivers, which runs through the
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49


Fig: National Parks, Maharashtra
Fauna:
Bhamragarh Wildlife Sanctuary is well known for its variety of
wild animals.
The endangered animals in this area are Leopard, Jungle Fowl,
Wild Boar, and Sloth Bear.
Other animals like Barking Deer, Blue Bulls, Hare, Mongoose,
Peacock, and Flying Squirrel are also found in this area.
3. Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary: Western Ghats of Maharashtra
Location: The sanctuary is located in the northern part of the Western
Ghats.
It is spread over the three districts Pune, Thane and Raigad.
Two major tributaries of river Krishna namely Bhima and Ghod
originate from this area.
The valley is a splendid combination of floral and faunal life.
Fauna:
Since there is variety of forest types in the sanctuary, the area is rich in
fauna.
The wild life found here includes L eopards, Barking Deers, Sambar,
Wild Boar, Langur, and Hyena.
Among the birds, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Quaker Babbler, Malabar munotes.in

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50 Whistling Thrush, Green Pigeon, Black Eagle, Grey Jungle Fowl and
many more are found here.
The great butterfly brigade may be see n here. Moreover, Malabar
Giant Squirrel, one of the largest of tree squirrels, well over three
feet long, is found over here,.
4. Bor Wildlife Sanctuary: Hingni in Wardha - Maharashtra
Bor Wildlife sanctuary is located in Hingni in Wardha of
Vidarbha regi on.
This area includes 3,237 hectares of Reserve Forest, 2,213 hectares of
Protected Forest, and 660 hectares of Unclassed Forest.
Many villages surround the sanctuary.
Fauna
 Wild animals found in this sanctuary are Tigers, Panthers, Bisons,
Blue Bulls, Ch itals, Sambars, Peacocks, Barking Deers, Chinkara,
Monkeys, Wild Boars, Bears and Wild Dogs
5. Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary: Chandrapur District - Maharashtra
 Location: This sanctuary is located in Chandrapur district in the
Vidharba region of Maharashtra.
 Majority of the area is under thick forest that is wood land, with
small patches of grass lands distributed over the entire protected
area.
Fauna
 Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary is a home of variety of wild
animals.
 Endangered animals: Out of 23 species of mam mals recorded in this
area, there are 4 species of mammals, which are of endangered status,
namely Tiger, Leopard, Jungle cat, Sloth Bear, and Wild dog.
 Endangered Bird species: There are 131 species of avifauna recorded in
the Protected Area of which as m any as three bird species are of
endangered status.
 Endangered Reptiles: There are 2 species of reptiles, which are of
endangered status namely Indian Python, and Common Indian
Monitor.
 Others include: Black Buck, Wild Boar, Spotted Deer, Sambar, Barking
Deer, Blue Bull, Common Langoor, Harep, Jackal, Mungoose,
Peacock, Jungle Fowl, and Flying Squirrel.
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51
 Location: Chikhaldara Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Amravati district
of Vidarbha regio n.
 The only hill station in the Vidarbha region offers one an abundance of
wildlife, viewpoints, lakes and waterfalls. This sanctuary is named after
"Keechaka" of Mahabharata.
 This is the only coffee growing area in Maharashtra.
Fauna
 Panthers, Sloth Bear s, Sambar, and Wild Boar are found here. One
can even spot Wild Dogs over here.
 Close by is the famous Melghat Tiger Project in Dhakana Kolkaz
National Park, a natural habitat centre for about 82 tigers.
7. Dajipur Bison Sanctuary: Border of Kolhapur Distr ict -
Maharashtra
 Location: The Dajipur Bison Sanctuary is situated on the border
of Kolhapur and Sindhudurg districts near the backwaters of the
Radhanagari dam.
 Rugged mountains and thick forests abundant in wildlife surround
this jungle resort.
 The sanc tuary is completely cut-off from human habitat.
Fauna
 Bison, Wild Deer, Chital, Gawa, etc are found here.
 Apart from these one can spot other spectacular wild animals and birds
over here too.
8. Melghat Tiger Reserve : Amaravati District – Maharashtra
 Loca tion: Melghat Tiger Reserve is located in Chikhaldara and Dharni
tehsils of Amaravati district in Satpura hill range.
 The Melghat Tiger Reserve was constituted in 1974 and the Directorate
of Project Tiger, Melghat started functioning from 22nd Feb 1974.
 This is one of the last remaining habitats of Indian tiger in
Maharashtra.
 In view of the ecological, floral and faunal significance of the region,
on 5th Sep 1975, the Melghat Tiger Reserve was designated a
sanctuary.

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52 Fauna:
 Wild mammals: The area is rich in wild mammals which includes
Tiger, Panther, Sloth Bear, Wild Dog, Jackal, Hyena, Chausinga,
Sambar (largest Deer on earth) Gaur, Barking Deer, Ratel, Flying
squirrel, Cheetal (type of Deer), Nilgai, Wild Boar, Langur, Rhesus
Monkey, and Macaque.
9. Jay akwadi Bird Sanctuary: Aurangabad District Maharashtra
 Location: Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary is situated in Aurangabad and
Ahamadnagar district in Marathawara region.
 The presence of the Nathsagar Lake in the sanctuary, make the
surrounding areas rich in aqua tic flora and fauna.
Fauna:
 Birds: Many species of resident and migratory birds are found in
this sanctuary.
 Nearly 200 species of birds are found in this area, which includes
more than 70 species of migratory birds out of which 45 major species
are of international migration.
 Migratory birds: Notable amongst migratory birds is Cranes, Flamingos,
Brahmany Duck, Pochards Teals, Pintails, Wigeon, Shovellar, God Wit,
Shauces, Glossy Ibis, etc.
 It is a habitat for resting of local resident birds.
10.Jijamata Ud yan Zoo: Byculla District - Maharashtra
 Rani Jijamata Udyan Victoria Gardens lay out in 1861 houses the
Mumbai's Zoo.
 The gardens boast of scores of trees, some of which are really old.
Fauna
 It houses many of the rare and endangered species of animals
and birds.
 The gardens are spread over 48 acres in Byculla, on the central side of
Mumbai.
11. Kalasubai Harischandragad Wildlife Sanctuary:
Ahmednagar District - Maharashtra
 Location: The sanctuary area spreads from Kalasubai to
Harischandragad in Akole Tehs il of Ahmadnagar district.
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53  Kalasubai is the highest (1646 m) peak of Western Ghats in the
Maharashtra State.
 The Kalsubai sanctuary, situated in the most rugged, hilly area is
difficult to get accessibility by the trekkers.
Fauna:
 A wide variety of mammals, reptiles and birds may be found by the
tourists.
 Mammals: The mammals found here are Leopard, Jungle cat, Palm
civet, Mongoose, Hyena, Wolf, Jackal, Fox, Wild Boar, Barking Deer,
Sambar, Hare, and Bats etc.
 The m ost attractive animals are Indian Giant Squirrel and
Porcupine.
 Reptiles: The reptiles found in this sanctuary are Monitor Lizard,
Fan-Throated Lizard, Turtles and many species of snakes.
 Birds: Among the birds is the common hill and grass land birds.
 Wate r birds such as White Necked Storks, Black Ibis, Herons, Egrets,
Cormorants, Water hen's, etc. may also be spotted.
12. Karnala Bird Sanctuary: Panvel Taluka of Raigad District –
Maharashtra
 Location: Karnala Bird Sanctuary is situated in Panvel Taluka of
Raigad District of Konkan Region.
 This sanctuary is located at the bottom of the Karnala fort, which lies
between Pen and Panvel.
 The sanctuary is around 25m high from the sea level, while the fort itself
is 370 m from the sea level.
Fauna:
 Bird Life: Rich with natural habitats the sanctuary abounds in bird life
with various kinds of resident and migrant birds.
 Around 150 species of birds of resident and 37 species of migratory
birds that visit the sanctuary during winters may be found here.
 It has two dist inct seasons for bird watching.
 In the monsoon season one can watch Paradise Flycatcher, Shama or
Magpie, Robin, and the Malabar Whistling Thrush, which are some of
the most melodious avian songsters.
 A variety other birds Racket -Tailed Drongo, Red Vented Bulbul, Horn
Bill, Myna, Owl, Ashy Rain War Blur, and two rare birds Ashy
Minimet and Spotted heart Woodpeckers have been sighted here. munotes.in

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54 13. Katepurna Sanctuary: Akola District – Maharashtra
 Location: The sanctuary is located in Akola district in Vidarbha region.
 It is in proximity of Akola and is mostly the catchment area of
Katepurna reservoir which mostly attracts water birds.
Fauna
 Animal: The sanctuary is famous for Four -horned Antelope and Barking
Deer.
 Other animals are Black Buck, Wolf, Leopard, Hyen a, Wild Boar,
Nilgai, Hare, Jungle Cat, Monkey, etc.
 Birds: Many species of common grassland and wetland birds are
seen.
 Peafowl is the common bird spotted by tourist.
14. Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary: Satara District – Maharashtra
 Location: Sanctuary is locat ed in Satara District in Western Maharashtra.
Koyana wildlife sanctuary includes Eastern and Western catchments of
Koyana dam which is a major hydroelectric project centre in the
Western Maharashtra.
 The sanctuary is well protected by the large extent of Shivasagar
reservoir and steep Slopes of Western Ghats on both the sides.
 A vegetal cover corridor of Chandoli connects this protected area.
 It is bounded by Radhanagari wildlife sanctuary in south.
Fauna:
 Animals: Tigers, Panthers, Gaurs, Sloth Bears, Samb ars, Barking
Deers, Mouse Deers, Dholes, Gaint Squirrels, Otters, Common Langoors,
Pythons, and Cobras are the animals found in this sanctuary.
 Birds: Among the birds are Heart Spotted, Rufous and Brown Capped
Woodpeckers, Goshawk, Long Tailed Nightjar and Fairy Bluebird.
 These are found very rarely in other parts of Western Ghats.
15. Malvan Marine Sanctuary – Maharashtra
 Location: Malvan is the only marine sanctuary in
Maharashtr a. It is located in Malvan Taluka of Sindhudurg district
in Konkan region.
 The sanctuary is rich in coral and marine life.
 The golden sands and casuarinas plantations at the Malvan coast
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55 16.Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary: Tirora Range Of Bhandara
Forest – Maharashtra
 Location: Nagzira Wildli fe sanctuary lies in Tirora Range of Bhandara
Forest Division, in Bhandara district of Vidarbha region.
 The sanctuary is enclosed in the arms of the nature and adorned
with exquisite landscape.
 The sanctuary consists of a range of hills with small lakes wi thin its
boundary. These lakes not only guarantee a source of water to
wildlife throughout the year, but also greatly heighten the beauty of
the landscape.
Fauna:
 Ideal conditions of harbourage to a variety of birds and animal are
provided by the forests.
 Animals :The animals commonly spotted are Tigers, Panthers,
Leopards, Bison's, Sloth Bears, Sambar, Four -Headed
Antelope, Blue Bull, Chital, Barking Deers, Mouse Deers, Civet Cats,
Jackals, Jungle Cats, Spotted Hyena, and Hare.
 Birds: Among the birds that are prominent and commonly seen are
Peafowl, the Grey Jungle Fowl and the Red Spur Fowl.
 The habitats of sanctuary include 34 species of mammals, 166 species of
birds, 36 species of reptiles, 4 species of amphibia, and number of
fishes.
 The invertebrate fa una includes, besides a number of insects and ant
species, 49 species of butterflies.
17. Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird sanctuary – Maharashtra
 Location: Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary is located in Niphad
Tehsil of Nashik district in Western Maharashtra.
 The water level is always fluctuating in Nandur Madhameshwar Lake.
 The water released from Gangapur and Darana water reservoirs is stored
at Nandur Madhameshwar and subsequently released from here through
canals for irrigation.
 Silts and organic matter that a re carried away with water flow are
accumulated in the lake, and as a result islands and shallow water ponds
have been created.
 This enriched the biological conditions and aquatic vegetation has
been stabilised.
 Consequently the site has turned into good w etland habitat aptly
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56
Fauna:
 Birds: Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary is a harbour for
thousands of beautiful and migratory birds.
 There are more than 230 species of birds, out of which 80 are
migratory species.
 The migratory birds found in this sanctuary are White Stork, Glossy
Ibis, Spoonbills, Flamigo, Goose Brahminy Duck, Pintails, Mallard,
Wigeon, Gargenery Shoveller, Pochardds, Cranes Shanks, Curlews,
Pratincole Wagtails, Godwits, Weavers, etc.
 The resident bir ds include Black Ibis, Spot Bills, Teals, Little Grabe,
Cormorants, Egrets, Herons, Stork, Kites, Vultures, Buzzards, Harriers,
Osprey, Quails, Patridges, Eagles, Water Hens, Sand Pipe, Swifts,
Grey hornbill, Peafowl, etc
18. Navegaon National Park: Navego an, Gondia – Maharashtra
 Location: The Navegaon National Park located in Navegoan, Gondia is
one of the most popular forest resorts in the Vidarbha region.
 A picturesque lake with crystal clear water, stretches over an area of
11 sq. Kms. It is set in the midst of hill ranges and can be approached
through a series of winding trails.
 Strategically located, watch towers enable the visitor to
Navegaon to catch a glimpse of the region's varied wildlife.
 It consists of a deer park, an aviary and three beautifull y
landscaped gardens.
Fauna:
 Navegaon is better known as a bird sanctuary but a number of wild
animals may be seen here.
 Tigers, Panthers, Bisons, Sambars, Nilgais, Chitals, Wild boars, Sloth
Bears, and Wild Dogs are main wild life species in this national park.
19. Pench National Park (Project Tiger Reserve) – Maharashtra
 Location: The Pench National Park on the border of Madhya Pradesh
and Maharashtra has been known through the ages for its rich flora and
fauna.
 It is named after the river that flows near by.
 Pench was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1983, though it had been
declared a notified area in 1972.
 This park is the 25th Tiger Reserve in the country and takes pride in
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57  The total area under the Pench Tiger Reserve come s to about 758 -km,
out of which a core area of 299 -sq-km is the National Park and 464 -
km the buffer area.
 In summer the river retains water in pools strewn along its bed, locally
known as 'Doh'.
 To the east lies Golia Pahar about 670m above the main sea le vel,
which is the highest hill in Nagpur district.
Fauna:
 Common animals: Common animals in this sanctuary are Common
Langur, Jackal, Wild dog, Sloth bear, Indian Grey Mongoose, Striped
Hyaena, Tiger, Leopard, Jungle cat, Wild Boar, Spotted Deer, Sambar,
Barking Deer, Indian Bison, Nilgai, Chausinga, Large Brown Flying
Squirrel, Porcupine and Pangolin.
20. Peshwe Udyan: Pune – Maharashtra
 Location: The Peshwe Udyan Zoo is located next to Saras Baug in
Pune.
 Maintenance: It is maintained by the Pune Municipa l
Corporation and houses a variety of species of wild animals.
 When Pune Municipal Corporation came into existence it built a garden
and a Zoo in this place and gave it the name Peshwe Udyan.
Fauna:
 In this zoo there are all animals, from birds to big anim als like elephant.
For children this zoo is another venue for fun and learning. It has toy -
train ride a very special attraction for kids, a beautiful lake with boating
facilities, animal rides and a Play Park.
21. Phansad Wildlife Sanctury: Raigad District – Maharashtra
 Location: The Phasand wildlife sanctuary is located in Murud and
Roha Talukas of Raigad district in Konkan region.
 The sanctuary represents a Coastal Woodland Ecosystem of Western
Ghats, which makes the habitat very rich and offers highly pe aceful
atmosphere to the visitors.
Fauna:
 The wild animals found in this sanctuary are Panther, Sambhar, Wild
boar, Barking deer, Hyena etc.
22. Radhanagri Wildlife Sanctuary - D a j i p u r : K o l h a p u r D i s t r i c t –
Maharashtra
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58  Location :Radhanagari wildlife sanctu ary is located in the between
the areas of the major reservoirs viz. "Shahu Sagar"and "Laxmi
sagar" in Kolhapur district.
 The entire protected area is undulating with steep escarpments with
reddish and lateritic soil.
 High percentage of bauxite ore is foun d in Plateaus or "Sadas".
Fauna:
 It is well known for Bison (500), which is the tallest and the most
splendid of living Wild Oxen.
 Tourists can spot bull and calf running with its mother or a large
herd grazing in the jungles, which is a treat to the eyes and one can
recall with delight years later.
 Other animals, sheltered in the sanctuary are Leopard, Sloth bear,
Wild Boar, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Sambar, Giant Squirrel,
Wild Dogs, counted among some of the major animals found in the
protected area.
23. Sagareshwar Sanctuary – Maharashtra
 Location: Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is at trifurcation of three
Tehsils namely Khanapur, Walva and Palus Tehsils of Sangli district.
 The significance of this sanctuary is that it is a man made
sanctuary.
 Sagareshwa r is an artificially cultivated forest without perennial supply
of water.
 Here most of the wildlife species are artificially introduced.
 It was first brought under the category of park. Then the status of the
area progressively upgraded. It became Sagaroba g a m e r e s e r v e i n 1 9 8 0
and thereafter, in 1985, it became Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary when
approximately 52 animals were set free in the area.
Fauna:
 Major animals found in this sanctuary are Sambar, Blackbucks, Wild
Boar, Barking Deer, Peacocks, Cheetal , etc.
 There are no major carnivorous species like tiger and panther in the
Sanctuary.
 Small carnivores like Hyena, Fox and Porcupines are found in the
protected area.
 Quite a large number of insects, birds and reptiles are also found in
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59 24. Tadoba National Park: Near Chandrapur – Maharashtra
 Location :The oldest National Park in the state of
Maharashtra, it is also a Project Tiger reserve, since 1993.
 The rich deciduous forest mainly consists of teak trees.
 Tadoba is also referred to as 'The Jewel of Vidarbha'.
Fauna:
 Although the major attraction is the Tiger, large herds of Chital, the
stately Sambar, the elusive Barking Deer, the fleet footed Chausinga, the
majestic Gaur, the robust Nilgai, the shy Sloth Bear, the whistling Wild
Dogs, the omnipresent Wild Boar, and the stealthy Leopard make lasting
impressions on the visitors to this Reserve.
 The lake attracts many water birds like Cattle Egrets, Purple Moorhens
and Jacanas. It also has marsh crocodiles at the breeding farm.
25. Tansa Wildl ife Sanctuary – Maharashtra
 Location : Tansa wildlife sanctuary is located in Wada,
Shahapur and Mokhada Talukas of Thane district.
 The wildlife sanctuary at Tansa comprises the catchment area of Tansa
Lake and the surrounding forests of Shahapur, Khardi, Vaitarna and East
Wada Ranges in Shahapur Tehsil of Thana district.
 Tansa Lake is a perennial source of water to wild life in the
sanctuary.
Fauna:
 This Wildlife Sanctuary hosts a wide range of species.
 There are around 50 species of animals and about 200 bird species in
this area.
 Major wild animals are Panther, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Hyena,
Wild boar, Leopard, Jackal, Four -Horned Antelope, Chital, Sambar,
Hare, Common Langur, etc.
26.The Sanjay Gandhi National Park: Borivali, Mumbai –
Maharashtra
 Loca tion: Borivali, Mumbai, Maharashtra
 Fauna:
 One can have encounters with several species including Spotted
Deer, Black Naped Hare, Barking Deer, Porcupine, Palm Civet,
Mouse Deer, Rhesus Macaque, Bounet Macaque, Hanuman Langur,
Indian Flying Fox, and Sambha r. munotes.in

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60  The reptilian world has 38 species to show off.
 Tourists can see crocodiles in the Tulsi Lake, and Pythons, Cobras,
Monitor Lizards, Russell's viper, Bamboo Pit Viper and Ceylonese Cat
Snake here.
27.Tipeshwar Sanctuary: Pandarkawada Tehsil Of Yavatmal District
Maharashtra
 Location :Tipeshwar wild life sanctuary is located in Pandarkawada
Tehsil of Yavatmal district of Vidarbha region covering an area of
148.63 -sq-km.
 Many villages surround the sanctuary and due to this there is a tremendous
pressure on sanctuary resources for timber, firewood, and bamboo.
Fauna:
 The major animals that are found here are Hyena, Black Buck, Blue
Bull, Chital, Sambar, Peacock, Hare, Snake, Monkey, Wild boar,
Bear, Wild cat, Wolf, Jackal, etc.
28. Wan Sanctuary: Amaravati Di strict – Maharashtra
 Location: Wan sanctuary is located in Melghat area of Amravati District.
 It is an extension to the Melghat Sanctuary on south -eastern part.
 The hilly rugged terrain possesses Tropical Dry Deciduous forests.
Fauna:
 This area is part and parcel of Melghat and is rich in floral and faunal
biodiversity.
 The sanctuary is rich in Tigers, Leopards, Hyena, Wild Dogs, Bison,
Sambar, Barking Deer, Wild boar are major herbivorous species.
29.Yawal Sanctury: Jalgaon District – Maharashtra
 Location : Yawal sanctuary is located in Yawal Tehsil of Jalgaon
district along river Anner and Manjal towards north at the border of
Madhya Pradesh.
Fauna:
 Mostly found species in the reserve are Tiger, Leopard, Hyena,
Jackal, Fox, Wolf, Sambar, Chinkara, Nilgai, Wild boar, Barking deer,
Jungle cat, Palm civet, Wild dog, Sloth bear, Flying Squirrel, etc.
 Common grass, land birds and hill birds dominate the avifauna.
 Few kinds of wetland birds are also commonly seen over here.
 A lake called "Suki", located within th e sanctuary, attracts large number
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61 2.13 PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH FORESTS OF
MAHARASHTRA
Considerable forest lands have been deforested in the last couple of
decades for various reasons.
 The biggest problem in the forest of Maharashtra i s
inadequate and fast dwindling forest cover.
 Forest cover is seriously threatened by the increasing demand for
major and minor forest products. These products are widely needed
for fuel, building and as raw material for large number of forest based
indust ries.
 Vast forest tracts have been cleared for agriculture.
 Illicit tree felling: In 2011 -12, cases of illicit tree -felling
registered in the state - 14,574
 Lack of proper transport facilities. We know that the major product of
the forests is timber which i s a cheap and bulky commodity so a well
developed transport facility must be available at or near the forest.
 Large tracts of forest cover suffer from plant diseases, insects
and pests which lead to considerable loss of forest wealth. For
example, thousand s of hectares of sal forests are being threatened by
sal borer for which no remedial measures have been adopted so far.
 Obsolete methods of lumbering, sowing etc. are practised in the forest
area. This system leads to a lot of wastage and low forest produc tivity.
 Lack of scientific techniques of growing forests is also another
major problem. Only natural growth of forests takes place in the state.
 Low Productivity: Productivity compared to some other
countries is very low.
 Increase in population has increas ed the demand for forest products
resulting in cutting of large number of trees.
 Encroachment on the forest land: Considering the urgency of distribution
of land to landless people, the government has been regularizing such
encroachment. In 2011 -12, area u nder encroachments in forests in the
state- 86,213 hectares.
 Another most important cause of depletion has been
unauthorized cultivation by local people.
 The scientists have accounted for the decrease in forest area due to the
increase in spatial extent of plantations and agricultural fields.
 Urbanization and industrialization is also another problem:
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62 spread deforestation which again creates harmful effect on environment and
forest ecologic al balance.
 For Construction of dam reservoirs, large scale devastation of
forests took place in the state breaking the natural ecological balance of
the region. Floods, droughts and landslides become more prevalent in
such areas.
 Depletion of Natural Vege tation: Tourism development has put
pressure on natural vegetation . Forests often suffer negative
impacts of tourism in the form of deforestation caused by fuel wood
collection and land clearing.
 Mining has led to deforestation also. Human beings have used
minerals almost ever since they existed. The ages of human
development have coincided with the use of minerals. The modern
urban industrial economy cannot survive without minerals and metals, so
we cannot wish away mining. Some major open cast mining act ivity
has significant negative impact on the natural vegetation.
 Grazing - Effective policies are urgently needed to discourage expansion
of livestock production in forest areas and promote sustainable grazing
systems that will halt the cycle of degradatio n and abandonment
on cleared forest lands.
2.14. CONSERVATION OF FOREST
The National Forest Policy 1952 stipulates retention of a minimum of 33%
of the country's land under forest cover. The state forest department
statistics reveal that the area under enc roachments in forests has increased
from 80,108 hectare in 2005 -6 to 86,213 hectare in 2011 -12. A total of
14,574 cases of illicit tree felling have been registered in 2011 - 1 2 .
Current area under forest covers in Maharashtra - 19.94 percent. In 2011 -
12, the geographical area under forests in the state - 61,358 sq km. At
present there is an urgent need of Conservation of forest operations
on a large scale.
This can be done through the following measures:
1) We must stop reckless cutting of forests. Intensive
development schemes for afforestation should be adopted.
2) High yielding varieties should be planted in suitable areas.
3) We should plant the trees and grass on the land wherever possible.
4) Must select the local species at the time of plantation.
5) Improved techniqu es of logging and extraction should be used.
6) We should carry the timbering scientifically and the mature trees
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Soil and Natural Vegetation
63 7) Proper transport facilities should be provided to remote and
inaccessible forest areas.
8) Saw mills should get uninterrupted power s upply.
9) Latest techniques of seasoning and preservation are
necessary to avoid wastage.
10) Proper arrangements to save forests from fires and plant diseases
can go a long way to solve several problems.
11) A thorough inventory of forest resources is necessary to make
an accurate assessment of our forest resources and make plans for
their proper use.
12) Tribal’s depending on shifting type of cultivation should be
provided with alternate sources of livelihood.
13) People associated with forest protect ion should be properly trained.
14) To make efforts to use gobar gas in spite of using fuel wood for
domestic use in rural areas.
15) We should practice the animal rearing, considering the capacity to
graze the land.
16) Seeds of trees should be sown in remote areas through air services.
17) The people should be educated about the environment, its
importance and conservation.
18) Legal prohibition on agricultural encroachment on forest land must be
there.
19) Agro forestry and social forestry must be given priority.
20) Plantation of trees should be incorporated in the various
government and social programmes.
2.15. SUMMARY
Soils that form the uppermost layer of the earth’s crust are the loose rock
material containing the remains of plants and animals .
The soil and vegetation of Maharashtra is related to the climate and the
geology of the state. Shallow, medium and deep -black soils are mostly
found in the state of Maharashtra. The soil status of Maharashtra is
residual, derived from the underlying basa lts.
Forest cover in the area has been steadily coming down over the last
several decades. The major causes have been many developmental projects like
the paper industry, hydro projects and even a nuclear power plant which
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64 Deforestation causes incalculable environmental damage, releasing billions
of tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and driving thousands of
species of life to extinction each year.
2.16. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS/ EXERCISE
1. State whether the following statements are true or false.
a. Temperate evergreen forests are found in the regions having rainfall
more than 100 cms.
b. The soil status of Maharashtra is residual, derived from the
underlying limestone.
c. The technical t erm used for soil formation is paedogenesis.
d. Thorn forests are found in the regions having rainfall more than 100cm
e. Alluvial soil is best suited for the cultivation of inferior type of
millets.
f. Soil erosion by water is a major factor in Maharashtra.
2. Fil l in the blanks
a. Excessive use of water for ____________________ leads to increasing
salinity of soils.
b. Black soil or Regur soil is rich in_____________________
c. In some of the regions of Western Maharashtra black cotton soil has been
converted into _________________________ or_____________ due
to excessive irriga tion.
d. _________________ of soil develops in the region having heavy rainfall
followed by extensive dry period.
e. Nandur -Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary aptly described as .
f. _________________ are found in the coastal areas especially in the tidal
range (zone between high and low tides).
3. Multi ple choice questions.
a. The Pench National Park, known through the ages for its rich flora and
fauna is located on the border of
I. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
II. Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka
III. Karnataka and Maharashtra
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65 b. The tr enches dug along the contours of hill slopes are known as:
I. Slope trenches
II. Contour trenches
III. Grass trenches
IV. Mud trenches
c. The regur or black -cotton soil is _____________
i) Light to pale yellowish to red in colour as it contains greater
proportion of sand and iron oxide.
ii) Formed as a result of disintegration of granite, gneiss rocks along with
basalt due to heavy rain.
iii) Clayey, rich in iron and moisture -retentive, though poor in nitrogen
and organic matter.
iv) developed in the region having heavy rainfall followed by extensive
dry period
d. The prevention of soil loss from erosion or reduced fertility caused
by over usage, acidification, salinization or other chemical soil
contamination is known as
I. soil conservation
II. forest conservation
III. resource conservation
IV. crop conservation
e. Maharashtra, a coastal state, is susceptible to land degradation due to
i) the action of sea waves
ii) the action of wind
iii) the action of glacier
iv) the action of river
4. Answer the Following Question
i) What is soil? Classify soils of Maharashtra and describe any two of
them.
ii) Write a short note on Regur soil.
iii) What are the major forest types in Maharashtra?
iv) What are the major problems of soil in Maharashtra? munotes.in

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66 v) 5. What are the major problems in forestry in Maharashtra?
vi) 6. What are the different measures taken for forest con servation in
the state of Maharashtra.
2.17. TASK
1. In a map of Maharashtra locate the different soil types of the state
2. In a chart state the Wild life sanctuaries and their location in
Maharashtra
3. In a map of Maharashtra point out
(i) the areas under bla ck soil (ii) Laterite soil (iii) Mangrove and
evergreen forest
2.18 TECHNICAL WORDS AND THEIR MEANING
Organic matter - The plant or animal residue at varying stages of
decomposition in the soil.
Parent material - The unconsolidated mass of mineral or rock from
which the upper layers of the soil profile is formed.
Agroforestry - A collective name for land -use systems and practices in
which trees and shrubs are deliberately integrated with non -woody
crops and (or) animals on the same land area for ecological and
economic purposes.
 Conservation - The management or control of human use of resources
(biotic and abiotic).
 Deforestation - T h e l o n g -term removal of trees from a forested site to
permit other site uses.
 Degradation - The erosional removal of materials from one place to
another, which lowers the elevation of streambeds and floodplains.
 Depletion - The use or consumption of a resource at a rate greater than
the resource can be replenished within a defined time period.
2.19. ANSWERS TO THE SELF LEARNING
QUESTIONS
1.a. true
1.b. false, basalts.
1 .c. true
1 .d. false, less than 80 cms.
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67 1.f. true
1.g. true
2.a. irrigation
2.b. humus.
2.c. Saline soil or Chopan soil
2.d. Lateritic soil
2.e. “Bharatpur of Maharashtra".
2.f. Mangroves
3.a.I.
3.b.II
3.c.III
3.d.I















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68 3

MAHARASHTRA
AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, FISHING,
MINERAL AND POWER RESOURCES

After going through this chapter you will be able to understand the
following features.
Unit Structure:
3.1 Objectives
3.2 Introduction
3.3 Subject - Discussion
3.4 Definition of A griculture
3.5 Characteristics of Agriculture in Maharashtra
3.6 Cropping Pattern of Agriculture in Maharashtra
3.7 Problems related to Agriculture in Maharashtra
3.8 Livestock resources of Maharashtra
3.9 Fishing – meaning and types
3.10 Distribution fis heries in Maharashtra
3.11 Problems and solutions related to fisheries in Maharashtra
3.12 Mineral and power resources of Maharashtra
3.13 Summary
3.14 Check your Progress/ Exercise
3.15 Answers to the self learning questions.
3.16 Glossary
3.17 Task
3.18 References for further study
3.1. OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit you will be able –
 To understand the definition of Agriculture.
 To know the Characteristics of Agriculture in Maharashtra.
 Know the cropping pattern and problems related to Agricultur e in
Maharashtra
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69  To know the types, distribution, problems and measures related to
fishing in Maharashtra
 To know the Mineral and power resources of Maharashtra
3.2. INTRODUCTION
 In this chapter we wi ll learn about Agriculture in Maharashtra which is
highly dependent on south west monsoonal rain. The cropping pattern
in different seasons has also been discussed in the following chapter.
Moreover the states livestock resources have also been taken into
consideration. The distribution of fisheries, its problems and solutions
are also discussed. The states mineral and power resources are also
explained.

 Land Utilization Pattern: As per Agriculture Census 2011 -12, out of
the total 307.58 lakh hectares geo graphical area in the State, the Gross
Cropped area was 231.06 lakh hectares, net area sown was 173.86 lakh
hectares, (56.57%), area under forest was 52.11 lakh hectares
(16.96%), land not available for cultivation was 31.78 lakh hectares
(10.33%), other u ncultivated land was 24.13 lakh hectares (7.9%) and
fallow land was 25.70 (8.31%) lakh hectares.

3.3. SUBJECT DISCUSSION

 Agriculture is an art and science of practicing farming, including
cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of
animals to provide food, wool, and other products. By Agriculture ,
we mean, the production of crops, livestock, or poultry.

 Although Maharashtra is a highly industrialized state of India,
agriculture continues to be the main occupation of people in th e state.
Agriculture and allied activities during 2014 -15 had average share of
11 per cent in GSDP (Gross state Domestic production) at current
prices.

 Agriculture Production Prospects 2015 -16: Due to low intensity and
deficit monsoon, the production of m ajor crops in all regions of the
state has been decreased substantially during the year 2014 -15 and
2015 -16. Total rainfall in the State during 2015 was deficient i.e. 59.4
per cent of the normal rainfall. Out of 355 talukas (excluding talukas
in Mumbai Ci ty & Mumbai suburban districts) in the State, 278
talukas received deficient, 75 talukas received normal and two talukas
received excess rainfall. During kharif season of 2015, sowing was
completed on 141.46 lakh ha, which was six per cent less than the
previous year (150.97 lakh ha). This and deficient rains resulted in
expected decline of 18 per cent in production of total food grains and
marginal decline of two per cent in oilseeds production for kharif
crops. Due to deficient rains in kharif season 2015 , area under rabi
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70 resulting in expected decline of 27 and 50 per cent in total food grains
and oilseeds production respectively

 Principal crops grown in the State are rice, jowar, bajra, whea t, tur,
mung, urad, gram and other pulses. The State is also a major
producer of oilseeds. Groundnut, sunflower, soya bean are major oil
seed crops. Important cash crops are cotton, sugarcane, turmeric and
vegetables. In Jalgaon cotton is one of the major crops. The state has
huge areas, under fruit cultivation of which mangoes, bananas,
grapes, and oranges are the main ones

 Agriculture in Maharashtra is mainly dependent on south west
monsoonal r ain so any fluctuations in the time distribution, spatial
distribution or quantity of the monsoon rains may lead to conditions of
floods or droughts causing the agricultural sector to adversely suffer.

 Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy . There are several
problems in the agricultural sector of Maharashtr a but to maintain
ecological balance there must be sustainable development of
agriculture sectors.

 Livestock are defined as being useful animals reared for financial
gain.

 India is the second largest fish producer in the world after China
and accounts fo r nearly 6% of global fish production. Over 8,000
kilometers of coastline, 4 million hectares of reservoirs, 2 million
hectares of brackish water and nearly 51,000 square kilometers of
continental shelf area offers a plethora of opportunities for the growt h
of marine and fish industry of India. Maharashtra, a coastal state,
endowed with a coastline of 720 km and a continental shelf of
87,000 sq. Km has a great contribution in the fishing industry of India.

 With average annual marine fish landings of 3.6 l akh ton during 2001 -
10, Maharashtra is one of the major fish producing states ranking
4th in the country.

 Minerals are found in eastern and southern part of Maharashtra.

 Iron ore is a mineral substance which, when heated in the presence of a
reductant, w ill yield metallic iron (Fe). It almost always consists of
iron oxides, the primary forms of which are magnetite (Fe3O4) and
hematite (Fe2O3).

 With the dawn of industrial era, the sources of energy came into
prominence. Among the conventional energy wo od fuel was confined
only to domestic use and that too in the rural area.

 Use of Coal, natural oil also increased.
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71  Likewise, the use of hydroelectricity also increased in the areas where
running water and needed technology was readily available. All the se
sources of energy are known as conventional sources of energy.

 These sources of conventional energy, like minerals are exhaustible.
Hence they need to be used judiciously and conserved for future use.

 On the other hand, with increasing demand for ene rgy and with fast
depleting conventional sources of energy such as coal, petroleum,
natural gas, etc. the non -conventional sources of energy such as energy
from sun, wind, biomass, tidal energy, geo -thermal energy and even
energy from waste material are ga ining importance.
 In this scenario solar energy proves to be an abundant energy source
which can be put to use.

 Electricity generation from solar energy at present is no more a new
concept to the world. Solar electricity being clean (pollution free),
silent, limitless and free will play a great role in the times to come in
the present energy driven civilization.
3.4. DEFINITION OF AGRICULTURE
The art and science of growing plants and other crops and the raising of
animals for food, other human needs, or economic gain is known as
agriculture.
3.5. CHARACTERISTICS AGRICULTURE IN
MAHARASHTRA:
 Although Maharashtra is a highly industrialized state of India,
agriculture continues to be the principal occupation of the people in
the state.
 It is observed that the primary occupation of nearly two thirds of
the working population in Maharashtra.

 About 65 per cent of the total workers in the State depend on
agriculture and allied activities.

 Agriculture in Maharashtra is mostly intensive subsistence type.

 Both food crops and cash crops are grown in the state.

 Since most of the cultivable land is still rain -fed, the Southwest
Monsoon season, between June and September, is critical to the food
sufficiency and quality of life in the state.

 The agricultural calendar of Maharashtra and other parts of India is
governed by Monsoon.

 Irrigation facilities are being extended so that agriculture could be
made less dependent upon rain water.
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72  Despite having the largest number of Dams in India, the net irrigated
area in Maha rashtra totals only 33,500 square kilometers or about
16% of cultivable land.

 Here the productivity of land is low.

 About 60% of the area of Maharashtra is under cultivation and no
part with the exception of Wainganga valley on the east and the
Sahyadr i zone on the west has less than half the land devoted to
agriculture.

 Large portion of Godavari, Krishna, Bhima river valley are under
cultivation.

 Irregular terrain, thin soil of the plateau inadequate rainfall in
greater part of the region and dearth of irrigation facilities (only 7 -
10% of the land is under irrigation) account for low yields which is in
fact lower than the national average for most crops except sugarcane.

 The main food crops of Maharashtra are wheat, rice, jowar, bajra, and
pulses.
 Cash crops include groundnut, cotton, sugarcane, turmeric, and
tobacco.

 The main fruit crops mangoes, grapes, bananas, oranges,
 The State has an area of 12.90 lakh hectares under various fruit
crops like mango, banana, orange, grape, cashew nut, etc.

 Most of the Growers of Cash crops such as sugarcane and cotton in the
state belong to farmer’s cooperatives . For example, most of the sugar
production in Maharashtra takes place at mills owned by local
cooperative societies.

 Of the total cultivable area abou t 70% is under food crops and 30 %
covered with oil seed, cotton and other fibre and fodder crops.

7.5.1. The following table shows the land utilisation in Maharashtra
(%)
No. Land utilisation In percentage
1 Forest 17.64
2 Barren and cultivated 5.88
3 Land put to non agriculture 2.31
4 Cultivable waste 2.92
5 Land under tree crops 0.61
6 Permanent grassland 4.56
7 Current fallow 3.81
8 Other fallow 3.73
9 Net sown area 58.54
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73 3.6. CROPPING PATTERN OF MAHARASHTRA

 Jowar Bajra, Wheat and Rice are the four important food crop of
the state.
 Out of total cultivable land in Maharashtra about 60% land is under
food grain crops , and Maharashtra contribute only 5.8% production
of food grains in India because Jowar is dominating crop but its yield
is low (583 kg/ha).
 Maharashtra is major producer of Jowar and Arhar contributing
46.09 and 29.11 %, respectively to the total production of India.
 It is second largest producer of Cotton (22.21%), Soybean
(28.14%), and total cereals (13.56%) in the country
3.6.1. Major Crops & Cropping Pattern:
Nature of cropping Type of crops raised Rain fed (Kharif) Paddy, Nagali, Kharif. Jowar, Niger,
Groundnut, Bajra, Urad
Single cropping
Wheat, Gram, Lentil, Peas, Rabi Sorghum
Double Cropping
(Kharif -Rabi)
(Rain fed only Paddy, Paddy -Gram/lentil/Peas, Paddy –
mixed pulses like lentil, Paddy -wheat,
Urad/Mung - Rabi Sorghum, + Tur Irrigated
Kharif – Rabi -Summer Paddy – Wheat, Paddy -vegetables, Jowar,
Groundnut
Annual Crops
(Irrigated conditions) Sugarcane, Banana, Mango, Cashew, Guava
3.6.2. Food crops in Maharashtra
1. Jowar
 Jowar is the most important occupying 6.32 million hectare and
accounting for more than 60% of the total cultivated area of
Maharashtra.
 Distribution of jowar crop reflects the effec ts of climatic and soil
condition.
 It is grown in the areas of moderate rainfall between 350 mm to
1000 mm .
 In fact jowar cannot be grown in the heavy rainfall areas .
 Although it can be grown on variety of soils it grows better in regur
soil.
 Jowar is no t grown in Konkan region.
 Osamabad has more than half of its area under jowar cultivation. munotes.in

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74  Jowar can be grown both as Rabi and kharif crop in winter and
monsoon respectively.
 Rabi jowar crop is thus prevalent in the valleys of Godavari,
Krishna and Bhim a and their tributaries.
 On the other hand kharif jowar occupies the thin soil cover of upland
in Vidarabha region where the deeper soil is given to cotton and
wheat.
2. Bajra
 Bajra another variety of millet generally considered inferior to jowar
grows i n the same areas Rabi jowar but occupies thin and infertile
soil that cannot support kharif jowar because of inadequacy of rain.
3. Wheat
 Wheat, the next important crop of the region is highly diffused and
does not show any marked concentration .
 About 30% of the agricultural area is under wheat cultivation .
 Wheat is generally grown in North West Maharashtra where
irrigation facility is available.
4. Rice
 Rice with its need of higher rains is confined to Wainganga valley
where about 60% of the cropped are a is under paddy .
 Rice is also an important crop in Konkan .
 Infact, 60% of the total agricultural land in the Konkan area under
rice cultivation.
 Rice also grown in the extreme eastern part of Maharashtra in
small quantities with the help of irrigation.
3.6.3. Cash crop
 The Cash crops include cotton, sugarcane, turmeric, and several oil
seeds including groundnut, sunflower and soya bean.
 Sugarcane, groundnut, cotton are the major important Cash crops
of Maharashtra .

1. Ground nut

 Ground nut the principa l oilseed of Maharashtra is more common in
dry area and infertile soils

 Sugarcane

Sugarcane cultivation is confined to the area receiving adequate and
timely irrigation.
 Godavari valley, Ahmednagar district, Baramati -Indapur area in Pune
district, Krish na valley in Satara, Kolhapur in Sangli district is the
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75
2. Cotton

 Cotton is grown in Tapi valley.
 Cotton is largely confined to Tapi valley, the districts of Khandesh
and Vidarbha with maximum concentration in Jalgaon. .
 About 14% of the other total cropped area of the region is under
cotton with an annual production of 2.84 lakh of tons of cotton.

7.6.4 Fruit Production
 Maharashtra is also famous for its fruit production.
 The major fruits produced in the state are: mangoes, bananas,
grapes and oranges .
 Nagpur and Nasik are the major producers of fruits.

3.7 PROBLEMS OF AGRICULTURE IN
MAHARASHTRA

1. Subsistent in Character
 Maharashtra agriculture is subsistent in character.
 The cultivators and farmers grow crops mai nly for the family
consumption.

2. Small Size of Holdings and Fragmentation of Fields :
 The main reason for fragmented land holdings is our inheritance laws,
and other socio -cultural and economic factors.
 Small Size of Holdings is uneconomical.

3. Heavy Pres sure of Population
 This has created great demand for land.
 Every bit of land has been brought under the plough.

4. Seed :
 It is very unfortunate that good quality seeds do not reach majority of
the farmers, especially small and marginal farmers, mainly be cause of
exorbitant prices of better seeds.

5. Inadequate Irrigation Facilities :
 By and large the irrigation facilities available in Maharashtra are far
from adequate.

6. Yield per hectare is low in Maharashtra despite large area under
cultivation.

7. Agricultur e is not technologically developed

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76 8. Traditional means of agriculture:
 Farmers till today continue unscientific cropping pattern using
primitive tools and implements.
 Low quality seed are used.
 Absence of use of fertlisers and pesticides which again lead to low
productivit.y

9. Soils of Maharashtra is poor and rocky

10. The rivers of Maharashtra are seasonal
11. Unreliable rainfall:
 Most of the farmers of Maharashtra largely depend on the monsoon
rain or water for cultivation.

 They are at the mercy of the mons oons, which can sometimes bring
heavy rain and then becomes the cause of floods.

 On the other hand irregularity of monsoon may lead to drought
condition creating various problems in the agricultural field in the
state.

 For two consecutive years 2014 a nd 2015 the State received deficient
rainfall of 70.2 and 59.4 per cent respectively of the normal rainfall.
In 2015 out of 355 talukas (excluding talukas in Mumbai City &
Mumbai suburban districts) in the State, 278 talukas received
deficient, 75 talukas received normal and two talukas received excess
rainfall.

12. Soil erosion:
 In the areas of heavy rain like Konkan coast, removal of natural
vegetation can be disastrous leading to very heavy soil erosion.

 Fertility of soil in such areas is declining at an alarming rate, reducing
yield of many many crops.

13. Poverty :
 It is a very serious problem of farmers of Maharashtra for developing
agriculture.
 Farmers even today are burdened with inherited debts. Hence they
cannot afford to use modern equipment and bett er seeds.

14. Crop security
 Farmers have no security against failure of crops because of failure of
monsoon, floods,drought even spread of pests and diseases.

15. Pollution of land or soil
 Besides soil erosion, land or soil today, suffers from contamination.
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77 Agriculture, industries and mining are the major activities responsible
for the land or soil contamination.

Agriculture Measures: The ‘ Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan’ launched by
the State primarily aims at making Maharashtra ‘a drought -free state
by 2019’. It involves deepening and widening of streams, construction
of cement and earthen stop dams, works on nullahs and digging of
farm ponds. The target is to make 5,000 villages free of water scarcity
every year

3.8 LIVESTOCK RESOURCES IN MAHRASHTRA
Livestock are integral part of farming system in Indian Agriculture
contributing manifold to the growth and development of agricultural
sector.
It includes animal husbandry, dairy and fishery sectors. Its role in the rural
economy is also very important. It is an integral component of Indian
agriculture supporting livelihood of more than two -thirds of the rural
population

3.8.1. Livestock Management In Maharashtra

Objectives
 Conservation and upgradatio n of recognized breeds of the state.
 Monitoring breeding policy.
 Training to the farmers and professionals.
 Strengthening of semen stations.
 Organization of infertility camps.
 Encouragement to NGO’s for livestock development.
 To deliver breeding inputs at farmers door steps.
 To setup strict quality control of services and inputs.

3.8.2. Development of livestock in Maharashtra
Farm animals are regarded as asset . Livestock are domestic animals that
are raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food,
fibre and labour. Livestock includes cattle,sheep, goats, horses, pigs and
poultry.

In Maharashtra livestock plays an important role in impoving the social –
conomic conditions of the rural masses in Maharasghtra.

The major animal resource are cattle buffalo,,sheep, goats, horses, pigs
and poultry.

1. Cattle
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78  The average milk per cow is of i litre per day whereas in advanced
countries like Newzealand and Denmark it is about 30 to 40 litres per
day.
 For the above reason an Indian cow is often called tea-cup cow
 The breed Sindhi is generally found in Maharashtra.
 Buffaloes are the main source of milk Maharashtra

2. Sheep
 In Maharashtra, sheep is mainly raised for mutton and not for woo l.

3. Goat
 Goats are called as poor mans cow .

 They are found in almost all houses of rural areas.
 The goats in Maharstra is “ Desi”

4. Horses, pigs, donkeys are also found here.

3.8.3. Livestock Products
 Livestock provides us with a variety of products usefu l in our lives.
 Animal products help in increasing the National Income hence
livestock products play a very important role in the economy of
Maharashtra too.

3.8.4.: Poultry Resources: Poultry is one of the fastest growing segments
of the agricultural se ctor in India today. While the production of
agricultural crops has been rising at a rate of 1.5 to 2 percent per annum
while that of eggs and broilers has been rising at a rate of 8 to 10 percent
per annum. As a result, India is now the world's fifth larg est egg producer
and the eighteenth largest producer of broilers.

Maharashtra is also experiencing tremendous growth in poultry sector
during last few decades in the state of Maharashtra.3 -4 decades.
Maharashtra Ranks third in egg production in the countr y,

Problems and measures related to poultry in Maharashtra:
* In recent past due to outbreak of Bird flu in Nandurbar and Jalgaon
poultry sector was adversely affected in Maharashtra State that resulted in
reduction of poultry population for some time.

*Besides, the per capita availability of eggs stands at 40 against the
recommended levels of 180 per person per annum in the state today.
*Maharashtra is amongst the leading states for commercial layer farming
and broiler farming, but the decline in the e gg production in year 2012 -13
was due to substantial increase in the feed cost, fluctuations in prices of
meat and eggs and breakout of diseases.
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79 *Disorganised markets and lack of infrastructure are some of the
constraints that have adversely hit poultry farming in state.
Measures:
*To fill this gap between requirement and supply side the government has
taken decision to promote poultry farming in tribal and backward regions
of north Maharashtra and Marathwada. This would increase production of
eggs and al so provide a credible alternative to small farmers especially in
tribal regions and backwards regions of the state.

* In order to increase poultry farming in the state, the state government
has decided to provide estimated credit projections of $80 millio n (Rs 500
crore) for the year 2015 -16 for poultry sector works.

*The state government is also looking to bring eggs into the schools mid -
day meals programme, which would also increase egg consumption in the
state

* The state government is looking to rope in financial institutions for
financing their poultry farming initiatives that will help in spending
million in the tribal and rural areas. This will also include setting up cold
chains and strong marketing chains to market their products, not only in
the state but also across the country
State infrastructure for Poultry Development: -
There are four Central Hatcheries in the State located at Pune,
Aurangabad, Kolhapur and Nagpur respectively. Rhode Island. Red (RIR)
and Black Austrolarp (BA) poultry breeds are reared at these hatcheries.
These breeds are sturdy in nature and able to resist the disease pathogen as
compared to other varieties of commercial poultry birds. Day old chicks
and hatching eggs are supplied as per demand from poultry keepers.
Commerc ial poultry farmers procure chicks from commercial hatcheries.
But for the small farmers at village, taluka or even at district level to
facilitate them the availability of improved variety of deshi chicks or
hatching eggs these hatcheries are established.
There are 16 Intensive Poultry Development Blocks, namely, Solapur,
Satara, Bhilvadi, Dist Sangli, Nasik, Kopargaon, Dist A.Nager, Dhule,
Yeotmal, Amravati, Palghar, Dist Thane, Chiplun, Dist. Ratnagiri,
Osmanabad, Ardhapur, Dist. Nanded, Beed, Parbhani i n the Maharashtra
State.IPD blocks procure chicks as per requirement from the concerned
Central Hatchery and day old chicks and hatching eggs are supplied as per
demand to the small farmers and backyard poultry keeping beneficiaries.
Poultry sector trainin g is imparted to the small poultry owner or new
poultry keepers at four central hatcheries besides Amravati, Murud, and
Dist Latur & Kankawali Dist Sindhudhurg. Duration of training is 15
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80 Under the scheme “Central Assistance t o State Poultry Farm (80:20),”
Govt. of India had accorded administrative sanction to 4 Central
Hatcheries and 1 Duck breeding farm in the state of Maharashtra
amounting to Rs. 340.00 Lakh (80% Central Share 68.00 Lakh / Institutes
and 20 % State Share 17. 00 Lakh per institute). Evaluation of this scheme
is done by NABCONS pvt. Ltd. But their report is awaited.
As per the mandate of the scheme, in addition to Rhode Island Red and
Black Austrolap, CARI (Central Avian Research Institute) approved low
input te chnology birds such as Giriraja, Vanraj and Kadaknath are reared
on experimental basis in 4 Central Hatcheries and Intensive Poultry
Development Blocks. From these central hatcheries and IPD Blocks day
old chicks and hatching eggs are supplied to the small and marginal
farmers, agriculture labourers and landless labourers according to their
demand.
Maharashtra is also stressing on availing the funds from centre for
financing cold chain for poultry products, transport cost and small outlets
for marketing acr oss urban, semi -urban and large villages across state.
3.9 FISHING IN MAHARASHTRA

3.9.1 Introduction: The State has a coastline of 720 km with 173 fish
landing centres and the area suitable for marine fishing is 1.12 lakh sq
km. There are 15,686 marine fi shing boats in operation, of which
12,831 are mechanised. In addition to this, the area suitable for inland
and brackish water fisheries in the State is 3.17 lakh ha and 0.10 lakh
ha respectively. There are 30 fish seed production centres in the State
with 2,414 lakh spawn production capacity per year for catering to
inland fishing. During 2014 -15, State’s contribution in marine, inland
and total fish production (provisional) of India was 13.1 per cent, 2.2
per cent and 6.0 per cent respectively.

3.9.2. De velopment of fisheries in Maharashtra

 Reasons for the Development of fishing in Maharashtra
 Maharashtra State, endowed with a coastline of 720 km , has a
continental shelf of 87,000 sq. km.

 The shelf up to 40 fathoms with an area of 44,000 sq. km possess es
rich fisheries potential and almost the entire present fishing activity is
restricted to this zone.
 The harvest at the potential of this zone is estimated at 3.74 lakh
tonnes.

 The shelf between 40 and 100 fathoms, measuring 43,000 sq. km.,
has harve stable potential of 0.80 lakh tonnes.

 So, fishing is a well developed economic activity in the state.
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81  Maharashtra is also famous for its varied fresh water resources ,
including lakes, tanks and rivers so both fresh water and deep sea
fishing is practis ed in Maharashtra.

 The Konkan coast is favourable for fishing. Fishing activity is well
developed at the creeks, where rivers of Konkan join Arabian Sea.

 Arabian Sea being in Tropical belt has a large variety of fish.

 As about 70% of the population of Maharashtra prefers fish there is an
increasing demand in the major cities like Mumbai.

 Development of fishing in the state has also been facilitated by the
availability of efficient system of transportation of fish.

 Cold storage facilities are also deve loped in many places in the state.

 Fishermen use modern techniques and hence yield in this field has
increased.

 Fresh water fishing is well developed in the interior part of
Maharashtra, i.e. in river, lakes and dams.

 Development of fishing in the stat e has been more after it became a
co-operative society activity .

 The state Government provides many facilitites to the fishermen
and banks provide loans for the developmen t of fishing.

3.9.3 Types of fishing

1. Coastal of deep sea fishing - it is also te rmed as the ‘salt water
fishing’.

2. Fresh water fishing – includes fishing in river, lakes and dams.

Out of the total Marine fish catch in Maharashtra about 90% fish catch is
from the coastal areas only 10%is from deep sea fishing . Total fish
catch in Maha rashtra in the year 2011 -2012 was about 5.80 lakh tonnes
out of which about 4.35 lakh tonnes were from marine fishing.

3.9.4 Saltwater or marine fishing
 Marine fishing is practised along the western coast of Maharashtra
i.e. near Arabian sea in the coasta l strips of Konkan.

 The marine fishery along the coast of Maharashtra is multi -species,
supported by tropical species with relatively smaller size, fast
growth, almost continuous breeding and low volume (biomass) nature
with rapid turnovers.

 Generally Ko nkan is divided into two parts as north Konkan and south
Konkan.
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82  It includes following districts from north to south – Palghar,
Thane,Mumbai suburbs, Mumbai city, Raigad, Ratnagiri and
Sindhudurg district.

 Various fishing centres or ports in these areas are as follows:

I. North Konkan
1. Palghar – Thane - Length of coastline is about 127 kms
Fishing centres : Dahanu, Satpati, Dativare, Arnala, Vasai

2. Greater Mumbai: – Length of the coastline is about 114 km.
Fishing centres: Manori, Madh, Versova, M ahim Sasoon Dock

II. Central Konkan:
1.Raigad - Length of coastline is about 122 kms.
Fishing centres - Alibag, Murud, Dighi Srivardhan, Mhasale

III. South Konkan:
1. Ratnagiri - Length of coastline is about 220 kms
Fishing centres – Harne, Dabhol, Jaigad, Ratnagiri, Purngad, Jaitapur

2. Sindhudurg - Length of coastline is about 180 kms.
Fishing centres - Vijaydurga, Devgad, Malvan, Vengurla, Achare,
Shiroda, Redi.

For the better develoment of fishing it is essential to have modern fishing
ports with necessa ry infra -structure facilities.

 At present there are only three modern ports , such as:
a) Sasoon Dock
b) Ferry Warf (Bhaucha Dhakka) in Mumbai
c) Moirkarwalad at Ratnagiri
 Government has planned to construct modern fishing ports at the
following location:
I. Agrav (A libag – Raigad)
II. Satpati (Palghar)
III. Harne and Sakharinata (Ratnagiri)
IV. Sarjekot and Anandwadi (Sindhudurg)

3.9.5. Type of Marine fish
Pomfret, Mackerel, Bombay duck, Sardine, Lobstar, Prawn, Catfish.

3.9.6 Fresh Water fisheries:
 About 20% production of fish in Maharashtra is derived from fresh
water fishing which is carried out in lakes, dams, and other water
bodies.

Fresh water inland fisheries in Maharashtra contribute to over 1 lakh MT
fish catch each financial year and generate around 600 -800 Crores fo r
dependent fisher folks.
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83 As per the economic surveys (2011 -12) for Pune region i.e. Pune, Satara,
Sangli, Solapur and Kolhapur districts, there are over 20 thousand fisher
folks supported by inland fisheries generating 8,722 Lakh for the fishing
communi ty in the entire Pune region.

 Fresh water inland fisheries in Maharashtra contribute to over 1 lakh
MT fish catch each financial year and generate around 600 -800 Crores
for dependent fisher folks.

 As per the economic surveys (2011 -12) for Pune region i .e. Pune,
Satara, Sangli, Solapur and Kolhapur districts, there are over 20
thousand fisher folks supported by inland fisheries generating 8,722
Lakh for the fishing community in the entire Pune region.

 Status of Inland fisheries in Maharashtra, Pune regi on

District length of
the river
stretches
(km) Total area under inland
fisheries (including river,
lakes, and dams) - ha Inland
fisheries
production
(MT)
Pune 1252 24721 22000
Solapur 772 27200 3000
Satara 676 14504 1950
Sangli 392 4678 1547
Kolhapur 955 4266 2285
Total= 4047 75369 30782

 Selected major centres of fresh water fisheries are as follows:
1. Pune – Varvand and Shirasphal
2. Satara - Mayani and Pingali
3. Nagpur – Ramsagar
4. Chandrapur – Tadoba, Asolmendha, Shindevahi and Dhodazari
5. Bhandara – Chandp ur and Shivni
6. Gonda – Navegaon, Bodalkasa, Chorakhmara, Sangrampur and
Umarzari

 Government prpvides large water bodies like lakes, dams on lease for
the development of fishing.

 Small size file were brought from Kolkata in the past but at present it
is available in Maharashtra itself.

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84 3.9.7 Type of Fresh Water fish
Catfish, Rohu, Katla, Prawns etc.

3.9.8 Fresh water fishing is associated with rice cutivation

Characteristics:
 Rice is grown in Konkan and Vidarbha where the amount of rainfall is
more.
 Rice requires high amount of water and water remains stagnent in the
rice field for long time.
 So, fresh water fish like ‘Jitada’, catfish and carp are grown here.
 Long deep tench is built around the agricultural field so when the level
of water in the agri cultural field reduces variety of fish can survive in
the trenches.
 This type of fish production is practised in Raigad and Thane districts.
 This is a supplementary activity which is very beneficial to the
farmer.
 Fish in the agricultural field consume unwanted and harmful insects
and thus protect agricultural yield.
 Farmers get additional income and customer gets fresh fish through the
sell of the same.
 Fish Farming:

 Fish Farming can be practised in the agricultural field by construction
artificial po nd for fish.

 The normal length of artificial pond for fish breeding and development
is about 100 m, width 40m and depth about 2m.The minimum depth of
water should be at least 1m.

 Water pumps are used fro removal of dirty water from the pond that
provide s nutrients to the agricultural crops.

3.9.9 Fish Processing Industry
1. Preserving fish
 Preserving fish by the process of drying and using salt as
preservative.

 This activity is carried out at various places like Palghar, Dahanu,
Vasai, Alibag, Murud, Rat nagiri, Malvan, Vengurla, Shiroda and
Devbag.


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85 2. Export of fish
 The industries involved in export of fish are located at Mumbai,
Alibag and ratnagiri

3. Extracting oil from fish
 This industry is located at Ratnagiri

3.9.10 Problems Related with fisheries in Maharahstra:
The fishery in Maharashtra is facing crisis since late nineties owing to
overfishing, urbanization, domestic and industrial pollution and habitat
degradation.

1. Reduction in the fish catch
a) It is the rivers which forms the backbone of the nutri tional and
economic security of over 10 million marginal fisher folk in India. But
across India, the potential of riverine fisheries is decreasing rapidly
There is a chronic downplaying of riverine fisheries sector and
concentration of attention on aquacul ture and marine fisheries.

b) Due to extensive fishing many types of fish species are on the verge
of extinction.

c) Varieties like pomfret and bombil have been overfished to the extent
that their future is in doubt.

d) Major causes of the reduction in the fish catch are as follows:

i) Modern equipment used for fishing : Modern fishing nets catch fish
even of very small size which do not have any commercial value.
These activities have hampered the process of fish growth.

ii) Fishing carried out throught the year : Sometimes fishing is carried
out throught the year which has an adverse effect on breeding of fish
and their life cycle.

iii) Death of Fish and marine oraganisms : Fish and marine oraganisms
die due to increasing pollution, spreading of oil due to leakage and
accidents etc.

iv) Increasing Urbanisation and Loss of breeding grounds due to
reclamation of low -lying mangrove lands: Much of lowlying
mangarow lands near the coast and reas of fish farming, especially in
the paddy fields in Thane and Raigad districts, is de creasing due to
encroachment by slum settlements, dumping of solid waste and other
elements of urbanisation and indutrial growth.

v) Regulating and conrolling river flow by creating reservoirs and
constructing dams : This has resulted in decrease in seaso nal floods
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86 favouring ‘plankton growth’ and so food for fish. Decrease in of
plankton is a major cause of decline in fish

vi) Inadequate infrastructural faciliies such as cold -storage, fish
processing industries, transportation and marketing of fish and fish
products.

vii) Lack of Fishery institutes, extension and research centres.
3.9.11 Solutions to the problems related to fishing activity:
 To solve the problems related to fishing the follow ing solutions
amy be suggested

1. Total ban on fishing during the monsoon season.
2. Use of appropriate size of fishing nets so that small size fish can
escape during fish -catch operation.
3. Financial help to small fisherman.
4. Better infrastructural faciliies for storage , transportation and sell of
fish and fish products.
5. Provision of instituional training and encouragement for inland
fisheries development
6. Guidance and help for export fish and fish products

3.10 MINERAL AND POWER RESOURCRES IN
MAHARASHTRA

Mahara shtra is rich in mineral deposits. A wide variety of them are
found many parts of the state.

The entire area of the State forms a part of the “Peninsular Shield”, which
is composed of rocks commencing from the most ancient rocks of diverse
origin, which h ave undergone considerable metamorphism. More than
80% area of the State is covered by this Deccan trap, which have
concealed geologically older formations. The most important economic
minerals such as coal, iron ore, manganese ore, limestone, etc. are f ound
in the geologically older formations.

3.10.1. The State of Maharashtra encompasses on area of 307713 sq.km.
Out of which likely mineral bearing area is about 58465 sq.km. i.e.
19% of the total area of the State.

Divisionwise distribution of mi neral bearing area is as under:

1) Nagpur - 60%
2) Amravati - 10%
3) Konkan - 20%
4) Aurangabad - 5%
5) Pune - 3%
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87
3.10.2. IMPORTANT MINERALS IN MAHARASHTRA

 Mineral Resources
 Maharashtra is the second largest producer of kyanite and the third
largest producer of manganese ore.
 The principal mineral -bearing belts in Maharash tra are Vidarbha in the
east and Konkan in the west.

 The important minerals occurring in the State are Coal, Iron ore,
Manganese, Limestone, Bauxite, Dolomite, Silica sand, Kyanite &
Sillimanite. The other minerals occurring are Barytes, Ilmenite, Clay,
Feldspar, Copper, Chromite, Graphite, Fluorite, Tungsten etc.

 Mineral reserves in the district of State are given below:

S.N. District Minerals found
1 Nagpur Coal, Limestone, Manganese Ore, Copper Ore,
Tungstone Ore, Zinc Ore, Clay, Chromite,
Dolomi te, Granite
2 Chandrapur Coal, Limestone, Iron Ore, Pyrophyllite, Clay,
Baryte, Fluorite Copper Ore, Chromite, Granite
3 Bhandara Manganese Ore, Iron Ore, Kyanite – Sillimanite,
Pyrophyllite, Chromite, Quartz, Granite
4 Gadchiroli, Limestone, Iron Ore, Baryte , Granite,
Dolomite, Quartz
5 Yavatmal
Coal, Limestone, Dolomite
6 Wardha Coal
7 Gondia, Vanadium Ore, Quartz
8 Buldhana Agate
(Semiprecious Stones)
9 Amravati Clay
10 Sindhudurg Iron Ore, Silica sand & Sea sand, Clay, Gr aphite,
Chromites, Feldspar, Granite, Soapstone
(Talc)
11 Ratnagiri Bauxite, Silica sand & Sea sand, Ilmenite
12 Raigad Bauxite
13 Thane, Bauxite, Clay, Granite
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88 15 Satara, Bauxite
16 Sangli Bauxite
17 Nanded Limestone, Quartz, Granite,
18 Ahmednagar
Limestone
19 Aurgangabad, Agate (Semiprecious Stones)
20 Jalna Agate (Semiprecious Stones)
21 Jalgaon,
Agate (Semiprecious Stones)

3.10.3. Important mineral occurrences are as follows

1. IRON ORE
 Iron ore is the primary source of iron for the world's iron and steel
industries. It is therefore essential for the production of steel, which in
turn is essential to maintain a strong industrial base. Almost all (98%)
iron ore is used in steel making. Steel is required in various
manufacturing processes from ordinary pin to rockets.

 There are four types of iron ore.

a. Magnetite : Magnetite ore has a higher iron content than hematite ore,
but often occurs in lower concentrations. It is black in colour and
contains more than 70% of iron ore.

b. Haematite : Hematite gets its name from the Greek word for blood,
haima, because of its reddish color. This is one of the types of iron ore
that has very high iron content, and the iron content of hematite it self
is lower than that of magnetit. It contains about 70% of iron.

c. Limonite: The Mineral, Limonite is an Iron Ore mineral and accounts
for a small percentage of the iron mined. Contains 60% iron.

d. Siderite : Siderite is yellowish iron ore which contains 4 8% of iron.

 Areas of iron ore deposits in Maharashtra
1. Eastern part of Maharashtra – Iron Ore is found in Eastern part
of Maharashtra in Chandrapur, Gadchiroli and Gondia districts

2. Southern part of Maharashtra – Iron Ore is found in Southern
part of Maharashtra in Sindhudurg district.

 Iron Ore (Hematite ) deposits are found in Chandrapur, Gadchiroli
and Sindhudurg districts. Kalne is Maharashtra's only major iron
ore extracting mine located in Sindhudurg, a region estimated to
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 Iron Ore (Magnetite ) in Gondia district

 Other Iron ore mines are located in the following areas:

a. Lohara : Lohara has about 65 million tonnes of iron ore deposit and
the quality of ore found here is extremely good.

b. Asola : good quality iron ore.

c. Pimpalgaon : good quality iron ore is deposited here.

d. Gadchiroli: This district has concentration of iron ore deposits at
Deulgaon, Bhamragad, Surjagad, Fuser etc. Inspite of heavy
concentration of iron ore in this district mining is not well developed
here.

e. Gondia: It has about 6 million tonnes of iron ore deposits. Iron ore is
found at Ambe, Talao and Khursipar.

f. Nagpur: Iron ore is found in Bhivapur. The quality as well as the
quanrity of iron ore found in this district is very low.

g. Sindhudurg: There are about40 million tonnes of iron ore deposits are
in this district which is found in Vengurle, Redi, Bundpeta and
Dodamarg.

2. BAUXITE

 Bauxite, an aluminium ore, is the world's main source of aluminium .

 Aluminium metal is used in many ways for eg:
a. In transportation (automobiles, aircraft, trucks, railway cars, marine
vessels, bicycles, spacecraft, etc.)
b. as sheet, tube, and castings.
c. Packaging (cans, foil, frame of etc.).
d. Food and beverage containers, because of its resistance to cor rosion.

 Maharashtra has about 9 crore tonnes of Bauxite deposits.
 Out of the total production bauxite in India about 10% production
comes from Maharashtra itself.
 Bauxite is found in the southern part of Maharashtra in Kolhapur,
Raigad, Ratnagiri, Satara, Sangli, Sindhudurg & Thane districts

I. Kolhapur districts – Good quality Bauxite is found in Radhanagari,
Dhangarwadi, Gargoti, Panhala, Vishalglad,Udgiri,Rangewadi,
Kasarwada.
II. Satara districts – Mahabaleswar anad Patan – river valley of Koyna.
III. Sangli districts - River valley of Krishna.
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90 V. Raigad districts – Srivardhan, Murud, Roha, Mahad.
VI. Ratnagiri districts – Mandangad, Dapoli
VII. Sindhudurg districts – Amboli .

3. CHROMITE
Chromite is found in Bhandara, Chandrapur, Nagpur & Sindhudurg
districts

4. COAL
Coal is found in Nagpur, Chandrapur & Yavatmal districts.

5. DOLOMITE
Dolomite is found in Chandrapur, Nagpur & Yavatmal districts.

6. FIRECLAY
Fireclay is found in Amravati, Chandrapur, Nagpur & Ratnagiri districts

7. FLUORITE & SHA LE
Fluorite & Shale in Chandrapur district.

8. KYANITE
Kyanite in Bhandara & Nagpur districts.

9. LATERITE
Laterite in Kolhapur district.

10. LIMESTONE
Limestone in Ahmednagar, Chandrapur, Dhule, Gadchiroli, Nagpur,
Nanded, Pune, Sangli & Yavatmal districts.

11. MANGANESE
 Manganese has important industrial metal alloy uses, particularly in
production of stainless steels. It is also used in dry cell batteries.
Manganese dioxide is used as a black -brown pigment in paint.
 About 8% of the deposits of Manganese found in India are in
Mahrashtra.
 Manganese ore is found in eastern part of Maharashtra in Bhandara,
Nagpur & in southern part in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts.

I. Nagpur district – Good quality manganese ore is found at very low
depth in the river valleys of river Kanhan and river Pench. It is also
found at Mansar in Ramtek Taluka, Kodegaon, Gumgaon, Khapa and
Ramodongari in Savner Taluka.

II. Bhandara – In Bhandara manganese ore is found at Kurmuda,
Chikhala, Dongri, and Sit Savangi of Tumsar Taluka.

III. Sindhud urg - Good quality manganese ore is found at Dingane,
Netarde, Sasoli and Banda of Sawamtwadi Taluka and Ponda in
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91
12. CORUNDUM & PYROPHYLLITE
Corundum & Pyrophyllite in Bhandara district.

13. QUARTZ & SILICA SAND
Quartz & Silica Sand in Bhand ara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia,
Kolhapur, Nagpur, Ratnagiri & Sindhudurg districts and quartzite in
Gondia & Nagpur districts.

14. SILLIMANITE
Sillimanite in Chandrapur district.

15. CHINA CLAY
China Clay in Amravati, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Nagpur, Sindhudur g &
Thane districts

3.10.4. Other minerals that occur in the State are
I. Barytes in Chandrapur & Gadchiroli districts;

II. Copper in Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli & Nagpur districts;
III. Felspar in Sindhudurg district; gold in Bhandara & Nagpur
districts;

IV. Granite in Bhandra, Chandrapur, Dhule, Gadchiroli, Nagpur,
Nanded, Nasik, Sindhudurg & Thane districts;

V. Graphite & Mica in Sindhudurg district;

VI. Lead -Zinc & Tungsten in Nagpur district;

VII. Marble in Bhandara & Nagpur districts; ochre in Chandrapur &
Nagp ur districts; sil
VIII. Ver & Vanadium in Bhandara district;
IX. Steatite in Bhandara, Ratnagiri & Sindhudurg districts;

X. Titanium minerals in Gondia & Ratnagiri districts

3.10.5. Minerals and their industrial use in Maharashtra

No. Mineral Industrial Use
1 Copper Electrical equipments, Utensils
2 Illuminate Industrial.
3 Chromite Metal, Chemical of the precious stones
4 Dolomite Iron-Steel
5 Kyinite Glass, Chemicals, Electrical equipments,
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92 6 Byrites Colour, Paper, Rubber
7 Silica Glass, E lectrical equipments
8 Limestone Cement, Iron -Steel, Cloth, Chemicals
9 Asbestos Cement
10 Tungsten Military equipments
11 Mica Electrical equipments
12 Venadium Industrial use
13 Basalt, Granite
and Laterite Construction

3.11 POWER RESOURCES OF MA HARASHTRA

We get energy from various sources like coal, crude oil, atomic energy
etc.

Energy is used in the industries as well as in our daily activities. It is
necessary for the sustainable development.

3.11.0 POWER RESOURCES
 Power resources can be cla ssified into two main type:

 Conventional
 Non-Conventional.

3.11.1. CONVENTIONAL SOURCES:
 Power resources which have been in common use for a long time are
called conventional resources, e.g. firewood, fossil fuels like coal,
crudeoil natural gas .
 CONVE NTIONAL energies are as follows

1. Firewood:
Firewood is the major source of power in rural Maharashtra. It is used as
kitchen fuel and also for heating purposes.
2. Coal:
 Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel.
 Coal is used as a domestic fuel and also in in dustries.
 Most of the thermal power plants use coal as a fuel.
 Coal was formed from giant ferns and swamps which got buried under
the earth.
 Hence, coal is also called the Buried Sunshine.

 Advantages of Coal :
 It is widely available. It is highly efficie nt in terms of electricity
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93
 Disadvantages of Coa l:
 Coal is bulky to transport and creates lot of pollution .

 Types of Coal
There are four types of coal:

a. Peat: often not listed as a type of coal since the use of it as an energy
source is lim ited today. Percentage of carbon is less than 40%. It is
used mainly for domestic purpose. It's a very soft brown coal.

b. Lignite: is a soft brown coal that contains a high amount of water.
Lignite has a higher heat content than peat but is still not the mo st
desired form of coal. However, lignite makes up almost half of our
known coal reserves. Percentage of carbon is about 40

c. Bituminous: is widely used in the United States and across Europe.
Percentage of carbon is 70 to 80 percent.

d. Anthracite : is a meta morphic rock and is considered the highest grade
coal. It's hard and dark black in color. It has a very light weight when
compared to other forms of coal as there is very little water present in
anthracite. As a result, anthracite has the highest heat cont ent.
Percentage of carbon is about 95%.

Coal deposits in Maharashtra:
 Maharashtra's coal reserves account for only 3.44% of India's total
coal reserves but contribute 9.29% to national output.

 These deposits currently supply power plants located in Trom bay,
Chola, Khaperkheda, Paras, Bhusawal, Ballarshah, Nahik, and Koradi.

 The three main coal fields are located :
1. The Wardha valley field near Chandrapur, Ghughus and Warora.
2. The Kamptee coalfield in Nagpur district
3. The Bander coal field.

 All three co al fields have relatively low grade coal with high ash
content.

 Coal deposits in Maharashtra are mainly concentrated in the
I. Chandrapur district
II. Nagpur district
III. Yavatmal district.

 Chandrapur district - Largest deposits in Maharashtra. (about 70%)
 In Cha ndrapur district coal is found in the folowing in Talukas
a) Chandrapur Taluka – Chandrapur, Ghugus, Bellarpur
b) Rajura Taluka – Sasti
c) Bhadravati Taluka – Manjari
d) Varoda Taluka – Varoda
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94 II. Nagpur district
 In Nagpur district coal is found in the folowing areas
a. Umred
b) Kamthi
c) Savner
d) Silewara
e) Patsavangi
f) Vokhara

III. Yavatmal district - I
 In Yavatmal district coal is found in the folowing Talukas

a) Vani Taluka - Vani and Rajur
b) Maregaon Taluka – Astona
c) Digras Taluka – Chincholi
d) Umerkhed Taluka - Dhanki

3. Petroleum:
 Hydroca rbons of liquid and gaseous states varying in chemical
composition, color, and specific gravity are collectively known as
petroleum resource.

 Petroleum is found between layers of rocks.

 It is extracted by drilling deep bore wells.

 Oil extracted from t he wells remains in crude oil form and contains
many impurities; hence, it needs to be extracted in oil refineries.

 Petroleum is sent to refineries to make various petroleum products;
like diesel, petrol, kerosene, wax, plastics and lubricants.

 Petroleu m industries produce various by -products; for example,
fertilizer, synthetic rubber, synthetic fiber, medicines, vaseline,
lubricants, wax, soap, and cosmetics.

 Located 160 km off Mumbai, Mumbai high, an offshore oilfield was
discovered in 1973. Productio n of petroleum at the field was started in
1976.

 About 50% of crude oil used in India comes from this oil field.

 Oil from this field is brought to Chembur refineries through pipelines,
and is processed here to get various by -products.

 New deposits are f ound in Arabian Sea near Uran – Raigad districts.


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95 Advantages of Petroleum:
 Petroleum is easier to transport.
 It forms the backbone of petrochemicals industry.

4. Natural Gas:
 Natural gas is found along with petroleum deposits.
 It is used in the chemical and fertiliser industries and in the thermal
power stations.
 It is also used as domestic fuel.
 India has largest deposits of natural gas in ‘Bombay High’
 This gas is stored at Uran port.

 Advantages of Natural Gas :
 It is easier to transport and can be tra nsported through pipelines
 It is much cleaner and cheaper than oil.

Drawbacks of Fossil Fuels:
 Fossil fuels are exhaustible in nature.
 Our increased consumption of fossil fuels has resulted in depletion of
fossil fuels at an alarming rate.
 Burning of fossil fuels produces toxic pollutants.
 We are over -dependent on fossil fuels but they are going to be
exhausted very soon.
 Hence, there is a pressing need for searching some alternate sources of
energy.

3.11.2 NON -CONVENTIONAL SOURCES OF ENERGY
 Sources of energy which are fairly new in usage are called non -
conventional energy sources.

 Scientists are trying to develop non -conventional sources of energy for
certain objectives.

 We need newer energy sources to reduce our dependency on fossil
fuels.

 Moreover, we also need environment -friendly sources of energy which
could be renewable as well.

1. Hydel Power:
 The energy in moving water can be tapped to produce electricity.

 Electricity generated in this way is called hydroelectricity or hydel
power.

 For harnessing hydel energy, rain water or river water is stored in
dams. A

 fter that, water is allowed to fall from heights.

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96
 The movement in turbine produces electricity.

 One-fourth of t he world’s electricity is produced by hydel power.

 Advantages of Hydel Power are as follows:
I. It is non -polluting and cheaper than thermal power.
II. Can be transported easily
III. Hydel power projects also promote fisheries and irrigation

 Disadvantages of Hydel Power :
I. It is highly costly to set up a hydel power project.
II. Vast areas of low lying land are submerged due to construction of
dam.
III. It leads to large scale displacement of people.

 Hydel Power stations in Maharashtra
I. Raigad – Khopoli (first Hydel power st ation in Maharashtra),
Bhivpuri, Bhira
II. Kolhapur – Tillari
III. Aurangabad – Jaikwadi
IV. Hingoli - Yeldari
V. Ahmednagar – Bhandardara
VI. Pune – Fagane
VII. Nagpur - Pench

2. Thermal Power
 Electricity which is generated by burning coal or crude oil is termed
Chandrapur – Balla rpur, Durgapur
 Major Thermal Power stations of Maharashtra are as follows :
a) Nagpur – Khaperkheda and Koradi
b) Akola – Paras
c) Jalgaon – Fekari ( Bhusaval)
d) Nasik – Eklahare
e) Thane – Chol and Turbhe

3. Atomic power:
Atomic power is obtained from the atomic reactio ns related to the
radio active munerals like, Uranium, Thorium, Radium,
Lithium,Plutonium. etc. Atomic power is the fourth -largest source of
electricity in India after thermal, hydroelectric and renewable sources of
electricity. As of 2013, India has 21 n uclear reactors in operation in 7
nuclear power plants.

Atomic power stations in Maharashtra is located in Palghar district at
Tarapur. It is the first atomic power plant in India. With a total
capacity of 1400 MW, Tarapur is the largest nuclear power sta tion in
India.

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97 4. Solar energy
 Solar energy is our earth's primary source of renewable energy.
 It is a form of energy radiated by the sun, including light, radio waves,
and X rays, although the term usually refers to the visible light of the
sun.
 Solar ene rgy is the conversion of sunlight into electricity.
 It is derived in two different ways

a. By directly using photovoltaics (PV), in which Photovoltaics convert
light into an electric current using the photovoltaic effect.
b. By indirectly using concentrate d solar power (CSP). Concentrated
solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to
focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. Eg. Solar cooooker ,
water heater etc.

 Advantages of Solar Energy :
 Non-polluting and inexhaustible.

 Disadvantages of Solar Energy:
 It is costly at present as technology is uneconomical..
 Solar energy may not be harnessed in all areas and throughout the year
especially durign rainy reason and during winters in north India.

 CURRENT SCENARIO OF SOLAR FIELDS ENERGY IN
MAHARASHTRA

 It is observed that among the renewable sources of energy, solar
energy has a huge potential for power generation in Maharashtra.

 There are 250 -300 days of clear sun with an available average
radiation of 4 to 6 kWh/sq.metre over a day.

 There is a capacity to generate 1.5 million units/MW/year through
solar photovoltaic systems & up to 2.5 million units/MW/ year through
solar thermal systems.

 In Maharashtra these projects are well developed in Nagpur and
Aurangabad.

5. Tidal Energ y:
 Tidal Energy is the only form of energy which is derived directly
from the relative motions of the Earth –Moon system, and to a
lesser extent from the Earth –Sun system.

 The tidal forces produced by the Moon and Sun, in combination
with Earth’s rotation, are responsible for the generation of the
tides.
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98  The tidal energy can be harnessed by building dams at narrow
openings of the sea.

 The movement of water during a high tide helps in turning the
turbine; which produces electri city

 Advantages of tidal energy :
 Non-polluting and renewable.

 Disadvantages of tidal energy :
 Can be harnessed at select locations only.
 Tidal energy plants have the potential to damage the coastal
ecosystem.

TIDAL ENERGY in Maharashtra
 Maharashtra ha s a 720 -kilometer -long coastline and according to
Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA), the State has the
potential of producing around 1000 MW from the sea waves.

 The Maharashtra Govt is setting up a small tidal power plant in 2
coastal villages in Ratnagiri district.( near Guhagar on Ratnagiri coast)

 The turbine is expected to generate 15 -20 KW of power.

6. Wind Energy:
 Windmills have been in use since ages.

 At first, during historic times, they were used for running flour mills or
saw mills while now -a-days, windmills are being used to generate
electricity.

 The rotor of the windmill is attached with a turbine which produces
electricity.
 A large cluster of windmills for electricity generation is called wind
farm.

 Advantages of Wind Energy :
 Non-polluting and renewable.

 Disadvantages of Wind Energy:
 Initial cost of set up is very high.
 Rotors of windmills create noise pollution. They are also dangerous
for the birds and hence for the ecosystem.
 Cost of repair and maintenance is high.

Wind Energy in Maharashtra
 Maharashtra is one of the prominent states considering the installation
of wind power projects second to Tamil Nadu in India.
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99  As on 30/09/2014, installed capacity of wind energy is 4167.26 MW.

 There are 50 developers registered with state nodal agency
"Maharashtra energy Development Agency" for development of wind
power projects.

 All the major manufacturers of wind turbines including Suzlon,
Vestas, Gamesa, Regen, Leitner Shriram have presence in
Maharashtra.
 Projects develped in the sate are as follows:
a. Sindhudurg district – Vijaydrug and Jamsande (Devgad)
b. Satara district – Vankusvade Gade ( Panchgani)
c. Ahmednagar district – Shanjapur (Parner)

7. Biogas:
Biogas Plants are specially designed using high quality material and
advan ce technology. It is mainly used for biologically breaking down
organic matter, in the absence of oxygen. These biogas plants are able to
properly recycle biomass, sewage & municipal waste, energy crops,
manure and green waste. The biogas produced from pla nts could be
further used for cooking, and generating electrical and mechanical
energies.

 Organic waste can be utilised to produce biogas.
 Biogas is ideal for villages.
 Farmers can install biogas plants; often known as gobar gas plants.
 The bacteria de compose the farm waste in the biogas plant and biogas
is produced in the process.
 Biogas is a very good fuel. It can be used as kitchen fuel and also for
lighting.
 The organic manure which is a byproduct is highly beneficial for
farmers.

 Advantages of b iogas :
 Low cost source of energy, renewable and has the potential to solve
energy need in rural areas.

 Disadvantages of biogas :
 Biogas is a greenhouse gas and can lead to global warming.

3.12 SUMMARY

From the above chapter we have learnt that agricultu re is the mainstay of
the state of Maharashtra. The major crops grown in the state include rice,
Jowar, Bajra, wheat, pulses, cotton, sugarcane, several oil seeds including
sunflower, groundnut and soybean, turmeric, onions and other vegetables.
Sugarcane, cotton, ground nut are the principal cash crops of Maharashtra.
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100 Livestock farming is the rearing of animals for food and for other human
uses. The word 'Livestock' applies primarily to cattle or dairy cows,
chickens, goats, pigs, horses and sheep. Today, even animals like donkeys,
mules, rabbits and insects such as bees are being raised as part of livestock
farming in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra state, endowed with a coastline of 720 km stretched across
five maritime districts, namely Thane, Greater Mumbai, Raigad, Ratnagiri
and Sindhudurg. The northern coastal waters along Thane, greater
Mumbai and Raigad districts are rich in fish resources of Bombay duck,
non-penaeid prawns, golden anchovy, silver pomfret, eels, lobster, ribbon
fish, horse mackerel, large sized croakers (Ghol and Koth) and threadfins
(Rawas and Dhara), some of which are very characteristic of the region.
They are mainly exploited by bag nets, surface drift and bottom set gill
nets, large trammel gill nets introduced recently and hooks and l ong lines.
The southern coastal waters of Maharashtra along Ratnagiri and
Sindhudurg districts abound with the mackerel and sardines in addition to
penaeid prawn, seer fish, black pomfret and catfish resources which are
caught by shore seines (Rampani), gi ll nets and hooks and lines.
Amon the energy resources the tidal energy turbine for the first project
will come up near Guhagar on Ratnagiri coast.
Biogas is another energy source for rural families.

All these sources are renewable or inexhaustible and d o not cause
environmental pollution. More over they do not require heavy
expenditure.

Besides the aspect of social and economic securtiy in undertaken by
government by providing National Crop Insurance scheme, Livestock
insuranace scheme, National Remote Sensing Agency is providing crucial
inforamtion area - to- area regardung the area affected by any natural
disaster. Besides installation of numerous Automatic Weater system
(AWS) is providing micro -climatic changes that help micro -advisors to
update the fa rmers with the nature of cropping and other agriculture
related inforamtion well before time to safeguard the crop and
productivity.

3.13 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS/ EXERCISE

1. State whether the following statements are true or false .
a. Anthracite coal is a metamor phic rock and is considered the highest
grade coal.
b. The main fruit crops are apple, banana, pear, watermelon.
c. Sugarcane cultivation is confined to the area receiving adequate and
timely irrigation.
d. Fishing in Maharashtra is mainly dependent on south west
monsoonal r ain
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101 f. 60% of the total agricultural land in the Konkan area under rice
cultivation.
g. India is the second largest fish producer in the world after China

2. Fill in the blanks
a. Ground nut the principal ____ ______of Maharashtra is more common
in dry area and infertile soils.
b. By____________, we mean, the production of crops, livestock, or
poultry.
c. Rice is an important crop in _________ region of Maharashtra.
d. Maharashtra, a coastal state, endowed with a coastl ine of
__________.
e. Indian cow is often called _________________.
f. ______________coal is a metamorphic rock and is considered the
highest grade coal
g. ____________are called as poor mans cow .

3. Multiple choice questions .
a. Cash crops in Maharashtra include
I. groun dnut, cotton, sugarcane, turmeric, and tobacco.
II. groundnut, rice, sugarcane, wheat, and tobacco.
III. groundnut, wheat, rice, mango, and tobacco.
IV. groundnut, turmeric, tobacco, apple, rice

b. Bauxite is
I. A source of nuclear energy
II. An aluminium ore.
III. An Iron ore
IV. A variety of fish

c. Non-conventional sources of energy include
I. energy from coal, petroleum, tidal energy, geo -thermal energy and
even energy from waste material
II. energy from sun, coal, biomass, petroleum energy
III. energy from sun, wind, biomass, tidal energy, geo-thermal energy and
even energy from waste material
IV. energy from, tidal energy, geo -thermal energy and even energy from
coal.

d. Khopoli
I. first Hydel power station in Maharashtra
II. first Atomic power station in Maharashtra
III. first Solar power station in Mahar ashtra
IV. first Tidal power station in Maharashtra

e. Atomic power is obtained from the atomic reactions related to the
radio active munerals like,
I. Uranium, Thorium, Radium, Lithium,Plutonium. etc
II. Coal, Thorium, iron, etc.
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102 4. Answe r the Following Question
1. State major characteristics of agriculture of Maharashtra.
2. Write a short note on mineral resources of Maharashtra.
3. What are the major food crops of Maharashtra?
4. Examine the importance of livestock resources in the economy of
Mahar ashtra.
5. What are the problems associated with livestock activity in
Maharashtra?
6. What efforts/ measures are undertaken by the state government to
improve the situation of livestock economy in the state?
7. Explain the significance of poultry resources in the economy of
Maharashtra.
8. What are the problems faced by poultry industry in the state? What
measures are undertaken by the state government to improve the issues
related with poultry farming in the state?
9. What are the major types of fishing of Maharashtra? Describe salt
water fishing.
10. How is fresh water fishing associated with rice cultivation in
Maharashtra?
11. What are the problems and solutions related to fishing in Maharashtra?
12. Classify energy resources. Explain any one of them with examples.
13. What are the major Thermal and Hydel power stations of
Maharashtra?
14. What are the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy?
3.14. TASK
1. In a map of Maharashtra locate the Atomic power plants.
2. In a chart state the different power resources.
3. In a map of Mahar ashtra point out
(i) Tarapur (ii) rice producing region (iii) coal producing region
3.15 GLOSSARY

 Minerals - are inorganic substances, meaning that they do not come
from an animal or a plant.

 Cash crop : what a farmer raises, crop or livestock, to sell for money

 Livestock: animals raised on the farm

 Fishery - the geographical area that the fishing is taking place or the
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103
 Freshwater - The term freshwater refers to any natural water with low
levels of salt - this includes lakes, rivers, streams and even ponds!

 Habitat - A habitat is the natural environment or area where an animal
or plant normally lives.

 Marine - The term marine refers to the oceans and anything that can
be found within them.

 Renewable Power So urces - Renewable energy is a source of energy
that can never be exhausted.

 Wind Power is energy - energy that is produced directly from the
wind by using a wind turbine. Not only is this resource free and
renewable, it also emits no harmful greenhouse g ases.

3.16. ANSWERS TO THE SELF LEARNING
QUESTIONS
1.a. true
1. b. false, mangoes, grapes, bananas, oranges.
1. c. true
1. d. false, Agriculture
1. e. false. Tapi
1. f. true
1.g. true

2. a. oilseed
2. b. Agriculture
2. c. Konkan
2. d. 720 km.
2. e. tea -cup cow
2. f. Anthracite
2.g. Goats

3.a.I.
3.b.II
3.c.III
3.d.I
3.e.I


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104 4
MAHARASHTRA INDUSTRIES:
INDUSTRIAL REGIONS OF
MAHARASHTRA, RECENT
DEVELOPMENTS IN INDUSTRIAL
SECTOR, DEVELOPMENT OF
TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION IN
MAHARASHTRA,
MUMBAI METROPOLITAN REGION
After going through this chapter you will be able to understand the
following aspects.
Unit Structure
4.1 Objectives
4.2 Introduction
4.3 Subject - Discussion
4.4 Industrial Regions of Maharashtra
4.5 Recent developments in Industrial Sector
4.6 Development of transport and communication in Maharashtra
4.7 Mumbai Metropoli tan Region
4.8 Summary
4.9 Check your Progress/ Exercise
4.10 Answers to the Self Learning Questions.
4.11 Glossary
4.12 Task
4.13 References for Further Study

4.1. OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit you will be able to –
To understand the relationship of industrial development with
agriculture, minerals and energy
 To examine the factors affecting the localization of industries
 To understand spatial distribution of some major agro -based and
mineral based industries in Mah arashtra
 To locate and identify selected industries on the map of
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Industrial Regions of
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Transport and Communication
in Maharashtra,
Mumbai Metropolitan Region
105  To Understand the recent development in the industrial sector of
Maharashtra
 To explain the role of different policies in augmenting industrial
development in Maharashtra
 To est ablish the relationship between i ndustrial development and
regional development
 To understand the development of transport and communication in
Maharashtra
 To know formation and importance f the Mumbai Metropolitan
Region
4.2. INTRODUCTION
In this chapter we will learn about the location of industries in Maharashtra. The
industrial regions of Maharashtra have also been discussed in the following
chapter. Moreover the state’s recent development in industrial sector has
also been taken into consideration. The distribution of industries, its
problems and solutions are also discussed. In addition to all these, the
transport and communication in Maharashtra and the need for formation of
Mumbai Metropolitan Region is also studied.
4.3. SUBJECT DISCUSSION
It is kno wn that economic development of a ny state is directly linked
with the stage of industrial development. Before independence, Maharashtra
was industrially less developed. But with five year planning policies of
independent India from 1960’s which emphasized development in the field
of agric ulture, industry, energy and water sectors facilitated Maharashtra
to become leading industrial state contributing 13% of national industrial
output and employing 64.14% of the people in agriculture and allied
activities in India. Almost 46% of the GSDP is contributed by industry.
The resultant fact therefore is, Mumbai’ the state capital is also a financial
capital of the country with concentration of tertiary, administrative, defense and
few industrial activities. Mumbai w as once known as an industrial ci ty due
to concentration of textiles, light engineering, chemicals and pharmaceutical
etc. Industrial development in the state was largely concentrated in and around
the peripheral areas of Mumbai. But with passage of time, changing policies
and technology the land -use and land -value also changes. Same is true of
Mumbai as well. Industries in and around Mumbai are cotton textiles,
chemicals, refineries, machinery, automobiles, construction, electrical,
transport and metallurg y. These industries also provide employment to a
considerable number of people.
Agro -industries are well developed in Maharashtra. Sugarcane being
major crop in the state it produces about one fourth of the total sugar
production of India. Major sugar mil ls are located at Nasik, Pune,
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106 petrochemicals, heavy chemicals, electronics, automobiles, engineering, food
processing, and plastics are some of the major industries of the state. Small
scale industries have also come up in a big way in the state.
Maharashtra also has got good rail and road connectivity with all the
other regions of India. The Central Railway and the Western Railway
zones of the Indian Railways are headquartered in Mumbai, at Chhatrapati
Shivaji Terminus a nd Churchgate respectively. Until 1960’s trams existed
in Mumbai. The State has 5,983 km rail length running between 4 railways.
Spreading across 267,452 kilometers, the road network of Maharashtra is
the largest in the cou ntry. The six neighbouring states o f M a h a r a s h t r a a r e
connected via 17 National Highways. Maharashtra also has a huge state
highway network with a total length of 3688 kilometres. As of March 2010,
97.5 per cent of the villages in the state were connected b y roads that can
withstand all we ather conditions. In April 2002, India got its first fully
operational access controlled toll road, the Yashwantrao Chavan Mumbai -
Pune Expressway connecting the city ‘Pune’ which is educational and
industrial hub to Mumbai city through Yashwantrao Chavan M umbai -Pune
Expressway.
4.4. INDUSTRIAL REGIONS OF MAHARASHTRA
4.4.1. Introduction
 Maharashtra has been in the forefront in sustaining industrial growth
and in creating environment conductive to industrial development.
 Frien dly industrial policies, excellen t infrastructure and a strong and
productive human resource base have made it a favoured destination for
manufacturing, export and financial service sectors.
 Maharashtra being India's leading industrial state contributes 13% of
national industrial output.
 It is found that 64.14% of the people are employed in agriculture and
allied activities. Almost 46% of the Gross State Domestic Product
(GSDP) is contributed by industry.
 Maharashtra’s gross state domestic product (GSDP) ac counted for 12.98
per cent of Ind ia’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014 - 15, the
highest among all states.
 The principal industrial zone in Maharashtra is the Mumbai Thane -
Pune zone belt. This zone accounts for about 60% of the state’s
output.
 Efforts a re being made to promote other in dustrial areas like, Nagpur,
Nashik, Aurangabad, Sholapur, Jalgaon, Raigad, Amravati, and
Ratnagiri by building necessary infrastructure and creating an
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107 4.4.2. Industrial Reg ions: Industrial regions of Mahar ashtra are mainly
concentrated in the prosperous agricultural regions, mining areas of
mineralized zones and along the main transport arterial routes. Based on
these aspects major industries of Maharashtra are concentrated and
developed in the following in dustrial regions:
a) M umbai -Thane industrial region.
b) Pune -Pimpri - Chinchwad industrial region
c) Aurangabad -Jalna industrial region
d) Nagpur industrial region
e) Nasik industrial region
f) Kolhapur industrial region
g) Sholapur industri al region
a) Mumbai -Thane -Raigad Industrial Region: This is the largest
industrial region of Maharashtra.
 Industrial centres of this region are Thane, Ghatkopar, Bhandup,
Mulund, Kurla, Ulhasnagar, Ambernath, Kalyan, and Bhiwandi –
Nizampur - Chembur, Vash i, Panvel, Navi Mumbai, Dahanu an d
Tarapur.
 Major industries found here are Electrical and electronics, automobile,
oil refineries, Soap, Handlooms, Fertilizers, Rubber, Plastic, Glass,
Chemicals, Textiles, and Film industry
 Main reasons for the developmen t of industries in this region
are as follows:
i) This region owes its origin to the British rule in India.
ii) Mumbai developed as major international port during British
period. Mumbai was connected to the rest of Maharashtra and India
through roads and railway s which helped in the import of finished
products and export of the raw material. These infrastructures
of Mumbai have helped in the development of industries in and around
Mumbai at a later stage.
iii) Industrial development in Mumbai started during the Secon d World
War. In this period the e xport of Mumbai port was stopped due to
war.
iv) Mumbai is known to have settled skilled workers from the historical
times during the era of King Bhimdev with Mahikavati at Mahim as
his capital. The king brought skilled workers from Surat, Desh, Konkan,
Andhra and Karnataka. Even today the trend continues to cover entire
India as well as across the country to receive skilled and unskilled
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108 v) Supply of electricity from Khopoli, Bhira and Bhivpuri power s tations
made it possible to have industrial development in the region.
vi) Large capital investment was provided by Parsi communities and
Gujarati, from the era of colonial rule till date in this reigon for the
development of industries in this region.
vii) This re gion enjoys well developed transp ort facilities – road,
railways, airport and ports, which helped in its growth.
viii) Mumbai is one of the very important international ports which have
facilitated imports on a large scale.
ix) As a result of British contacts Mumbai could easily get modern
technolo gy and machinery.
x) Mumbai, then Bombay was an important administrative centre during
British period and its important enhanced in the post independence
period.
xi) Mumbai is considered as the economic capital of India. Many bank s,
insurance companies and other financial institutions are found in this
region.
xii) Due to shortage of space in Mumbai the industrial
development took place along the central and western railway routes i.e.
in Kurla, Bhandrup Mulund, Vikhroli, Thane, Panvel, Uran and Navi
Mumbai.
b) Pune -Pimpri -Chinchwad Industrial area
Pune -Pimpri -Chinchwad Industrial area is another major industrial
region of the state. Industrialisation here started in the year 1954.
The Pimpri -Chinchwad is a twin city is located to the N orth-West of
Pune City in Pune di strict.
Pimpri -Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) encompasses
areas of Chinchwad, Pimpri, Nigdi, Nigdi Pradhikaran, Tathawade,
Talwade, Akurdi, Bhosari, Ajmera Colony, Sambhaji nagar, Nehru
nagar, Sangvi, Hinjewadi, Aundh Annex and Wakad.
Industri al centres of Pune -Pimpri -Chinchwad are Pune, Khadki,
Dehu Road, Pimpri, Chinchwad, Hadapsar, Bhosari, Urali. Kanchan,
Chakan, Pirangut etc.
Main reasons for the development of industries in this region
are as follows:
i) The region is well connected with the Industrial region Mumbai by
quick and efficient railways, roads and new expressway transportation.
ii) Both Pimpri and Chinchwad are well connected by road via old Pune -
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109 iii) Pune has a central location so roads a nd railways converge here.
iv) Supply of Power is assured.
v) Many educational institutes like the Deccan education society and
Symbiosis are in Pune. Presence of these institutions has ensured
availability of IT experts. As a result of which IT industries have
flourished here.
vi) Both skilled and unskilled labour is easily available here. vii)
Many research laboratories are also found in this region.
Major industries in Pune -Pimpri -Chinchwad Industrial area Are
Engineering, Metallurgical, transport equipments, ele ctrical equipments,
textiles, pha rmaceutical and Chemicals.
c) Aurangabad -Jalna industrial region:
Industrial centres in this region are Aurangabad, Vaijpur, Paithan,
Kannad, Jalna, Ambad, Partur, Walunj, and Chikhalthana.
Main factors for the developm ent of industries in this region
are as follows:
i) Availability of water
ii) Both skilled and unskilled labour is easily available here.
iii) Electric supply from Jayakwadi power project.
iv) Availability of extensive land areas at low rates.
v) Agriculture is well develope d in this region so there is grea ter scope
for the Agro -based industries to flourish.
vi) Government provides additional facilities as this region was under
developed in the past.
I. Industries of this region area t extiles – Special ‘Paithani’ saree is
weaved here. This is a famous saree of t his region, Sugar Industries,
Handloom, Oil mills, saw mills, automobiles, two wheelers, engineering
goods, Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Steel goods,, electronic goods, Plastic,
Cement pipes, suitcases etc.
d) Nagpur industr ial region
Industrial centres of this region are: Nagpur, Kamtee, Kanhan,
Hingana, Katol, Kamleswar
Main factors for the development of industries in this region
are as follows:
i) Availability of different kind of minerals due to the presence of mining
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110 ii) Power is available from Khaperkheda and Koradi thermal power
stations
iii) Nagpur has central nodal location in India. Road, railways and air
routes converge here.
I. Industries of this region are: Textile mills, Pharmaceuticals, Plastic,
Paper, Fertilizers, Sugar, Heavy industry – military equipments, Bidi,
Chemic al, Cement,Television sets.
e) Nasik industrial region
Industrial centres are Nasik, Nasik Road, Ozar
Main factors for the development of industries in this region
are as follows:
a. Central nodal location of Nasik in India. Road, railways and air routes
converge here.
b. Electricity is available from Vaitarna power station.
c. Availability of raw material and ch eap labour from the
surrounding region.
d. Accessibility of Mumbai port.
Industries of this region are: Bidi,, Leather,, Aeroplanes,, Copper
utensils, Nylon, Currency notes,, Paint,, Suitcase etc.
f) Kolhapur industrial region
Industrial centres are Kolhapu r, Shiroli, Kasba, Bawada, Gokul,
Shirgaon
Main factors for the development of industries in this region
are as follows:
i) Availability of raw material and cheap labour from the
surrounding region.
ii) Hon. Shahu Maharaj, king of Kolhapur encouraged the indust rial
development in this region.
iii) Electricity is supplied from Radhanagari and Koyna power
stations.
iv) Kolhapur is near Karnataka and Goa. It is a nodal town hence transport
routes converge here.
Industries
I. Kolhapur chappals, Kolhapur Sazz (gold plated o rnament), Cement
pipes, Oil engines, Cotton textiles , Sugar mills, Agro equipments, Edible
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111 g) Sholapur industrial region
Industrial centre is Sholapur
Main factors for the development of industries in this region
are as follows:
i) Central – nodal location
ii) Availability of raw material from the surrounding region. iii)
Availability Skilled and unskilled cheap labour from the
surrounding region.
Industries found are Cotton, Hosiery, Milk, Agro equipments, Plastic,
Electrical equipments etc.
4.5 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN INDUSTRIAL
SECTOR:
4.5.1 Reasons behind industrial development in Maharashtra
Maharashtra‘s strengths in terms of natural and human resources,
connectivity and infrastructure, historical legacy and industrial dev elopment
five year planning policies of independent India has helped in the growth
and development of industries in the state.
A large, trained workforce with enhanced skill levels is an
addition to other important factors like raw material and power etc.
Maharashtra is richly endowed within various minerals of industrials
importance like manganese, coal, iron ore, limestone, copper, bauxite, silica
sand, and common salt.
 These minerals are found in substantial quantities in the eastern districts
with some deposits in the west.
 Bituminous coal are found in the in the districts of Bhandra, Nagpur
and Chandrapur.
 Undersea oil deposits were discovered in and near Mumbai in the
1970s.
 The mountainous region of the state is a virtual repository of rich
timber res erves.
 Establishment of Maharashtra Industrial Development
Corporation (MIDC):
a. To attract industries to different areas of the state, the government of
Maharashtra established Maharashtra Industrial Development
Corporation (MIDC) in 1962.
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112 plot or built -up spaces), roads, water supply, drainage facilities etc.
c. To date 233 areas have been developed around the state with emphasis on
different sectors such as Industrial, IT, Pharmaceutical, and Wine.
 Connectivity: Maharashtra is well connected by roads, railways airways,
and waterways.
 Power resources: Power supply is one of the key drivers of industrial
development.
a) After establishment of Maharashtra state in 1960, the
government of Maharashtra gave priorities to power sector.
b) Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (Mahagenco) is
the only State Utility having a very well balanced generation portfolio
involving thermal, hydel and gas stations.
c) The first 500 MW plant to be installed in any Sta te Utility
belongs to Maharashtra.
d) Mahagenco having generation capacity of 11657 MW comprising
8220 MW thermal, 2585 MW hydel, 672 MW gas turbine and 180
MW solar.
e) The hydroelectricity producing plants are in western areas (koyna) of
the state while therma l form of power is in the eastern region.
f) India’s first nuclear plant located at Tarapur in Palghar district is 123
km to the north of Mumbai.
Total electricity generated (including renewable sources) in the state was
89465 million units (MUS) during 2011 - 12 which was 7.8% higher than
previous year. MAHAGENCO accounted for 53.1% per cent followed
by RGPPL and Tata power 12.3%, each JSW energy 7.4%, renewable
energy 6.3%, reliance Infrastructure 5%, Wardha Power Company Ltd.
(WPCL) 3.3% and others 0.3% of the total generation
4.5.2 Following industries have contributed in the industrial growth
and development of Maharashtra:
Agro -Based Industries:
a) Cotton textile industry: Rich cotton growing areas and favourable
climatic conditions for textile industry and beginning of textiles during
British era are the major determinant factors for development of cotton textile
industri es in the state. Following are some of the important aspects of this
industry:
i) Maharashtra possesses an immense History in textiles.
ii) Mumbai city was the original home of India’s textile mills but of late
has very few industries due to its changing urban fu nctions that made it a
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113 iii) Cotton textile industry is the largest and the oldest industry both in
terms of production and employment in the state.
iv) This industry includes textile mills, handlooms and power looms.
v) Important cent res of this industry are located at Mumbai, Nagpur,
Sholapur, Akola, Amravati, Ichalkaranji, Malegaon and Bhiwandi.
vi) Sholapur, an important and largest textile centre of this industry enjoys a
prime location being in the cotton growing area. It is also loca ted on
the Mumbai -Chennai railway line.
vii) Nagpur also enjoys a similar position like Sholapur.
viii)Some small centres of textile are also found in Jalgaon, Dhulia, Kolhapur
and Sangli region.
ix) Hand loomed goods are produced especially in and around Nagpur
and Sholapur.
b) Sugar industry: Favourability of natural factors for sugarcane production,
political power for foundation of sugar mills and sugar cooperatives, well
developed transport connectivity, irrigation, power supply and ready
market has fl ourished this industry in the state. Following are the important
aspects associate with this industry in the state:
i) In Maharashtra, Sugarcane cultivation is mainly concentrated in the
irrigated regions of Godavari and Krishna valley. For sugar, warmer
climate in needed for better yield and Maharashtra grows thicker
variety of sugar cane.
ii) Black lava soil found in Maharashtra, is fertile, and retains water and
good for sugar cane growth.
iii) Mills use bagasse as fuel and do not need coal for power.
iv) Mumbai Port he lps in export.
v) Cheap labour also available.
vi) Location principle of sugar industry is that Sugar mills must be located
near the sugar -farming areas because sugarcane is bulky and perishable.
Sugarcane contains sucrose and once the sugarcane is cut the sucros e
content starts to decline. Hence raw material must be quickly
transported. Moreover, Sugar accounts for only 10% of the bulky
sugarcane and therefore it is prohibitively expensive to transport
sugarcane over long -distance in its original form. Therefore, Sugar
mills are located near sugar -cane producing regions.
vii) Important Sugar mills are found in Western Maharashtra’s river valleys,
Sangli, Sholapur, Satara, Ahmadnagar, Pune, Nasik
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114 ix) Maharashtra is well known for the development of sugar industry on
co-operative lines in which the farmers acquire a share in the sugar
mills.
x) Kolhapur, Ahmadnagar, Sangli, and Miraj important centres for sugar
refining.
c) Oil Mills: Favourable natural conditions for growth of different types of
oil seeds in different regions of the state has provided local raw material for
the development of oil mills in the state. Following reasons are responsible for
the development of oil mills in the state.
i) In Maharashtra a large number of farmers and agricultural labours
depend upon oilseed farming. Thousands of people are engaged in oilseed
production and trading. Thus, from the employment point of view it
is one of the most important industries of the Maharashtra state.
ii) In Maharashtra Solapur, Latur, Jalna and Aurangabad are the four
major districts that produce of oilseeds.
iii) The contribution of these four major districts in the production of oilseeds
in Maharashtra is 70%. As a result, nume rous oil mills are located in
these four districts in Maharashtra. At present there are 98 oil mills and
80 tel -ghani units consisting 160 tel ghanis in Solapur city.
iv) Earlier in the beginning of 20th Century safflower seed were crushed at
tel-ghanis and gr oundnut oilseeds were crushed in the oil mills. But at
present, maximum edible oil such as groundnut oil, sunflower oil,
cotton seed oil, and safflower oil are produced by the oil mill owners
rather than telghanis.
v) Due to shortage of safflower seed product ion and cut -throat competition in
the edible oil business the traditional telghani production is lagging
behind in the State.
vi) There are about 1806 oil mills in 2007 -2008 in Maharashtra
providing 1.32 million tonnes edible oil.
vii) Among all states in India, th e Maharashtra state has ranked second in
the list of production of oilseeds and edible oil. Safflower is the most
important Rabi oilseed crop in the Maharashtra state, occupying a pride
of place in oilseeds production.
viii) In general oil mills are found all over the state wherever groundnuts
are produced. It is found in Akola, Jalgaon and Dhule (edible oils
processing) also.
d) Traditional agro industries:
Fruit canning and preservation are important in Nagpur,
Bhusaval, Ratnagiri, and Bombay.
Small -scale agro -processing (rice-mills/ flour mills/ poha mills, Spices
grinding mills etc), consisting of conversion of food grains, oilseeds, and munotes.in

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115 other crops into items of daily consumption, is virtually ubiquitous
in the state.
Forest based industries: Forests provide us with different types of
forest produce used as raw materials by specific industries. Timber,
bamboo, sandalwood, and tendu leaves (for cheap cigarettes) are the
important forests produce. Following are the Fore st based industries
developed in Maharashtra:
a. Paper industries: Maharashtra has 71 paper and paperboard mills
accounting for 17% of the country’s installed capacity and production.
A variety of raw materials including bamboo/hardwood (Ballarpur),
bagass e, rags and imported pulp for paper manufacture and rice straw and
bagasse for paperboard production is used. Paper industry is raw -material
oriented industry as a lot of weight is lost in processing activity.
The paper mills are located at Ballarpur, Kalyan, Khopoli (Mumbai),
Bhambhori, Duskheda (Jalgaon), Roha (Kolaba), Pande, Chinchwad (Pune),
Kamptee, Malegaon (Nasik), Pravaranagar and Paithan (Aurangabad). The
paperboard mills are located at Vikhroli, Gor egaon and Kalyan all in
Mumbai.
b) Furniture industry: Nagpur, Ulhasnagar are the areas producing
variety of and large amount of wooden/ bamboo furniture that is widely
marketed within the country as well as abroad.
Other industries in the state are:
a) Engineering industries
The state’s greatest concentration of heavy Engineering industry
and high technology is concentrated in the Mumbai -Pune zone. Heavy
machinery. Agricultural implements, oil pumps, lathes, compressors.
b) The petrochemical industry has wit nessed a massive growth in the
state after the installation of India’s off shore oil wells near Mumbai in
1976.
c) Oil refining and the manufacture of such items as rubber products,
electric and
d) Electrical and electronic industries; refrigerators, electron ic equipments,
Air conditioners and television and radio sets are assuming increasing
importance.
e) Automobile industry: Maharashtra is renowned for the production of
three -wheelers, jeeps, commercial vehicles and cars. Pune is
emerging as one of the larges t automobile hubs in the country.
f) Indian film industry: Mumbai is the capital of Indian film industry
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116 4.5.3 Problems associated with Industrial sector in
Maharashtra
The main problems faced by the industries of Mahar ashtra are that
the industries are concentrated in very few urban centres which give rise to
regional imbalance. Availability of natural resources, historical legacy and
political power are the major contributing factors responsible for
concentration and a ssociated problems in sector in the economy. The colonial
development of industrial centres near the port cities further got strengthened
after independence due to industrial growth policy that was largely
responsible for concentration of industrial centre s in and around Mumbai
region, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Kolhapur and Solapur region.
Region wise industrial problem in Maharashtra are as follows:
North Maharashtra
a. Loss of agricultural land due to industrial activities and
associated non - agricultural activi ties.
b. Problem faced due to high power tariff as well as irregular and
inadequate power supply
c. Accidents, Traffic, jam, and inadequate transport and communication
reduces the economies of scale.
d. Lack of infra -structure in industrial estates
e. Entrepreneurs fa ce problems of delay in getting licences and permits
issued or renewed from the concerned authorities.
f. Agitation by workers, frequent strikes and slow -down work cause
loses for the industry and the economy.
Western Maharashtra
a. Paucity of skilled labour is a major problem
b. Unreasonable power tariff hinders industrial growth
c. Corruption in various government works
d. Absence of airport
Marathwada
a. Inadequate basic infrastructure is one of the major problems.
b. Geographical constraints with reference to climate and fr esh water
availability make planning for development a difficult aspect.
c. Power shortage in the region leads to cancellation of workers shifts.
Hence diseconomies of scale in the affects industrial growth.
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117 d. There is lack of higher educational institutes prov iding skilled manpower
equipped with technical skills is other major set -back for industrial
development.
Konkan
a. Most of industrial units are small -scale or cottage industries that lack
financial, appropriate processing and marketing support.
b. Few large sca le industries providing jobs to semi -skilled or unskilled
local workforce is on contractual basis without any benefits or
incentives.
c. Land holdings are very small due to fragmentation and nature of relief.
Most of the farmers practice subsistence agricultu re that just supports
their family.
d. In spite of rich coastline and fishing activity the region lacks in cold
storages and fish processing units.
e. Most of the development projects have received a setback due absence of
involvement in the process of developme nt project of local members.
f. Transport constraints due to rugged topography, narrow roads, landslides,
rock falls, floods and accidents.
4.6. DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPORT AND
COMMUNICATION
4.6.1. Importance of development of transport and communication in
the economy of Maharashtra: It is said to be the life -line of any economy
that circulates and distributes tangible and intangible goods and
services. Maharashtra state was fortunate to have the first -ever Indian
railway line inaugurated on 16th April 1853 init ially operating between
Boribunder (Victoria Terminus) and neighboring Thane. Later The
Great Indian Peninsular (GIP) and the Bombay -Baroda and Central
India (BB&CI) Railway started in 1860. A regular service of steamers on
the west coast was commenced in 1869. The opening up of the Suez
Canal in 1869 opened the connections between then Bombay and the rest of
the world that made Bombay a major port of India. Thus transport and
communication play a pivotal role in industrial development as it helps in
the fo llowing:
i) It provides local, regional, national and international markets for the
local produce depending upon its quality, supply and demand
conditions, rules and regulations.
ii) It provides a link between the producer and the consumer.
iii) It helps in the agglom eration as well as dispersal of industries depending
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118
iv) It favors productivity in different industries.
v) It connects rural villages with urban centers.
vi) Efficient and improved transp ort and communication provides internal
and external economies of scale for the industry. This reduces overall costs
and thus lowers the sale price It induces increased demand and sale to
increase profits. Increased profitability promotes reinvestment to b oost the
production in the economy and so the living standards of the people.
4.6.2. Modes of transportation: Maharashtra is bestowed various modes of
transportation viz. Roads, Railways, Airways, Waterways, Pipelines and
ropeways. Thus availability of dif ferent modes of transportation contributes to
the prosperity of a nation’s Industrial development and the state of
Maharashtra is no exception. Let have a brief study of the development of
various transport in the state:
a) Road Transport: The 20th century saw the rapid development of
comprehensive road transportation systems, such as national highway
systems, expressways and village -connect. Road transport further gained
more importance due to drastic change in automobile manufacturing that
contributed to industrial growth. In the areas where construction of railway is
difficult or impossible roadways are the only option left for providing
connectivity. Following are the salient features of road transport in
Maharashtra:
i) Spreading across 307713 sq. km a r e a o f t h e s t a t e t h e t o t a l r o a d length
network of 33,705 km is the largest in the country.
ii) There are 18 National Highways that connect Maharashtra to six neighboring
states Viz: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Karn ataka
and Goa.The length of National Highways in Maharashtra is 3688
kilometres.
iii) Maharashtra has a large state highway network. It is important to note that
97.5 per cent of the villages in the state are connected by all -weather
roads. Some of the major hi ghways in Maharashtra are MH
MSH 1, MH MSH 3, MH MSH 6, MH MSH 9, and MH MSH 10.
iv) National highways no. 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 16, 17, 44, 69 and few others
connect important states of Jammu and Kashmir (Srinagar) Delhi
(Agra), Gujarat, West Bengal (Calcutta ), Uttar Pradesh (Allahabad),
Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad) Karnataka (Bangalore), Tamil Nadu
(Kanyakumari) and other state highways and district roads.
v) Most of the metro -cities of the state are connected with its important
nodes by fly -over’s to ease tra ffic, save time and fuel consumption; save
foreign exchange by conserving energy and to reduce pollution in the
city. For example in MMR region the important roads and flyovers are
J.J. flyover/ Mumbai -Vashi Bridge; Western Express Highway, Eastern
Express way, East -West links (Jogeshwari – Vikhroli Link Road
(JVLR) and Santa Cruz – Chembur Link Road(SCLR))., Bandra -munotes.in

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119 Worli Sea link. Etc. State and private transport operators serve all routes.
Intercity bus services and Volvo are most significant. Following a re the
important road links in Maharashtra:
Expressways in Maharashtra are as follows:
i) Eastern Express Highway: The Eastern Express Highway, or EEH, is
one of the busiest roads in Mumbai Metropolitan Area. It is a part of
National Highway 3. This high way serves Mumbai city by connecting proper
city to eastern outskirts and also to Thane which is a metropolitan area.
ii) Eastern Freeway (Mumbai): The Eastern Freeway is 16.8 km long. It
is primarily intended to reduce travel time between South Mumbai and the
Eastern Suburbs. It is controlled -access freeway; connecting P D'Mello Road
(South Mumbai) to Eastern Express Highway at Ghatkopar.The main aim
of the ambitious Eastern Freeway project is to reduce traffic congestion in
the busy city of Mumbai, India and also the suburbs.
iii) Mumbai -Pune Expressway: The Yashwantrao Chavan Mumbai -
Pune Expressway, the first access controlled toll road project in India was
made fully operational in April 2002 and six -lane concrete, high -speed
Expressway that spans over a distance of 93 km. It connects important areas
of Thane – P a n v e l , K h o p o l i , Lonavala -Khandala – Talegaon - Pimpri -
Chnchwad with Bhor ghat as an important pass on the route.
iv) Mumbai -Nasik Expressway: Mumbai Nasik Expressway is 150 km
long and connects Mumbai to Nasik. It connects important areas of
Thane, Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Kasara and Igatpuri with Thal ghat as an
important pass on the route.
v) Western Express Highway: Western Express Highway runs in north -
south direction. It is abbreviated to WEH. It is an 8 -10 lane arterial road in
Mumbai.
b) Railways: The first railway in Asia and the country was in the state of
Maharashtra from Boribunder to Thane on 16th April1 1853. Following are the
salient characteristics of rail network in the state:
i) Maharashtra, with a railway ne twork spanning 5,983 km between four
Railways is well -connected to other parts of the country.
ii) Western and central railway lines link Mumbai city to other parts of our
country. There are also direct trains that link all the major cities and towns
of Mahara shtra and also with other major cities of India.
iii) The state has 205 railway stations.
iv) The state of Maharashtra also consists of Mumbai suburban railway
networks with a commuting population 6.4 million passengers each
day.
v) The Nanded division of the South C entral Railway caters to the
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120 vi) The Konkan Railway, a subsidiary of the Indian Railways based in
CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai serves the Konkan coastal region south of
Mumbai and continues down the west coast of India.
vii) In ad dition to this, a monorail and Metro are running and few more
are planned for Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
viii) East -Central -West rail -route link has connected Eastern Harbour,
Central Main line and Western main by Panvel -Diva Vasai rail service.
x) Besides shuttle services connecting small towns with respective major
urban centres of the State are also provided to facilitate daily
commuting of people. Common people are largely benefited by
this as many students, working population, small entrepreneurs and lo cal
tribals make use of these services. For -example, M iraj -Kolhapur; Virar -
Dahanu; Lonavala -Pune etc.
xi) Meter guage is also available in the plateau region of Maharashtra.
xii) Narrow guage connecting the foothill railway station of Matheran on
Central Rail way with the hill –top station of Matheran. It was developed
by Britishers as a hill station for them to escape from severe summers of
(Bombay) Mumbai. It is mini -train and continues even today. Matheran
is today one of the famous historical tourist hill station of the state.
c) Water transport: Water transport is considered to be the cheapest of all
other means of transport. In the Konkan region of Maharashtra coastal
shipping is very important. Maharashtra is bestowed with a coastline of 720
km, of which Greater Mumbai District has approximately 114 km, Thane
District 127 km, Raigad District 122 km, Ratnagiri District 237 km, and
Sindhudurg District 120 km. Maharashtra has three major ports at
Mumbai (operated by the Mumbai Port Trust), the JNPT lying acr oss the
Mumbai harbour in Navi Mumbai, and in Ratnagiri. Mumbai Port and
Jawaharlal Nehru Port fully modernised port of Asia (JNPT) at Uran and
other minor ports on the western coast are playing a significant role in
industrial and trade activities of the state and the country. There are48
Intermediate and small fishing, freight and passenger ports all along 35
creeks on the coast of the state.
c) Pipelines most of which are underground carrying water, gas, oil,
chemicals and sewage have contributed immens ely for agricultural,
industrial and urban development in Maharashtra. For example, a 210 km
long double pipeline connects Mumbai with Mumbai High. It provides
facilities for transporting crude oil and natural gas. Mumbai -Pune
(MPPL) Product Pipeline Indi a;Loni Pakni (LSPL) Product Pipeline
India;Loni -Pakni (LSPL) Product
Pipeline India -Hazarwadi -Pakni (Solapur).etc. Six lakes namely Tansa,
Bhatsa, Vaitarna, Tulsi, Upper Vaitarna and Powai supply water to
Mumbai through pipelines. Electricity supply, Com munication
lines through cables, sewerage lines, chemicals etc. all play important role
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121 d) Air transport: There are three International Airports in Maharashtra
located at Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shi vaji Maharaj International Airport),
Nagpur and Pune. There are also 5 Domestic airports at Mumbai, Pune,
Nagpur, Aurangabad and Nanded in the State. To reduce congestion in
Mumbai International Airport another international is proposed at Panvel. A
Specia lties of Multi -model International Cargo hub and Air Port (MIHAN)
at Nagpur is also proposed. Following are the special aspects of air
transport in the state:
i) Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is among the busiest airports
in India.
ii) With the establ ishment of Juhu Aerodrome, Civil aviation in Maharashtra
began in the 1920s. It was one of the first aerodromes in British India.
iii) It served as a base for J.R.D. Tata's Tata Airlines in the 1930s.
iv) In addition to the bigger airfields at Santacruz, Pune and N agpur built by
the Royal Air Force which were also used for civilian operations.
v) During the 80's and 90's, Vayudoot served as many as ten airports
in the state.
vi) There was an unprecedented growth in air traffic with growing tourism
industry and entry of low cost airlines.
vii) The booming Indian economy, liberalisation of international bi lateral
agreements and liberalisation of civil aviation policy at the centre down
the years also heralded the growth of air traffic.
viii)Most of the State's airfields are operated by the Airports Authority
of India (AAI).
ix) Currently Reliance Airport Developers (RADPL), operate five non –
metro airports at Latur, Nanded, Baramati, Osmanabad and Yavatmal
on a 95 -year lease.
Maharashtra has three international airports:
Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (among the busiest
airports in India);
Pune Airport with flights to Dubai, Frankfurt and Sharjah;
Nagpur's Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport.
4.7 MUMBAI METROPOLITAN REGION
Mumbai Metropolitan Region or in short MMR, with an area of 4,355 km²,
consist of the metropolis of Mumbai and its satellite towns in Maharashtra. It
has seven municipal corporations (Greater Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Navi
Mumbai a nd Ulhasnagar) and fifteen smaller municipal councils, 7 non -
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122 It was developed over a period of about 20 years.
With a population of 20,748,395 it is among the most populous
metropolitan areas in the world. It is l inked with Mumbai through the
Mumbai Suburban Railway system and a large network of roads.
The development of MMR is looked after by the Mumbai Metropolitan
Region Development Authority (MMRDA). MMRDA is a Maharashtra
State Government organisation and is i n charge of town planning,
development, transportation and housing in the region. It was established
for implementation of the Regional Plan and for Planning, Development and
Co-ordination of Development within MMR.
Initially there was no organised develop ment in the areas outside of
Brihan Mumbai or Greater Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Due to rapid
urbanisation the region had problems related to haphazard and illegal
development like Villages along the NH3 in Bhiwandi Taluka
A Maharashtra Government -owned compa ny, City and Industrial
Development Corporation (CIDCO) developed Navi Mumbai, as one of
the largest planned cities in the world.
Its administrative limits cover Mumbai city and Mumbai suburban districts
and parts of Thane and Raigad districts. This region has 40 Planning
Authorities that are responsible for the micro -level planning of different
areas.
4.7.1 Physiography of the region
This region, lying on the west of Sahyadri Hills is basically a low land.
The terrain has a series of north -south hill ridge s in the central and
eastern part. The landscape’s step like terraces and layered appearance
is the characteristics of Deccan Lava Country. This was formed due
to successive layers of basalt flow.
This region is drained by five major rivers and their numer ous tributaries
which empty into the Arabian Sea. All of these rivers are important
sources of water in this region.
The region has 167km long coastline which is again highly
indented by estuaries, bays and creeks.
Wetlands occupy vast area of land along t he coast consisting of mudflats
marshes salt pans and mangroves. This covers slightly less than 10% of
the geographical area of the MMR.
 The coastal plantations, beaches and hamlets with great -scenic value,
along the coastal belt in the north and south hav e made this region
famous.
 Nearly 45% area of MMR is below 20 m above sea level.
 Matheran is one of three ecological hot spots in India that has been
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123 4.7.2 Climate:
 High temperature associated with high humidity is the cl imatic
characteristics of this region. This has made summer months very
oppressive.
 Compared to summer winters are relatively pleasant.
 During monsoon this region experiences heavy rainfall that averages
about 2000m per annum.
 Moreover, very heavy rain wit h intensity of 250 mm in 24 hours is
quite common here.

Fig: Mumbai Metropolitan Region
4.7.2 Landuse:
 Agriculture accounts for 42 % of the Region’s total area, the largest
share of land use in the area.
4.73 Forest:
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124  The major observed forest types are evergreen, semi -
evergreen, deciduous and mixed.
 MMR has five sanctuaries –
a. Sanjay Gandhi National Park,
b. Tungareshwar.
c. Phansad,
4.7.4 Karna la and Tansa Growth of Mumbai
 Mumbai has a narrow wedge shaped land surrounded by waters on three
sides.
 This peculiar geography controlled Mumbai’s spatial growth down
the ages.
 The early growth of Mumbai took place in the south near the port.
 Later it sp read northwards along the suburban rail corridors.
 Till 1968 most of the Region’s urban growth was confined to Greater
Mumbai’s municipal limits though it had begun to occur in Thane,
Kalyan and surrounding areas beyond Greater Mumbai.
A study of the post 1968 period urban sprawl indicates that the growth
occurred in Mumbai’s suburbs along with Thane, Kalyan, Mira -
Bhayander, Navi Mumbai and Vasai -Virar areas. Thus the built up area has
increased from 234 sq. Km in 1968 to 575 sq km. in 1987.
About 12 % of t he Region’s total area is urbanised. Most this growth has
taken place by converting agricultural land or by reclaiming wetlands.
Table 4.1: Administrative Units of MMR and their Census
Population (figures in lakhs)
SN Municipal Corporations 2001 2011
1 Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai 119.78 124.78
2 Thane Municipal Corporation 12.63 18.19
3 Kalyan - Dombivali Municipal Corporation 11.94 12.46
4 Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation 4.74 5.07
5 Mira -Bhayandar Municipal Corporation 5.20 8.15
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125 7 Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation 7.04 11.19
8 Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation 4.70 12.21
Municipal Councils
1 Ambarnath Municipal Corporation 2.04 2.54
2 Kulgaon -Badalapur Municipal Corporation 0.98 1.76
3 Alibag Municipal Corporation 0.19 -
4 Pen Municipal Corporation 0.30 -
5 Panvel Municipal Corporation 1.04 1.80
6 Uran Municipal Corporation 0.23 -
7 Matheran Municipal Corporation 0.05 -
8 Khopoli Municipal Corporation 0.59 -
9 Karjat Mun icipal Corporation 0.26 -
RestofMMR 15.18
Total 192.87

Note: In order to boost industrial growth, the government has initiated
comprehensive measures like reducing the number of approvals for
business, single window investor facilitation through MAITRI
(Maharashtra Industry, Trade & Investment facilitation cell),
creation of e -platform for setting up of industries & new investments,
repealing of the river regulation zone policy, additional FSI for industrial
development in agriculture zone, etc. The State has focus on expansion of
infrastructure & industrial smart cities, connectivity to industrial clusters,
development of industrial parks, logistic parks, mega textile hubs, etc
4.8 SUMMARY
After going through this chapter we have learnt many things about
Maharashtra’s industrial development.
Industries can be classified into different categories on the basis, such as
of sources of raw material, ownership, functions, size of industry and
weight of raw material and finished products. Maharashtra has de veloped
various agro -based industries such as cotton textile and sugar industry.
Cotton textile industry is the largest organised sector industry in
Maharashtra. Maharashtra is also endowed with various minerals, enabling
the state to establish various min eral based industries such, heavy
engineering, automobiles, and petro chemical industry.
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126 Formation of MMR in the state and its importance in the state is
underst ood clearly.
4.9 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS/ EXERCISE
1. State whether the following statements are true or false.
a. The economic development of a state is directly linked with the level
of industrial development.
b. The state capital Mumbai is a financial capita of I ndia.
c. The important industries in the state are iron and steel, jute, electrical,
transport and metallurgy.
d. Spreading across 267,452 kilometres, the road network of
Maharashtra is the largest in the country.
e. Mumbai -Pune Expressways is known as Shankarrao C havan
expressway
f. Special ‘Batik’ saree is weaved in Aurangabad -Jalna industrial region.
2. Fill in the blanks
a. _____________________ or EEH, is one of the busiest roads in
Mumbai Metropolitan Area.
b. The official name of the Mumbai Pune Expressway
is________________________ Mumb ai Pune Expressway.
c. The main aim of the ambitious Western Freeway project is to
reduce ________________________________ __________________
___________________________ in the busy city of Mumbai, India and
also the suburbs.
d. Mumbai's ________________________________ ______________
________________________________ ________________________
________________________________ _____________ Airport is one
of the busiest airports in India.
e. ______________________ is one of three ecological hot spots in Ind ia
that has been designated as Eco -Sensitive Zones.
f. ___________ , _____________ communities invested huge amount of
capital required for the development of industries in Mumbai.
g. Mumbai is considered as the __________________ capital of India.

3. Multiple choice questions.
a. Maharashtra is the mo st im portant state in the peninsular
I.India producing about one fourth of the total sugar production in India. munotes.in

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127 II.India producing about one fourth of the total milk production in India.
III.India producing about one fourth of the total meat production in India .
IV.India producing about one fourth of the total potato production in India.
b. In Maharashtra, Sugarcane cultivation is mainly concentrated
I.in the irrigated regions of Ganga and Yamuna valley. II.in
the irrigated r egion s of Godavari and Krishna valley.
III.in t h e i r r i g a t e d r e g i o n s o f G o d a v a r i a n d B r a h m a p u t r a valley. IV.in
the irrigated regions of Kaveri and Krishna valley.
c. The number of National Highway s tha t connect Maharashtra to six
neighbouring states is
I.27
II.15
III.17
IV.18
d. Mumbai Metropolitan Region has 167 km long coastline which is
again highly indented by
I. Estuaries, bays and creeks.
II. Tunnels, passes, hills
III.Mud flats, salt pans,
IV.M angro ves, delta
e. Mumbai Metropolitan Region has five sanctuaries –
I.Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Tungareshwar, Phansad, Karnala and
Tansa
II.Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Sundarban, Tansa, Corbett, Kan ha
III.Tansa, Gorumara, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Jald apara, Corbett
IV.Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Jaldapara, Corbett, Pench,
Gorumara
4. Answer the Following Question
1. State major characteristics of Mumbai Metropolitan Region of
Maharashtra.
2. Write a short note on industrial development of Maharashtra.
3. What are the major means of transportation of Maharashtra?
4. What are the major industrial zones of Maharashtra? Describe any two
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128 4.10 . TASK
1. In a map of Maharashtra locate the sugar -cane producing regions.
2. In a chart state show different means of t ransp ortation of
Maharashtra.
3. In a map of Maharashtra point out
(i) Mumbai Metropolitan Region (ii) cotton textile industry
4.11 GLOSSARY
Accessibility: The measure of the capacity of a location to be reached
by, or to reach different locations.
Airport : An area of land or water that is used or intended to be used for
the landing and takeoff of aircraft, and includes its buildings and
facilities, if any.
Railroad: All forms of non -highway ground transportation that runs
on rails or electro -magnetic guide ways .
Waterway: River, canal, lake or other stretch of water that by natural
or man -made features is suitable for navigation.
Plantation: an estate or a farm used for growing rubber, tea, cotton or
sugar etc. for sale
4.12. ANSWERS TO THE SELF LEARNING
QUESTIO NS
1. a. true
1. b. true.
1. c. false, cotton textiles, chemicals, machinery, electrical, transport
and metallurgy.
1. d. true
1. e. false. Trams
1. f. true
1 .g. false, ‘Paithani’

1. a. The Eastern Express Highway,
2. b. Yashwantrao Chavan
2. c. traffic congestion
2. d. Chhatrapati S hivaj i International 2. munotes.in

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129 e Matheran
2. f. Gujarati, Parsi
2.g. economic
3.a.I.
3.b.II
3.c.III
3.d.I
3.e.I
4.13 REFERENCES
 Economic and Commercial Geography of India by Sharma &
Coutinho
 Geography of India - Majid Husain
 Oxford School Atlas - Oxford
 Maharash tra : P r o f . S a w a d i a n d K e c h e 4 . E c o n o m y o f
Maharashtra: Deshpande S.H.
 Economic Geography: Jones and Darkanwald
 Economic Geography : Alexander
 Environmental Geography : Savindra Singh, Prayag Pustak Bhawan,
Allahabad -21 1002
 Geography of Maharashtra Prof. C .D. D eshpande.
 Maharashtra – Prof. Savadi and Keche.
 Geography of Maharashtra – B. Arunachalam
 Maharashtra – 2006 - Santosh Dastane.
 Economy of Maharashtra - S.H. Deshpande.
 Census Atlas - Govt. of Maharashtra
 Maharashtra in maps – Dr. K.R.Dixit
 Maharashtra Lives tock Development Board,
 Maharashtra Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd.
 (Source: Extracted from District economic surveys of respective districts
produced at the financial year end of 2011 -12, available at:
http://mahades.maharashtra.gov.in/publication.do?pubCatId= DSA)
 The Hindu, Business line munotes.in

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130  Anon, 2002 -2004. Fish Production Report, Maharashtra State,
Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Maharashtra, Mumbai
 Road transport year book, transport research wing, ministry of shipping,
road transport & highways government of India, New Delhi (March
2009)
 Road transport service efficiency study, Energy & Infrastructure Operations
Division South Asia Regional Office (November 1, 2005)
 L.R. Ka diyali, Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning,
Khanna Publishers, New Delhi. 1999.
 S.K. Khanna - C. E. G. Justo, Highway Engineering, Nem Chand &
Bros; Roorkee (U.P.), 2000

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131 5

PRACTICA L - GEOGRAPHY
Concept of Statistical diagrams and Maps: Importance of
statistical diagrams in Geography
Statistical diagrams are a diagrammatic representation of numerical form of
statistical data. Statistical diagrams represen t numerical data into a
diagr ammatic form which is most illustrative. Statistical diagrams are drawn
to scale and so are proportional to the quantity represented.
When these statistical diagrams are superimposed on maps it is known
located proportional dis tribution map which reveals spatial dimensions
of location and variations of the given phenomena.
A social scientist is required to represent various types of statistical
information on a map that helps to represent spatial distribution and
concentration o f any particular phenomenon u nder study. For example, spatial
distribution of world population. In the contemporary era the field of social
science has got specialized t develop into various branches of Geography,
History, Economic, Sociology, Psychology, Political Science etc. The
representation of the statistical information has therefore occupied more
significance. The real distribution of various spatial elements such as
temperature, precipitation, atmospheric pressure, production of agricultural
produc e, mines and minerals; indust ries and industrial products, concentration
and distribution of population, nature of trade and areas connected; traffic flow of
mode of transport etc. on map can be shown very effectively with appropriate
statistical diagrams given the availability of dat a/information. Such maps in
which a cartographic representation of certain statistical information is made
are more illustrative and comprehensive in nature that creates better
understanding and are of great socio -economic inte rest. They are called as
‘Thematic maps’. Such maps are extremely useful, particularly from the
view point of laymen, since they give a broad overall picture of entire range of
data in a highly compressed form that become easy to compare and distinguish
with a number of elements repre sented in the map.
Cartographic representation of statistical information has however, some
limitations. Though cartograms are more easily understood and very
impressive to the laymen, they are not so very precise as tabulation s. When a
wide variety of int er-related data are to be represented by diagrams they become
very complex and so are difficult to interpret.
What is Cartography?
Cartography or mapmaking is the study and practice of making maps.
Map making involves the app lication of both scientific a nd artistic
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132 compilation and design principles with available techniques for product
generation.
Modern Cartography like many other fields of "information technolo gy" has
undergone rapid chang es in the last decade. Rather than merely drawing
maps the cartographic process is concerned with data manipulation, data
capture, image processing and visual display. The International
Cartographic Association defines cartogra phy as the discipline dealing with
the conception, production, dissemination and study of maps. Cartography is
also about representation – the map. Cartographic representations may appear
in printed form or as dynamic images generated on a computer display
screen. Computer assisted ma pping systems have added a new and
exciting dimension to cartographic techniques and traditional
methodologies have to be augmented with new skills. The fundamental
nature of cartography has changed with the evolving technologi es,
providing cartographers with new methods for visualization and
communication of spatial information.
While representing various types of data on a map or with the help of some
diagrams, certain general rules must be observed. Each map and diagram
must be represented with suitable title in few words, to give the main idea
of the theme / topic given in a map or a diagram. Besides other
elements of a map or diagram it includes:
i) Scale: it represents the proportions that are quantifiable.
ii) Index: depicting va rious aspects shown in the ma p.
iii) Clarity and legibility: precaution is taken to avoid
overcrowding of information so that the given distribution of
information is clear and legible.
To represent statistical data a very wide range of diagrams are used.
Depending upon the range of t he given data (that is difference between the lowest
and highest figure) different types of graphs/ diagrams are drawn.
These are classified as follows:
i) One dimensional or linear diagrams in which the data to be
represented is made proportional to the leng th of the bar. e.g. Graphs
and bars.
ii) Two dimensional or areal diagrams, such as rectangles, squares and
circles. In these diagrams, the area of the rectangle / square or circle
is made proportional to the quantity represented. Here square roots are
conside red while determining the scale.
iii) Three dimensional or volumetric diagrams, such as cubes and
spheres. In such diagrams, the volume of the cube or sphere is made
proportional to the quantity represented. Here cube roots are considered
while determining the scale.
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133 2. LINEAR DIAGRAMS
2.1 Simple Line Graph: Data related to time variable (i.e. Decades,
years, months, weeks, days, hours etc.) is normally represented with the
help of simple line graph to observe the trend in the g rowth over a period.
For exam ple, the decadal growth of population in Maharashtra from
1961 -2011. (Please note one decade = ten years time period).
Formula used is: DGR = (pop.1961 – pop of 1971) * 100
(Pop 1961)
Table 1.
Decadal Growth of Population in Ma harashtra (1961 - 2011)

Year Total Population Pop. In millions Decadal
Growth rate
1961 39,553,718 39.6 -
1971 50,412,235 50.4 27.5
1981 62,784,171 62.8 24.5
1991 78,937,187 78.9 25.7
2001 96,878,627 96.9 22.7
2011 112,372,972 112.4 16.0

In this d ata (a) year & (b) population a r e t h e t w o variables.
Year (or time) is considered as an independent variable and is normally
represented along 'X' axis of the graph. Population is considered as a
dependent variable (as population is dependent or related to time
period /year) which is represented along 'Y' axis on graph. The simple graph
(figure 1) represents that the population in Maharashtra is growing over the
period from 1961 to 2011. However the decadal growth rate of population is
decreasing from 1991 to 2011. This may probably be attributed to the fact
of decreasing family size, as also may be migration has slowed down due
to socio -economic development in earlier low performing states of the
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Figure 1
2.2 Superimposed / Multiple Line Graph: In this case more than
one sim ple graph are drawn on same axis; hence is called as the
superimposed graph. Comparison of two or more graphs is possible in this
type of graph.
Table 2.
Maharashtra: Rural – Urban composition of total population (1961 -
2011)
Maharashtra Population 196 1-2011 (figures in millions) Year
Rural Urban Total
1961 28.4 11.2 39.6
1971 34.7 15.7 50.4
1981 40.8 22.0 62.8
1991 48.4 30.5 78.9
2001 55.8 41.1 96.9
2011 61.6 50.8 112.4

Sketch pens of different colours can be used to r epresent lines
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Figure 2
Multiple / superimposed line graph depicts the trend (change) in the
variables represented. Besides, we can also compare the changes
between them. It would thus he lp in understanding the past and present
status and predict the future possible trend under the given conditions. It is
important to know the past, present and future for planning policies to
meet the development goals in the related sectors. Table 2 depic ts the
growth and composition o f r u r a l a n d u r b a n p o p u l a t i o n i n
Maharashtra. It is clear that both rural and urban population is increasing
over the period from 1961 to 2011 in Maharashtra. However the rate of
growth in urban population is rapid compared to rural population in the
state. This proves that Maharashtra state is getting highly urbanized over
the period (figure 2).
2.3 Band Graph: Comparison of more than two variables as well as total
of any aspect (or variable) can be represented in this diagram . For example
following data (table 3) explains the concept of band graph:
Table 3:
Production of crops (1961 -1991 in ‘000 tons)
Production (in '000 tons) Year
Rice Wheat Jowar
1961 30 60 10
1971 50 30 20
1981 70 50 30
1991 40 80 40
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136 Time or indepe ndent variable is represented along "X' axis. Dependent variable
is represented along *Y' axis. Graph for the first variable is drawn as
simple graph. This graph line of first graph is considered as base line for
the second graph of second variable. The gr aph line of second graph is
considered as base line for the third graph of third variable etc.
In this example graph of rice will be drawn first. This graph line is
considered as base line for the graph of wheat. To simplify this process the
original data is modified as follows:
Table 4:
Production of crops (1961 -1991 in ‘000 tons)
Production (in '000 tons) Year
Rice Wheat Rice + Wheat Jowar Rice + Wheat + Jowar
1961 30 60 90 10 100
1971 50 30 80 20 100
1981 70 50 120 30 150
1991 40 80 120 40 160

The graph lines of this band gr aph are drawn in the following
sequence:
i) Graph for Rice
ii) Graph for Wheat is Rice + Wheat
iii) Graph for Jowar is Rice + Wheat + Jowar

Figure 3
The advantage/significance of band graph is we can identify the trend of
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137 Secondly, we can identify at a glance the dominant variable in the given
distribution. Thirdly, we can see total quantity with its changing trend over a
period of the given variables (here it is total crop production)) by observing
the topmost graph line of the band graph.
We thus notice from figure 3 that overall rice is the most dominant crop
followed by wheat while Jowar has relatively less production. However it is
also observed that fro m 1981 to 1991 wheat is domin ant crop produce
followed by Jowar while the production of rice has decreased. This may
be because wheat is largely grown twice a year while rice is generally rain
fed. Besides, the failure of monsoon affects rice productivity as the crop
needs more water. T h i r d l y w i t h i n c r e a s i n g d r o u g h t s i t u a t i o n J o w a r i s m o s t
suitable crop produce as it requires less rain.
MAP AND ITS MAIN ELEMENTS:
Map may be defined as "a conventional representation of the earth or its part
on plane surface with certain scale". Its main elements are (1) Title / Theme, (2)
Scale, (3) Direction, (4) Grid / Co -ordinates of latitudes and longitudes (5)
lettering size and shape and (5) Conventional signs and symbols.
1) Title/Theme of the map: Any map is drawn (pr epared) to represent a
partic ular aspect/theme/topic. The position of the theme of the map is
often given at central topmost part of the map in big size bold letters for
example: World: Physical Map / World: Political Map / World:
Distribution of Populatio n etc.
2) Scale: Actually a map is far smaller in size than the corresponding area-
of the earth it represents. Hence, even' map is drawn to the scale,
which determines the ratio between the distance of two points on the
map and corresponding points on the gr ound.
3) Direction: Direction is also an essential element of map because it
helps in locating a particular place or feature with reference to a
known point.
4) Grid / Co -ordinates of Latitudes and Longitudes: A map is
drawn on a plane surface but the earth's su rface is actually curved henc e,
the correct representation of the earth is on a globe and not on plane
paper. The construction of map involves the problem of transformation
of spherical surface into a plane, which is solved with the help of
map projections that yield co -ordinates of l atitudes and
longitudes. These co -ordinates help to find exact location and
extent of any place.
5) Lettering size, shape and spacing: Information depicted in the map
by words is based on the importance/ ranking/hierarchy of that aspect
represented on the map . Hence different size (font) and shape
(bold/normal; italic or gothic etc.) of letters are used. For example:
World / Continent/ country/ capital place of country/ important
cities/ places of historical importance etc. Thus he re ‘World’ will
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138 will be slightly smaller and country name will be still smaller in size
etc.
6) Conventional Signs and Symbols: A map is a conventional
representation of the earth's surface. Various features of the
lands cape are depicted with the help of conventional signs and
symbols on maps. Use of conventional signs an d symbols
help us to depict maximum information of any given areas on
a small piece of paper with clarity and legibility.
5) Other Important Elements: The index, the title and subtitle of the
map, are the other important elements of the map. These elements are
very essential for a good map. In other words, these elements are the
backbone of maps.
Please Note: You are requested to observe all these element of a map
whenever you are viewing any map. You will then
understand these map elements more clearly. It is necessary to quote
that Department of Geography, University of Mumbai at
Vidyanagari campus, kalina, Santacruz has Nati onal map
Reference Library th at may be visited to see and know different
types and aspects of a map.
MAP READING
Man-environment relationships with reference to ever increasing
population an its complex use of resources, differential levels of development
and wide socio -economic disp arities; increasing levels of pollution and
deterioration of natural resources; scarcity of energy in the world etc. all can
be produced through maps. . Geographers predominantly, as well as the
planners, historians, economists , agriculturalists, geologist s, and others
working in the basic sciences and engineering, long ago found the map to be an
indispensable aid to study these varying distributions an differences at a
glance.
A small map of a large region depicting its physica l aspects (land forms -
relief, g e o l o g y , d r a i n a g e , c l i m a t e , s o i l s a n d n a t u r a l v e g e t a t i o n ) ; a n d c u l t u r a l
aspects (such as distribution of population, settlement patterns, transport and
communication routes, agriculture, industry, historical/religious features etc)
make available the information required to plan different policies and
implement them more effectively. Ecological complexities of the
environment can be easily understood with the help of maps. Any changes in the
existing landscape require a detaile d study which is possible wit t h h e l p o f
physical maps. For example construction of dam site and creation of water
reservoir, Hydel power site / road route, ports, ropeway, airports, industrial
location settlements etc, requires maps to be prepared to make d e ve l o p m e n t
successful. Natu ral hazards can also be well depicted on the map and
precautionary mitigation measures can be adopted to minimize or avoid the
losses due to disaster. Besides, potential areas having resources can also be
identified and mapped for promoting overall sustain able development. Maps of
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139 with which we may intelligently consider the course of past, present and future
events.
MAP FILLING
Map filling / mark ing the details on a map is a n art of representing spatial
distribution of various natural, cultural, economic and social elements on the
outline map of the world, continent, country or any region, with the help of
conventional signs, colours and symbols.
Generally, such distribution .shown with the help of point (.) location, line
( ) location, or an area ( ) location by using some shades or co!ours.
For example, location of a town, port, industry etc. are point features shown by point
locatio n. A river, road, railways, w ater ways etc. are linear features shown by line
location and distribution of rice, wheat, cotton etc. producing regions occupy area
and so are shown by areal features and so are shown by areal diagrams.
In map filling use of c ertain colours for distributi on of certain elements is done
conventionally. For example, water bodies are shown in blue colour, natural
vegetation in green colour, roads, and settlements etc. in red colour,
agricultural land in yellow colour, and areas of high altitude in brown
colour etc. These colours are used universally by all the countries while
representing these common features on the maps.
Use of symbols is used in map filling to show some specific aspects.
These can be represented by symbolic pictu res for example, for
engineer ing industry a wheel, for automobile industry a sketch of an
automobile or for textile industry sketch of chimney and chemical industry
sketch of a drum etc.
Sometimes first letter of a commodity is used to show its distribut ion. For
example, rice produc ing areas by ‘R' or wheat producing areas by ‘W etc.
Here letter becomes a symbol some time instead of using letter as a
symbol.
MAPS
Maps are our friends and guides. They provide us useful information
in a very attractive mann er with the help o convention al signs
and symbols. The subject of geography can be well be understood
with the help of study of maps. Hence it is important to know
methods and techniques used in the map for reading and interpreting
the map.
Map is a pictur e of the earth's surface
Pictures, illustrations, diagrams and maps are the visual forms of
communication which are far more effective than the words or the
verbal communication.
In China, it is said that 'one picture is equivalent to thousand
words'. What you can not communicate in t housands of words can be
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140 Map is considered as the mine of information which can be
understood through proper map reading and its interpretation.
How to remember locations represented on the maps?
1) Dire ction: Determine the direction of the map. Generally the top
of the map is north and bottom is south, left side is east and
right side is west. Middle part is central.
2) Prominent landmarks/ features: Identify the prominent
featu res on the map. These may be:
i) Coastline and ports: Port locations are generally located near the
creeks or headlands along the coast, e.g. Dabhol, Jaigad,
Ratnagiri, Deogad and hence we get small notch or marking
along the coastline which represents tha t creek or headland. (Figure
4)This peculiar shape' helps us to remember locations.
ii) Alignment of the places! Transport routes and major stations/nodes.
Some places are aligned in one straight line hence it becomes easy to
remember them if you consider thei r alignment, e.g. Malad Mulun d,
Andheri Vikroli, Grant Road Sandhurst Road. The dotted lines joining
these places are in the east -west direction, or parallel to the X -axis.
iii) Midpoint locations: Certain places are situated exactly at the mid -
point between the other two places, e.g. Ha rne is midway between
Alibag and Ratnagiri.
iv) Equal distances: Distance between Malvan Ratnagiri, Ratnagiri
Harne and Harne Alibag appear to be the same on the map or
Pophali is at equal distance from Harne and Ratnagiri (Refer to the
Mid-point location map) figure 6.
v) X Y axis locations: If you consider the imaginary X and Y axis from
some prominent landmarks then you find that certain places are situated
at the point of intersection of *X' and Y' axis. e.g. S aki Naka is at
the point of intersection of "X' and Y' axis drawn on the map of
Mumbai. figure 7
vi) Capital place! head quarter: is generally nodal place of
historical significance.
vii) Historical place: Palace/forts/battle fields etc. have unique pattern of
settlements. For example on river/coastal islan d/ confluence of a
river, lake, hot spring, hill -top etc.
In relation to these features one may be able to find/locate and
remember the places. If you are able to understand and practice these
techniques, you will be able to remember place easily and so yo u will not
have problems about the map reading and then you will say I Love
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141

figure 4

Figure 5 figure 6 figure 7
Use of conventional colours in the maps: Colours make maps more
attractive and memorable. A ppropriate / representative colours are use d
to represent various physical and cultural features. These colours are
more representative to the features depicted. It is given in table 4. Besides, the
density, gradient, distribution effect is represented by the colour -tin (colour -
shades) for that fea ture. For example the depth of water is shown in
different tints of blue shade (where shallow water is light blue colour and
blue shade becomes darker with increasing depth of water).
Colours play an important rol e in our life. World appears more beautiful
due to the various colours. Colours also convey specific meaning e.g. red
colour is used for traffic signal, which means stop or danger. Green
means you can cross the road. Similarly on 'Rose day' roses of differ ent
colours are used for different purposes . Conventionally following colours
are used in the maps.


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142 Table 5.
Conventional colours used in map
Colour Natural
features Colour Cultural /
Man-made features Sky blue Water, river, Sea etc. Yellow Agriculture
Green Vegetation Red Settlement s and roads Brown Relief features
Black Railway

Table 6.
Conventional Symbols used in map
Colour Natural
features symbol Cultural
Feature Symbol Cultural / Man-
made features Sky blue for perennial (+) Spring R.S. Railway Station
Black Tidal river P.S. Police Station
P.T.O. Post and Telegraph Office P.H.C Primary Health Centre R.H. Rest House P.F. Protected Forest
R.F. Reserved Forest

Table 6 represents few conventional symbols used in the map.
Apart from these colours any type of colour c a n b e u s e d in the
thematic map by a cartographer (one who is specialized in map-drawing)
depending upon the specific purpose of a map.
Children love colouring pictures similarly grown ups like you also like
colouring. With this intension, various geometr ical shapes (symbols) are used
in the maps to represent distribution. You are free to select any
appropriate colour for these symbols. Colouring your own map makes the
map more attractive and it increases your involvement with the map which
enhances knowle dge and hence it becomes easy to remember places
represented on the map.
B. Distribution Maps: These maps depict spatial distribution of any
phenomenon under study. Different types of cartographic techniques
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143 1) Choropleth Map: are drawn when the quantity specified belongs to
a particular administrative unit having its defined boundaries.. For
example:
i) Continent wise distribution of population in the world
where continen t is a boundary
ii) Country wise distribution o f population in the world where
international border is a boundary
iii) State wise distribution of population in a country where state
border is a boundary.
iv) District wise distribution of population in a state where district
border is a boundary
v) Taluka wis e distribution of population in a district where Taluka
border is a boundary.
Each of these maps has its own purpose and utility. Accordingly based on
the study purpose a particular distribution is adopted as the nature of work,
time and cost vary with the type of map used.
These data is generally taken from government published census
handbooks. The statistical data of the quantity of a particular element is
generally available at different levels ranging from con tinent/
country/state/district/ Tal u ka/ t own/village level in such government
publications. Then a suitable scale, as shown in the index of the map is
selected to map the data indicating variation in densities for he given
administrative unit with the he lp of class -groups. The final data is
repre sented on the map with different colours or patterns. In order to
differentiate between the densities, it is desirable that the degree of
darkness of colour/shade or pattern should be proportionate to the density
represented. Generally higher the density d arker the colour shade and the
shading effect go on decreasing with decreasing density. Such Choropleth
maps are also known as the "Density Maps".
However the limitation of the Choropleth maps is it does not give a true
picture of the distribution because the density of the element represented
is uniform all over the respective administrative unit Figure 8 and 9. In
reality such distribution of density is rarely uniform, as water areas,
communication lines, steep s lopes and peaks are devoid of any
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144


Figure 8

Figure 9
2. Isopleth Maps: reveal the direction of and degree of extent of
variation of a given phenomenon. Isolines are drawn joining the places
having same value. These isolines are drawn by deciding a certain
interval 9 which is genera lly uniform interval / class group) by observing
th range ( difference between the highest and the lowest value) in the
given data. Isopleth maps are thus drawn to show physical as well human
phenomenon. Different names are used to identify these phenomeno ns as
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145

Isopleth map


A] Physical Phenomenon B] Human Phenomenon
A] Physical Phenomenon is as under that can be represented by
isopleths maps:
i) Atmospheric Temperature by ‘ Isotherm s’ (line joining places having
same tempera ture) figure 10
ii) .Atmospheric pressure by ‘ Isobars’ (line joining places having same
atmospheric pressure).
iii) Precipitation/rainfall by isohyets (line joining places having same rainfall
amount) figure 11.
iv) Relief hei ght by ‘ Contours’ (line joining places havi ng same height).

v) Depth of water is Sea : - Line on a marine map or chart joining points of
equal depth usually in fathoms below mean sea level is represented by
‘Isobaths’.
B] Human Phenomenon:
i) Journey Time by i s o c h r o n e s (line joining places requiring equal
travel time by a particular transport.
ii) Transport cost by isophores (line joining places requiring same journey
transport cost to transport a particular element from source of supply point to
place of destina tion – industry/go down/market).
iii) Stage s of development by isostades are the Isolines joining the points
of similar stages of development. World - Distribution of Average
Temperature by Isotherms

figure 10
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146 World - Distribution of Average Rainfall by Isohyets

figure 11
Map of acid rain (fig ure 12) represents the location, intensity and
distribution of acid rain in the world by isopleth map
World - Distribution of Acid Rain) by Isopleth Map

Figure 12
The correctness of the isopleth map depends on t he isopleth interval.
Least the interval mo st accurate is the representation of the statistical data.
In the isopleth map of world distribution of the Acid Rain areas in Europe,
N. America and Japan are represented. (Fig. 12) Sometimes the belts
between th e isopleths are coloured or tinted with a p attern and the degree of
its darkness depending on the quantity represented.
3. Dot Map: It is another cartographic technique used for representing
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147 located at that point of place to represent a particular value of that
place. For example, distribution of population in a region / state.
Location of dots representing distribution of population is done by
using base map of that region (basic information) . Base map contains
the prominent physical and cultural features. Taking these features into
consideration that influences the distribution and concentration of population,
number and size of dots are placed (located/ marked) accordingly on the
map. Care i s taken that cluster or overcrowding of dot s is not
preferred in a dot map. It is therefore avoided by using different sizes of
dots to represent different values. When the exact figures of .the number of
cattle, population, area under, some crops etc. are a v a i l a b l e , t h e
quantitative distribution o f these elements can be satisfactorily shown on
the map by dot method. In the map given below (Fig. 13) each dot represents
500,000 catties. In the same way the statistics for each country can be
collected and the dot map showing the distribution of cattie s country wise
can be prepared. While preparing the dot map, the following factors are
generally taken into consideration.
i) The drawing of state borders is not necessary to show the
distribution
ii) A suitable value o f each dot is selected so that the number o f dots
required for each country will give a sound effect of the distribution of
the element. A few dots do not produce a good effect, while too many
dots become a crowd.
iii) A suitable size of the dot is to be s elected. All the dots should be of
uniform size, iv) While putting the dots on the map one as to keep in
mind the physiography and hydrology of the region, because the
distribution of the element is more or less governed by the above
two factors.









Figure 14
4. Flow Maps: are drawn to rep resent the relationship between the
areas with respect to any phenomenon that involves movement /
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148 transfer of living or non -living elements. Flow maps can be drawn into
two types:
i) Ray map: it represents only the c onnectivity or flow between the areas.
Here the amount transferred is not quantified in the flow map.
ii) Flow Map: represents the flow between the areas of people / goods/
services which is quantified. Here the width of the horizontal line (bar)
represents th e value and the length shows the direction of the areas
connected with actual flow. For example movement of crude oil in the
world. Flow map helps us to reveal the areas of importance of a
region/country at a glance.

Figure 15
Traffic flow cartograms ar e really very illustrative and at once brin g
home the vivid picture of business activity or movement of people
in the region. They look like the arterial system of our body through which
the vital energy continues to flow. This method is also used in atlas maps
to show the major shipping routes in accordance with the volume of
international trade moving over them.

Figure 16 munotes.in

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149 1.15. REFERENCES FOR FURTHER STUDY
 Geography of Maharashtra Prof. C.D. Deshpande.
 Maharashtra – Prof. Savadi and Keche.
 Geog raphy of Maharashtra – B. Arunachalam
 Maharashtra – 2006 - Santosh Dastane.
 Economy of Maharashtra - S.H. Deshpande.
 Census Atlas - Govt. of Maharashtra
 Maharashtra in maps – Dr. K.R.Dixit
 References;
 http://www.ngi.gov.za/index.php/technical -
 i nformation/catog raphy/what -is-cartography
 http://cca -acc.org/resources/what -is-cartography/

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